First Post For 2008

I , actually , have nothing substantial topic to write but just for the sake of the New Year I thought it would be nice to have an entry for the first month of the year and also kinda like bringing good vibe to my blog .

Jan 31....midnight pacific time...I heard 4 maybe 5 pops of fire works from our neighbors.What a pathetic attempt to welcome 2008. Grant stared at my face for a couple of minutes. Perhaps he's waiting to see if I'll burst into tears and storm into the bathroom and luck the door...just like I did last year. No more drama this time.I'm used to it. Its never gonna be like how we celebrate it in the Philippines where you'd feel like your in a middle of a battle field and your nose is black from the fumes..It just the exact opposite. Too quiet...in fact I could here our next door neighbors opening & closing their closet.

Peaceful...I guess is the word I would describe our New Year's celebration and perhaps that would be my wish for our family too and the whole world.


We did watch Harry Potter the Order Of The Phoenix ( yes I am obsessed )As the main stars of this very popular movie has gotten mature so is the plot of the story and it is even more ( to me atleast )because you can kinda relate . The also enjoyed Goblet Of Fire but this latest sequel of Harry Potter made me cry .Ok , I wont reveal the story for those who hasn't seen it yet.
I am just so taken by the character and the whole story that I am planning to get me the entire books collection ! Yey...that would be something that I can look forward to this year.

Speaking of "something to look forward to ".....My husband gave me another surprise for xmas......a new "vacuum cleaner" hahahha :D

It was something I have been wanting to buy but I just could not find the right one ( and right price tag). Imagine not being able to vacuum your home for a few months...well, I used the small handvacuum that my MIL gave to us but it was not powerful enough to get all of the dirt ,crumbs and hair (gross , I know) For the sophisticated taste of the Domestic Diva..( that's moi!! ) this was a perfect gift for me because I have been wanting to get a really good quality vacuum and boy did I put the thing to the test immediately hhahhahaa. With 2 active kids and my long hair , an ordinary vacuum cleaner wasn't enough so even though we spent a little bit more if we had gotten something at walmart or Target , this one will sure to last and it has 4 year warranty . No more kneeling to clean the carpet using the handvac ( coz I broke our upright vac few months ago).I have been vacuuming joyfully since and I just love the feeling of clean floors .

New Year Resolution...??????
If you guessed "to lose weight"..you hit the jock pot ( dingding ding!!)
maybe I should have wished for a one year supply of " motivation" hahahah.. We'll see.. I have to make friend with my scale again and cardio equipment :)

Till here for now....


BTW..I got another cool awards from Tess and Bless ( nice rhyme)...Thank you both for your sweetness.I apprecaite it very much :)

Anticipating,Online Shopping And An Award

Could you believe it??? As I am typing this post there is only less than 22 days left before Christmas!! That fast huh!!
Like always I have it all planned ...find the perfect tree, take the holiday ornaments out of the storage closet, surf the net for the right toys for the kids , plan for the xmas dinner etch etch...but I had to put my plans on hold for a while because of some major events that is going on with my family in the Philippines.

First, our youngest sibling got a job in Saudi Arabia and we've been scrambling every ways to make sure that his first flight out of the country will go smoothly. I must say I am a bit nervous coz he's only 22 and still very immature but come to think of it , I had my maiden voyage when I was 16. I guess I'm worried coz I know that it's not as easy as they think with all the adjustments that he has to go through.I have been texting him so many time giving him advise & tips on what to do , what to bring , what to expect. Part of me was so proud how he came around from being the problem child of the family to being a grown up with all his wonderful plans and hopes....another part of me is sad because he is going away just like me and I know that this will break my parents heart. But , we all have to make our own choices for our future.

Another major event is my sister's board exam (BS RN ) scheduled today and tomorrow. This is her second try and I am praying so hard that she make it this time. I know how much pressure it is on her especially now that our brother is going over seas ahead of her ( napag iiwan na sya). I trust her and I know that she will do everything she can to pass this exam...its for her own future....its for her own good.

I miss my brother and sister so much most of all during this holiday season.
When we were small kids , my father would bring Andok's Fried Chicken and some hot pandesal and call it "noche buena". No matter , the excitement for the coming of xmas and the New Year were not dampened by the meager amount of food on our dinning table , we still celebrated the joyous occasion as if we were chowing down expensive ham and other fancy dishes. We were still happy because we were together.

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My anxiety and restlessness is off the roof so I thought maybe surfing the net for toys would help me relax......NO...it didn't..it just made me more edgy. I guess I must have forgotten how it is to shop for toys. Last year was stressful because they were no longer infants nor toddlers..they are now "younger kids" or so the toy websites categorize their ages. Within an hour of looking I realize that it even more agonizing this time ( and the next years perhaps) not only because of the kids different interests but also the kind of toys that are out there. Not to mention the prize ( expect to shed a few hundreds if you have more than 1 kid ). Our DD requested a Nintendo DS and I tried to explain to her that if this is what she really likes then that's the only gift she's gonna get because Nintendo is expensive. She graduated from Leapster Learning Center which she loved so much that she accumulated 10 different game cartriges. Seems like she'd made up her mind so Nintendo it is for her. Our DS on the other hand is just starting to learn ABCs and he loves to color and paint and he is so interested with all kinds of animals.He also likes songs, music and books. My Amazon.com wishlist is full of options just for Shinjo .Me and my DH will have to sit together and pick the ones that we think are best for him.

We're doing all of our shopping on line and taking advantge of Free shipping. I don't think I could take the kids to the store and let them pick the toys they want then expect them to wait till xmas. That's just turture to them , I think.I mean , its hard even for grown ups to wait . If we have a babysitter , I would shop by myself or with my husband, but definitely not bringing the kids. And besides,I'm comfortable sitting infront of my laptop, in my flannel jammies and a hot cup of freshly brewed coffee.

Here are some good websites for educational and unique toys.
1.Baby Universe
2.Wokits
3.ELC
4.Kaplan
5.Sensational Beginning
6.One Step Ahead

Happy Shopping!!!!


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My friend Tess and Bless gave me and award. You guys are so sweet. I'd like to give you a big bear hug if I could. Thanks to both of you.

I'd like to share this award to every one on my friends list coz you all deserve it too!!!

More Award ..*blush* * blush*

This one is from Merydith .
Thank you dear for this award.
I would like to pass it on to all of my friends that are also In-in's friends
so they probably have this award too :)

A Recognition From Tess

Thank you Miss Lovely Tess for this sweet award. It surely warmth the heart when friends are being so thoughtful.

All of the girls on my list deserves this award too coz that's the MAIN reason why you guys are on my list.....coz I LOVE YOU ALL ....

I Won Something!!!

It's nice to know that I bring some positive flow to others.
Thank you Tess for this award. I appreciate it truly.