Grandparents and Great Grandparents Day

Well, it's not really an official holiday yesterday.  It is not even the official day yesterday.  Via was just out with her grandparents and great grandparents for lunch.  We all gathered in our favorite family restaurant in Megamall.  I'm talking about Tong Yang.  That's why after getting out of the restaurant, we all smelled like we all spent hours in the kitchen.  Good thing I didn't bother spraying some perfume yesterday because it would just go to waste.

It was Via's Great Grandparents' last day yesterday here in Manila and that's why we decided to give them a going-away get together.

Via's Great Grandmother 

Via's Grandfather letting her taste the spoon dipped from the halo-halo.

"That was pretty good!  I want more halo-halo!"

Her blouse used to be a dress but she got bigger.

She's grown up already.

She's wearing pants already!

Ate Rose and Via :)

Ang nose mana sa mommy ^_^

Sorry Anak

Waaah! Why mommy?

She's Sitting Up

By this time, I'm pretty sure I wouldn't be able to give her the best in life but I pray that she learns to make the best out of the things I can give her.

Why so sad on your 8-month day anak?

Mamy, is there anything on the table for me?

Sorry Anak, no classic mamon from Red Ribbon for you.

So sorry Via. :(

My Via sitting up without support

while browsing her first activity book.

Good job Via!

I want to nip on your toes baby!

She got distracted by the TV.

"Rawr! I want to bite you mommy!"

This photo was taken by the nanny.  I'm against taking photos of her without clothes.

She's still recovering from Roseola (or Tigdas Hangin).

Where's Waldo?

Where's Via?  

I placed Via in her Kuya Gab's walker while I do some work in the computer in the messy den.

The room already looks like a bodega.

But I think it's still safe for a kid to walker around.

Family Noon Time

We've been trying to fit it in our schedule.  Just a few hours will do just fine for us.  And so, today we were able to get together - my husband, Via and me - for lunch and a quick stroll in the park (Eastwood is like a park right?).

Since we were both working almost at the same time - early morning and early in the evening, the only time we have free is the one in between (sometimes, he's also booked at that time).  Today, I had to move my reading schedule after lunch so that we can have lunch out together.  

Since this doesn't happen very often, it is considered a special day hence, I just had to take pictures ^_^

While we were waiting for our ride, Via spent time ripping apart my Metro magazine.

Waaah! 

Via and her Papa

He's trying to do everything for her even just for a few hours.

My husband was elated when Via fell asleep on his chest.

No kidding!  He was all smiles ^_^

I find the pictures funny because he was carrying the baby, fanning the baby and holding the umbrella for Via.

But I didn't find it funny when I saw how humongous my legs were.

So much for sexiness!  LOL!

It was a very short get together but we promised that we're going to do it more often

since Eastwood is nearby our home and work.

Schedule Woes

1. I suddenly don't know which one I should concentrate on.   I hate my indecisiveness.   I was supposed to be studying for a specialty but I haven't decided in which institution am I going to have my training - and which institution will I get more chance in being accepted.  I'm trying to prepare for this right now but then I just got stumped on how I'm going to get there, where I'm supposed to go and what am I going to equip myself with... and so on and so forth.  Haist!

2. I'm trying to decide how am I going to be able to fit everything once I get there.  I know I shouldn't worry about it now but if I'm going to take a major step "today", I need to lay out my plans the best that I can in order to address everything in my life, most especially Via.

3. I have clients outside of the company.  And now, the company are asking me to handle more clients. And now there's a conflict of schedule.  I don't really know what to do right now.  But bumping my personal clients out of my schedule is not an option. I need to think up of a reason - a very good one - in order to say no to a company client.

4. Tomorrow is family day for me Via and her father.  Making up a good schedule tomorrow in order not to upset anyone is another one of my problems right now.

Momma's Day Out

After attending the monthly meeting of the company that gave me my home-based work, I hired a taxi in Emerald avenue to take me to Megamall where I was supposed to meet my baby, my grandparents, my nephew and my sister.  Unfortunately, I took myself to the wrong mall.  They were all in Shangri-la.   It was too late when I found out.   I couldn't call anyone on my cellphone for weeks now and I was waiting for them to call me where to meet up.

I decided to spend my time at a coffee shop to get the much needed coffee (I was so sleepy) while I catch up on my reading.  But then, my father called me and told me that I he was in the same mall to get his facial warts removed (teehee! I know this is too much information already.)

And so, instead of memorizing much needed information, I went to meet my father for lunch.  When it comes to buying things, my dad usually says yes to everything.  I remember when we were much younger, the only thing he bought us was ice cream cones for me and my sister.  But as we grew older, he's always ready to let us spend on almost anything we deem necessary using his credit card.  (I think he always have at most P1000.00 on his wallet.)

And so, before going off to doing some of his window shopping, he asked me if I was about to buy anything.  Everyone at home knows I don't have any money and so he felt he needed to accompany me around the mall just in case I wanted to buy something.  I told my dad that I can still use my credit card these days and so he doesn't need to waste time but instead, he should go ahead to look for his much needed watch.

And here's what I got from roaming around Megamall:

I had new prescription glasses.

I got the frame in Incheon Airport

and had the plastic lens from EO.

I got 3 bags of EQ diapers for Via because they were on sale.

And got myself a transparent umbrella for free.

I bought the much-needed baby carrier too.  

And I got some tuna melt from Pizza Hut for take out.

The laptop bag was the heaviest of all.  

She played with the carrier for awhile.

Note: It's not safe to let children play with cords, ropes or any closed loops unsupervised.

There was nowhere in the house with bright lights but my parents' bathroom.

I just had to take a picture of Via and me using the baby carrier(?)

She was looking up at me wondering what the heck we were doing in her grandparents' bathroom.

Everything In Haste

Whenever I take care of my baby, I have to do everything quickly.  From dressing her up to preparing her meal or bottle of milk, everything has to be done quickly but very carefully.  In the case of my needs like taking a bath, dressing up, having my meal, going to the toilet and even blogging, I do have to do it more quickly and in haste.

Now I know that juggling is a skill any mother should develop - dealing with one thing quickly enough to deal with another one.

I always have to be more calm when I'm around her.  I don't want her to be in an environment where she can sense any palpable stress.  This takes a lot of self-control if you ask me.  Whatever worries I have in mind, I have to forget about them whenever she's around. I don't know if it really happens but I may be exuding these emotions to her and that, in turn, she might absorb some of it.  And so, even in that aspect, I need to hastily forget them in the meantime for her sake.

I have to be more agile.  I think I'm getting more fit as I spend more time with my baby. I have body aches all the time especially in my arms and in my back.  I don't need to go to the gym and pay a lot of money for this but I do have to go and get myself a massage.  My husband can provide me of that one too.

Before, I lived a sedentary life.  After giving birth, I don't think I will enjoy that kind of life again. I don't mind the life I have right now.

Change of Routine

Sometimes, the unfortunate events may be the best things that could happen.

I lost my day job.  I was forced not to go to work because of too many absences.  I got around four absences in one week.  One was because I gave my nanny her day off. Another one was because I woke up one hour late and decided not to go to work and the other two was because I went on a trip.  I could be really irresponsible if I wanted to.

I'm serious about the job.  I haven't been absent or late before that.  But during those last few days at work, there were so many reasons not to go to work.  I always informed the office hours before work begins for the day (as they have told their employees).  The bad thing about the management is that I have to hear it from someone else that I don't have a job anymore to return to.  The management couldn't even send an informal text message that I should not return to work anymore.

Before I go on, I heard that after I left, there were rampant absences in the company and the management is starting to worry.  I hope the management now understands that if they don't take care of their employees, their employees won't care about the company.    

I love my day job just because it pays the bills and it is pretty enjoyable too (I have to admit that).  I love dealing with all the clients (no kidding when I say love).

Anyway, I still have my part-time job at night.  It's a four-hour commitment after 7pm.  And so after I lost my day job, I made my part-time work my day job.  I asked the management of this particular company that I want to work during the early hours of the mornings too.  And so they said yes, and now they are giving me more clients to handle.  It's not because I'm that good.  It's mainly because they are in dire need of manpower and they have no choice but to entrust some of the clients to me.  Ahahah!

And one more thing, I had a previous client who wanted to hire me privately.  Besides that, she also gave me other private clients of my own.  And so, by referral system, these private students are also telling other potential clients about me.  Thank you Lord.  

I'm not doing any high paying work but it's the least I can do right now.  

In between, I can study and prepare for my dream job (in the near future) and take care of my baby (or at least, supervising the nanny).  

Good things will happen eventually.  We just need to be patient.  (Look who's talking now! ^_^ )

Apo Sa Tuhod

On our way to Tagaytay yesterday, my grandma was the one holding my Via.  I took this chance to take a lot of pictures in order to preserve the moment.

When we reached Tagaytay, my Via had to stay in her (cousin Gab's) walker.

Ranting Since Yesterday

I've got nothing good to say about this particular house helper.  She's the newest in the group and she has been given kitchen duty.  This morning, I was about to wash my daughter's drinking glass.  But then, I had to stop and call this particular house help to get her attention on how dirty the sponge and it's container was.  I told her to wash it clean after use so that it will be ready for use the next time.

To my surprise, she started to tell me that she keeps it clean all the time and that it is only then that it wasn't that clean.  She started ranting about how late we went home yesterday because we did some grocery shopping.  And that she had to cook dinner afterwards and so on and so forth.  I was three clicks past reason already listening to her.

Yesterday afternoon, we went grocery shopping and we brought her with us because she knows what we needed to buy more than we (my sister and I) do.  She got the shopping list but to my dismay, it was taking her a very long time and we (my sister and I) still had somewhere to go.  So I helped her with the grocery.  (We were doing our own grocery shopping - looking for baby, bedroom and bathroom stuff.)  But since she was doing everything at a snail pace, I had to get most of the things on the list.

After an hour or so, we were waiting for her to finish up. When we got to the counter, she went running back to get what she had forgotten.

And that was the scenario yesterday.  It was her fault that we were so late when we finished grocery shopping.  It was her fault that my sister and I wasn't able to go where we were supposed to go.  And this morning, she had the gall to complain in my face.  I sarcastically apologized for telling her what to do about the dirty sponge.  I was also sarcastic when I said "Sorry po, hindi ko alam na bawal pala magsabi sayo ng dapat mong gawin".  I also told her to forget about the sunny side up I was requesting from her (this I asked of her last night... that I wanted sunny side up for breakfast).  I was really mad.  And I can sense my bitchiness already.  I'm so annoyed at her.  Grabe!

In Seoul

I'm currently in the lobby of a business hotel (even though we really are on vacation) to conduct a phone class over the internet.  It's too bad that this hotel doesn't have a wi-fi service in the rooms.  Instead, they have it for free in the lobby.  Hence, the lobby is full of guests using their smart phones, laptops, iPads, iTouch(es) and so on. 

I'm currently waiting for a student to go online.  Unfortunately, she seems late tonight.  I tried talking to her and having class with her last night but she complained that she can hear the background noise instead of my voice.  Darn that airport paging system.  And so now, I have to conduct an hour's class in order to make it up to her (and not tell on me to my boss).

I miss my daughter.  I saw babies in the (Namsan) park this afternoon which reminded me of Via.  I couldn't make an international call for lack of money.  It's a good thing that I don't have to spend any during this trip (You can now call me parasite).

I'm travelling with my sister and my father.  It is time to build the bridge between me and my father.  We don't really talk a lot for the past few years.  And I think being with him along with my sister will bring those memorable days when it has always been the three of us together. 

Need to go now and have class.