M

M, 2 years old, Shangri La Boracay

Says: ayadjuuu (I love you), ends most of her sentences with 'ha?' Like, "Wait for me, ha?"  "I wiwi first, ha?"  She sounds so cute when she says it.

Eats: anything, then tires of it quickly.  But her current favorites are noodles, pork chop and chicken. And styobeyis (strawberries).

Sings: The Glow (from the movie Tangled), Call Me Maybe

Loves:  copying faces she sees on her books, being tickled, giving kisses, saying HI to everybody in the house

Plays: with her achi's doll house when achi is not looking.

Why I did not vote today

Because I am not on the registered voter's list anymore. :(

I know I voted back in 2004, and I only missed the 2007 elections due to morning sickness.  So, I don't know why the government decided to remove me from the official voter's list.

Of course I only found out about this automatic-removal-of-name-from-list policy last 2010.  Out of the blue, I checked my name to see which precinct I was registered to, and was surprised and disappointed to see that I cannot vote anymore because I failed to vote (daw) for the last two elections.  Which irked me because I know for a fact that people who have been dead for decades still have their names on the list.

Yeah, yeah, yeah.  I should have registered a long time ago.  BUT,

1.  I'm tamad to do so.

2.  I don't like any of the candidates running.  Except for Bam.  And that's  only 1 out of 13 (or 12 ba) reasons for me to go out and vote. So no.  Not enough motivation.

3.  Reading stories like this.

I probably will not register again for the 2016 elections because hey, I heard Kris Aquino is running.  The elections are becoming a joke.

MOMO Cafe

We accidentally ended up in MOMO Cafe in Eastwood Mall two Wednesday nights ago.  We originally planned to watch Skyfall, but I had loads of work to do in the office, left the office late, got stuck in traffic... Bottomline, I got home with only a few minutes to go before Skyfall started playing at the nearest theater.  So movie plans became dinner plans, and we ended up in Eastwood Mall.

We ordered the Creamy Crabby Seafood Casserole. We were told by our friendly waitress that it was a dish good for two.  As always, when I'm ravenous, I refuse to listen to logic and choose to listen to my rumbling tummy instead.  I wanted something meaty, something unhealthy for a change.  I saw Boneless Cornflakes Crusted 'Country Fried Chicken' on the menu.  That sounded greasy enough.  We got that one too.

First came the complimentary bread with the usual spread.  Bread was okay. Spread was okay.  I cannot, for the life of me, remember what the spread was.  It tasted cheesy and pimento-y at the same time.

Next out was the Creamy Crabby Seafood Casserole.  I pooh-poohed it upon seeing it.  How can something this small be good for two people?  The waitress must be underestimating my appetite.  The casserole is actually a creamy risotto with generous servings of seafood mixed in it.  One bite, and both my hubby and I were in risotto heaven.  Very yummy, I tell you.

Then came the Country Fried Chicken, a really forgettable blah chicken dish.  We were eating it just so it won't get wasted.  :(  

After an hour or so of good conversation and good risotto, we were both full.  Too full for dessert.  And to my surprise, we had only gone through half of the seafood casserole dish!  The waitress was right.  The seafood casserole alone was filling enough for two people.  I didn't mind bringing home the casserole leftover for dinner again the next night.  It was still yummy when we reheated it.

The total bill came to about Php400 per person.  Would we come back?  Hmm... on those nights when I'm craving for really good risotto, then probably yes.  

Ready for number three?

A few years ago, while pregnant with M, I told my BFF L to slap me sensible if the day comes that I announce I want baby no. 3.

Well, she's not here now, so I can entertain these thoughts.

I want baby no. 3.

There I said it.

Mike doesn't.  He suggested I pray for an immaculate conception. (?)

Why do I want number 3?
1.  What if C and M do not get along?  At least, they have a back up sibling.
2.  What if C or M decide to work out of the country?  That leaves us with one kid only.  She has to take care of us and she'll be tired.  She needs a sub.  Enter baby no. 3.
3.  Somehow, 5 of us in the family sounds more balanced than 4.
4.  M's growing up so fast.  I will miss the sound of her little feet on the floor.  I will miss her babbling.  So my solution is to make a new one.

On the other hand, why am I having second thoughts about baby no. 3?
1.  Money.  'Nuff said.
2.  Time.  It is hard enough dividing my time and attention between two kids.  I cannot imagine how to do it with three.
3.  Yaya issues.
4.  Losing my sanity.
Last but not the least, the most important reason why I do not want to have baby no. 3?  The pregnancy.  I cannot imagine another nine months spent with a metallic taste in the mouth, aching back, aching ribs, and complete and strict bedrest.  The 24/7 urge to throw up.  The irritation I have with EVERYBODY.  I simply cannot.  The pregnancy scares me more than the birthing pain.

Oh wow.  I think I just ended my dreams of having baby no. 3 right there!  Look at my reasons for wanting versus my reasons for not wanting.  The latter sounds more grounded and realistic.

Bye baby no. 3.  It was a good 24 hours dreaming of you while it lasted.

Chef's Galley

We are on a roll!  Two date nights for October, woohoo! :)

M suggested we try Chef's Galley along C. Benitez St., Quezon City.  

 The interior of the restaurant is designed to look like the interior of a ship.  Hence the name.

 We ordered the Rainbow Salad.  Saw good reviews for this online.  Had high expectations that were, unfortunately, not met. :(   The dressing was good, yes.  The salad greens, however, were not as fresh.  We felt cheated, what with the few crumbles of blue cheese in the salad.

Baked Creamy New Zealand Mussels.  Loved the creamy cheesy topping.  Mussel was tough though. Had to wrestle with it just to get it off its shell.

Aaaah... the saving grace for the night.  Bibo's Lamb Stew.  Melt in your mouth meat with a really rich and yummy sauce.  Perfect with the steaming plain rice it came with.

We spent roughly P1200 for everything.  Pricey, considering the food we ordered was good for just one very hungry person only.

Her prayer

"Dear God,  Thank you for my mama and papa and shobe.  Hihihihih....... Amen."

Amazed

Whew... where did the time go? April breezed by so fast. And May is almost coming to an end. I am amazed at how fast time seems to go by when you're having the time of your life. I just couldn't let the months pass by without writing about them. So many things have happened in the past two months. I'm actually sad that I haven't had a chance to sit down and write about them. Something seems to come up each month, with or without any help from me. February was Valentine's day. March was Chloe's moving up day and Margaux's first birthday and baptism. April was Liza's wedding in Taiwan. May was really hectic: Liza's wedding reception here in Manila, Expo Mom bazaar, our 6th anniversary, Mike's birthday, and Chloe's enrollment. Oh, and we're renovating our house... AGAIN (rolls eyes). Hopefully, in the next few days, I can post more pictures of all those priceless moments. I have a lot of time in my hands now because I sprained my ankle and I have no choice but to stay home.

 Anyway, I have always regretted not documenting how Chloe was when she was growing up. For example, I cannot remember what words she made up to express her thoughts. And I swore to myself that I will try to jot down everything this year. Chloe is now 4 years and 6 months old. She has always LOVED reading. Thanks to my sis in law, we have TONS of books here in our house. So wherever we go, basta she has a few books with her, she would be okay. One day, we went for a check up at her pedia, where she borrowed a few books to read while waiting. A dad approached me and asked how old Chloe was. She was just turning 4 that time. They were amazed at how well she could read. I was amazed that they were amazed. I never really compared her with other kids. And then it happened again a few weeks after - a parent approached me to ask where she was studying, and if all the kids in her school were reading so well at that age. I couldn't answer, because I really didn't know. Her teacher later said that Chloe was one of the two students in her class who reads well. I was proud. Who wouldn't be? Not that I did anything to hone her reading skills, which makes me even more prouder (of her, not of me).

 Then the other day, she tried to spell "education" on my iTouch, which left me flabbergasted. E-D-U-C-A-T-O-N. Yes, it was missing a letter, but still! At 4 years old, she's spelling these words?! Where is she learning all of these? I have asked her pedia to refer a developmental pediatrician for Chloe, just to see what level she is at mentally. If she is advanced, I would at least like to think that I did something to foster her love for reading and spelling.

 Margaux is just as amazing. She started walking at 10 months, has started saying the usual "papa" and "mama." She is a very happy (albeit undpredictable) baby who loves to kiss us at night. She loves pretending to mix things so she can subo us her concoction. Hahahah. The cutest thing she does now is pretend to read, with fluctuating inflections, which sometimes sounds like she's yodeling. Hahahahahah! She is VERY attached to me. There are times when she'd cry uncontrollably and the only way she will quiet down is when I pick her up. "Dedong".... that's her word for EVERYTHING.

Many times at night, I have found myself awake and staring in awe at our little girls while they're asleep. Amazing... there is no other word to describe them.

the little one turned ONE

so many pending blogposts but this one is the most important! our littlest one turned one last week, march 23, 2012.

sniff... i can't believe she's now a year old. i can still remember each detail of my pregnancy, where the little one wanted things her way and wanted to come out earlier than the scheduled nine months. which resulted in mommy having to be on bedrest for the most part of the pregnancy.

but then she seems to be doing so many things earlier than most of her peers. cruising at 7 months, walking at 9.5 months... can you believe it?


so on the day of her birthday, i spent the day getting things ready for her party, which were mostly DIY labors of love. like these centerpieces. thank you auntie beeet! :)



and these lovely, lovely, poms!


plus the paper flowers on these lootbags:


and this entrance photo. thank you stan ong photography for the great photo shoot!


after everything was done, off to the kitchen to bake her first ever birthday cake. it was chocolate banana, achi begged me to make it for her shobe's birthday.


then the little one was happily cheering us on as we lit the candle on her first ever birthday cake...


my little one is all grown up! (sniff sniff)


happy birthday margaux francine! try not to grow up so fast, okay? :)