I wanna be a SUPERMOM

I have a household issue that has been bugging me for several months now.

You see, our four househelps are going on a vacation, all at the same time, come December 17.  Why are they leaving all at the same time, you may ask.  Well, because they're all related to each other.  A big no-no, I know. But that time I hired them, I was heavily pregnant with my third, and that was my only option. I assumed that they would all have to leave for vacations at the same time (I was right), but that they would have a bit of malasakit to leave kahit two lang behind to help me out (wrong, wrong, wrong).  They did it last summer, and they'll do it again this Christmas.  They go on vacay, while I go insane.

BUT, I have a back up plan.  Plan B is to ask my mom to send over someone from her household to, you know, save her daughter from insanity. Like how we did it last summer, when she sent two.  But one had to go home immediately because, uh.. she needed to make sure my mom's dogs are doing well.  So she upped and left, and left me with a newbie. Let's save that story for a different post.

What is plan A?

Plan A is for me to savor this (house)helpless time with the kids - to enjoy every second of the chaos and the mess, to bond with them over nonstop Sofia the First marathons or Full House episodes, and to answer their never ending questions about life and religion and who is the more loveable child. And I plan to do this - alone.

Look at her.  Doesn't she look dazed and confused? Probably how I will look like in about three weeks. Yes, I will be cleaning our house in a Sofia the First costume.  

Can you see it happening? I can!

And I'm terrified.

And I don't know what is going on and why my logical reasoning isn't working.  But this is the plan I'm leaning towards.  A big part of me wants to maybe prove to myself that I can do this - I'm a SUPERMOM.  The other part is in denial.  When I try to bring it down to reality, it feeds me with visions of myself cooking dinner while my eldest plays with the baby,and the middle one quietly engrossed with some artwork or book. With a catchy Christmas song going on at the background. For two weeks. This is the same part that thought the ates will have malasakit for me and leave two behind.  Medyo slow ang learning curve ko eh. 

So, wish me luck! And keep me sane by sharing your horror stories of your househelp issues. Just so I'd feel better that I went with plan A instead of the convenient plan B.

Tokyo - Day 1 part 1

Every year, M and I go on a trip with just the two of us.  2012 - Taipei for L's wedding, 2013 - Bangkok for work.  This year - Tokyo - for no reason at all.  :)

C begged for us to bring her, and although I wanted to cave in, M and I were firm in our resolve to have some quality time together, alone.  So bye bye C and M.

PAL was delayed for a few minutes.

Our plane (thankfully) had the individual video screen where you get to watch movies and play games.  After four hours, we finally saw this.

Quickly studied the dizzying Tokyo Metro (Meturo) Map:

Finally got to our hotel after 1.5 hours!  Hurray!  Not bad for two Japan first timers!

After freshening up, met up with my college BFF Val! She's babywearing sleeping baby Averie :)

Saw some cosplayers in Harajuku.

And some 'revels' - which is how they call themselves. The temperature must have been around 6C at this time.  Look at how they're dressed!  One is just wearing a thin sleeveless shirt!  The 'revels' gather at the entrance of Yoyogi Park on Sundays only.

Visited the Meiji shrine and saw this amazing torii - which are traditional Japanese gates found at the entrance of shrines.

Despite the near freezing temperatures, I just had to wash my hands here in the shrine.  They said doing so will erase all bad vibes and give me good blessings:

Saw these columns of lanterns made of beautiful Japanese paper, all lined up to be lit for the night.

Finally reached the place where people wrote down their prayers and wishes:

There must be thousands of tablets left here by people:

Left my own prayer here too:

To be continued...

The Two Week Wait...

Is over. :(

My body did a good job of tricking me into believing I was pregnant.  Sharp pains in the pelvic area? Check. Back pain? Check.  Hungry all the time?  Every minute!  Weird cravings?  Well, I had coco jam and cheese for breakfast.. how's that?

Then AF came.  End of story.

The thing is, the two week wait caused my hubby and I to panic (unnecessarily).  Refer to my post here.  Where will we get the money for another kid?  Will we have to start following a strict budget if a third one is along the way?  What about schooling?  Who among them will have to forego schooling?  Draw lots na lang?  :D Oh and the never ending yaya issues.  I am just beginning to envision a life with no househelp.  A third baby will bring us back to square one.

But deep down, I was a bit excited.  And a bit happy.  Okay, more than a bit happy.  Fine, I was giddy.  But worried.  But giddily happy!  The thought of another addition to our family was indeed very exciting!  A new baby to love, a new baby to fawn over... :(

Okay.. now back to regular programming.

My Songwriter

She sat down and happily hummed these lyrics, sung to the tune of "The Wheels on the Bus"

"The mama on the bathtub goes poop, poop, poop
Poop, poop, poop.  Poop, poop, poop.
The mama on the bathtub goes poop, poop, poop
All through the town."

Awww. She loves me.

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.