Friday, April 29, 2011

Bathroom or Kitchen?

Weeks ago, I opened a paper bag my mom left in my room.  She always have a pasalubong  after every trip to the mall.  She has relentlessly complained of my dry skin for so many years now.  And she has been buying me a lot of different kinds of skin treatment products for it.  I guess this is out of guilt because it's known to both of us that I got my scaly dry skin from her.  

Anyway, when I looked in the bag, I did a double take when I examined the products.  One of them had the "vegetable" word in bold letters and the other one had the words "Goat's Milk".  I thought I was going to use something that contains something that is supposed to be found in the kitchen.  I was kind of wary of trying out the bottle of Goat's Milk (which was really a body wash) at first. 

I have tried the body wash but I haven't tried the soap yet.

The body wash does not form a lot of suds.  It really smells good.  It's doesn't smell creamy or milky or anything like that.  And it leaves my skin like I wiped some aloe vera sap on it. 



  

Tuesday, April 26, 2011

One Versus Four

While I was having my lunch break at work today, I was able to talk to an applicant waiting to be interviewed.  We got into talking and since we easily got comfortable with one another, she was able to share some personal things with me.  (Yes, I'm that easy to talk to. Teehee! Or maybe, I'm just plain snoopy.)  She told me that she really needed work right now because she needs the money to pay for her siblings' tuition fees this coming June.  She shared that she was the eldest of five children.  The youngest was in high school.  And I really pitied her because I could just imagine the burden.

I have one child and the worry I have for her needs is truly bothersome.  In her case, she has four Via's to take care of.  And the needs are much more.  She wanted that her siblings have their school supplies ready even before June.  In my mind, I thought that it was going to be a big task for her because April is already ending.  And there is only one more month for her to gather her finances. 

She said her family lives in Marinduque and she was living with her relatives.  She told me that she has to pay three thousand pesos every month to her relatives for board and lodging.  I was secretly mad at her relatives for asking for that much from someone who is still looking for work and who is going to work for her siblings' education in the province.  

We had some relatives living here at home and they are most welcome.  We are lucky that we have some extra blessings to share to them.  I guess they are lucky too because we don't really ask for payment as if they were a business opportunity.

I wish that families don't ask too much if they are helping a relative.  I've known worse families.  I know someone's father who was in the States who stayed in a relative's garage because the relative didn't want to share their home.

I also have an aunt in the States who had three extra bedrooms in their house but refuse to let her sister stay there without paying for board and lodging.  

I hate those who have so much blessings but refuses to share.  I think providing a roof over someone's head is not so much as an inconvenience when you have extra space.  And I truly hate this aunt of ours for doing this to a younger aunt of mine.  It was utterly selfish of that aunt.

Anyway, let's go back to that girl who was ten years younger than I am but was carrying a heavier load on her shoulders.  She told me that her mother was working as a social worker and earning 1500 a month.  And her father was working in Napocor with minimum salary.  I didn't say it out loud but I thought that the mom should find another work.  It's good to help others but not when you're own family needs your help.

I pray that young girls like her would somehow turn successful in the future and will look back at this and find it a good story to tell... just like my own mother's case.

Friday, April 22, 2011

Pulling To Sit at Four Months

Well, she is turning 5 months on Monday.  And my baby can do a complete roll over but still with difficulty.  It is one of the gross motor skill I have been watching out this month.  And she was able to do it during her second week of her fourth month and so I can breathe until the fifth.  But then last night, I was playing around with my baby and I let her grasp my index fingers with both of her hands.  I tried pulling it up and she was able to pull with her shoulders and her head.  And eventually, she was able to pull up along with her back straight and her head.  She was able to pull herself into a sitting position with little effort from me.

It takes less than a minute when her arms weaken and she flops back to the bed.

I'm so happy.  The simplest things can make me so proud.

Playing Wife and Mom This Holy Week

This Holy Week, against the objections of my own mother, Via and I stayed here in Pasig to be with my husband.  I gave the nanny her 3-days-2-nights and so I'm in charge of everything.  I am thankful that I've got everything I need within reach.

Since, I haven't played wife for a long time, I'm having problems with being one.  I don't know what it was but I'm having a fight with my hubby last night.  I guess he isn't used to thinking about others beside himself because he has been living alone for the past five months already.  And that really got me irritated when he really didn't mean to do that.  

My husband has been doing great here at home with doing all the chores including cooking and washing the clothes and cleaning up.  But when it comes to Via, he's been doing everything wrong.  He can't stay alone with her daughter for more than thirty minutes without calling out the name "Mama!".  And I'm getting exasperated.

And last night, I wasn't used to someone needing too much help with my daughter.  I wasn't expecting it from her own father who is so clueless about his own daughter.  When I'm trying to get my daughter to sleep and he continues to play with her, he gets nothing but harsh words of my expertise.  And I think I wasn't really aware of it until now that I'm writing it down.  I realize that I was being harsh as a mother.  And I wasn't considering the fact that he is really clueless!

The only solution is to visit my husband more in the future with his daughter.  He needs to learn how to be a father.  And I need to learn how to be a wife.  Or else, this "marriage" (though we really are not) is doomed if we can't get along.

Wednesday, April 20, 2011

Anne Rice for a Four-Month Old

I read books to my baby just so she wouldn't cry while she's lying down. It hurts my back carrying her around.  When I'm studying, I read to her aloud.  But during this week, I wanted to read literature instead of medical information to ease my mind a little bit.  I decided to start on my Anne Rice series.  I haven't read any of her books until now.  (I know, I have been missing really great works of one of the best writers of our time.)  And I am totally gripped by the pages.  I didn't like vampires before, but now, I think I do (with Brad Pitt as Lestat in my mind).

What I have been doing these past few days was read to my baby parts of the book that I'm currently on.  And she listens intently.  Now, I believe I'm supposed to read about happy things to a kid.  And I'm kind of afraid that I should be reading the Bible to her during Holy Week instead of Anne Rice's gothic thoughts about vampires and ghosts and immortality and death and dying.

I'm trying to conjure up a justification in my mind why I should be allowed to read this kinds of ideas to her.  Although, I know she doesn't really understand what I'm saying to her and just fascinated by my voice (yes, the only person who is), still, I'm wondering if she does, in some way.

Friday, April 15, 2011

Getting Back On The Saddle Again

Okay, I have made up my mind that I'm going to get back on my original line of work.  My profession is haunting me every time I find a work I really like.  I have started studying again.  Some people call it a review but in my case, since I have forgotten most of what I knew before, I'm back to square one.

It's going to be doubly hard to study especially now that I have a baby. Even if there's a nanny around, you can't really hand your baby completely to her.  And so, I am going to maximize every sleeping hours my daughter gives me.

I'm going to continue working in the education and development field until the time that I'm allowed to pass an application to the hospital of my choice which will be on August this year.  Crossing my fingers and toes here.  I have to make good on their entrance exam and the competition is very steep because I'm going to apply along with the newly graduates and those who have just taken their boards.

I have rummaged my closet for my old books and have listed the topics I need to study on.  Dear Lord, grant my senile brain a little more capacity and ability to remember all of those things I need to pass.

I know I would have to do a lot of sacrifice for the next three to five years to do good in my profession.

As of now, I'm going to start on my new work on Monday.  The work schedule is during the afternoons while I study in the early mornings.  I know I'm going to get uglier again because of lack of sleep.  And I don't really know if coffee drinking will help me get through.

This is all for my Via and honey who told me that he will support me all the way through.  We'll see how he holds up :)

How We Spent One Family Weekend

Camayan Beach Resort and Hotel 
Subic, Pampanga


The family and the rest of the household.




The grandparents and grandchildren.














Breakfast at the beach front
My cousin, sister and brother
all of them just got out of bed.












The Lola juggling her two grandchildren.














FOOL 
LOL!  Just kidding Tito Mejay!











My nephew, Gabino!


Anak, you're drooling again.















Hello there, Tita Che!











My Mom