The Frog and the Princess

Mom was here tonight, for a night break. We were enjoying each other laughter in our room when suddenly Coco blurted out, "Mom, you're the Princess, and you (pointing at me), the Frog", (reminding us of the new Disney movie.

Coco just blasts us away out of the blue sometimes.

We are on our first day of Christmas vacation. Its going to be long this time since I have done all of my paper works before the holidays. But the chores are not simple and easy. There is the kitchen to be painted and the files to be sorted out. But we can manage.

Of course, I have  a lot of catching up to do in the movie department.

Soggy Sunday

For unknown reason, we are out of sink today. Although I woke up early at 7:30 this morning, everything went downhill. I was not able to notice the time until we found out its already 5:33 in the evening. (I was not drunk, for the record)

I guess, we were just enjoying our company. Though not a big accomplishment, yet, I feel proud whenever I could do something different away from teaching. This week, I was busy painting our dining room. It just feels good whenever you are able to do out of the ordinary.

This week is our last week at a school. I'm looking forward for a long vacation, but at the same time I am excited to paint our kitchen and master's bath.

The kids are fine. Coco, as usual, shouts at night whenever he feels hungry.

I have not done christmas shopping, but I hope we could give one for mom better than last year.

The steak was good...though the wine is missing.

Now I Can See You!

This was Zach's first word when I handed him his repaired eye glasses...after more than a week of not wearing one since it was broken.

Mea Culpa. It was so king of him not to complain about his misery of not wearing one and not seeing so clearly. Indeed, we can't be assuming that he can see clearly, when in fact he can't. Blame it  to my laziness and our insurance that's why we can't get him a new pair until January.

Tonight, the 3 put up the Christmas Tree. We have now the feeling of Christmas at home. Love to see the christmas lights and the music that reminds us how close we are with the coming of Jesus.

We have a tough day today..no rest but we had a good lunch. A once in a blue moon lunch that didn't make us duped by an scrupulous restaurant.

Night.

Crossing Our Fingers

This week marks a new beginning for all of us. Mom is ok, Coco and Zach are doing fine, and I am not experiencing the dreaded flu.

This pm, we went to the baptism of Kris and Cathy's daughter Katie. T'was a revelation on how Filipinos celebrate baptism. We love celebration, we love people and food. The commotion is very much evident of a barrio fiesta baptism, everyone takes picture, unmindful of the liturgy that is going on. I wonder, how are we evangelized before? Or we were really excited about the child and not the liturgy.

I can feel the stuggle of the priest to drive the message assigned to him to drive. It was very tiresome but the fun of it was, we were aware that the children are going to be part of our community.

Food was good, so as the stories. Children running around and friends catching each other's update simply mismerized your soul.

But of course, nightfall reminded us that we have to go and pack for another day lies ahead of us.

Thank you.

Week's Woes

This is a terrible week for the family. First, Mom got flu over the weekend, then it was Zach's and Coco's turn on Wednesday. Our life was disrupted and we were just confined at home. I have to take a leave of absence for 4 days just to take care of them.

Although some say it only takes 3 days to get back to normal, yet you always decide on the side of caution knowing that Coco and Mom have asthma and Zach's coughing woes were terrible to hear.

We have a lot of things lined up for this weekend but I don't know if everything can be done. This is not the type of break you want to have, when you're awake at night and asleep in the morning, life is turned upside down.

Hopefully the bug won't bug us anymore. We had our own share of experience. And I'm telling you, its not pleasant.

Just like every week, we are hoping for a new day next week.

Sick Zach

Its unfortunate that for the last two days, Zach was sick. He was not able to come to school. This morning, her mom brought him to the clinic for a check up. Right now, what bothers him is his coughing. He sounds miserable.

Hopefully, tomorrow, he'll be fine. We have no choice but to bring him to school.  At least, he gets to class this week, even for a day.

We're planning to go to Renaissance over the weekend. We've been planning for so long but we just didn't get the opportunity to be there.

Mom is working tonight. She made lasagna for us. It was so yummy that I had 4 serving. Unmindful of my upcoming phsical check up, and unfazed by the wrath of my physician.

Another day..., school is fine, but am looking forward to the upcoming carnival.

Night, night.

After a million try, I was able to contact Bicol and was able to talk to Pang for 30 minutes. A far cry from 3 minutes of interrupted and static conversation 8 months ago.

Its good to hear from Bicol, how everyone is doing and how are they surviving. To find out that life was not that hard as imagined is relieving.

I have not been able to talk to Pang for quite a long time. He seemed happy hearing Coco and Zach. Though pronounced Lolo Doding with Lolo Dodo, I know, they had an awesome conversation.

We can’t wait to go home, race with the chicken, ride at the back of the water buffalo, play hide and seek in the prairie.

Mang is doing fine so as the family of Tata.

Next week, they are assuming the responsibility of taking care of our chapel for a year. They’ll be the hermano and hermana of our little chapel. After living the seminary 12 years ago, this is the closest they could get in serving the church directly.

I'm Hungry

This is how Coco would interrupt our sleepiness every night. Just when you are about to close your eyes and rest, there he is craving for food while saying, "I'm hungry". What can you do, even if you ignore him, but get up and find him something to chow.

We're supposed to go home early today, but I felt I will not be given permission to leave, hence, we stayed until 4 pm. It was raining hard this morning, but the afternoon was a little bit tolerable. We ended up coming home quarter before 5, a far cry from our usual 1 hour drive.

Mom is working tonight, again for us. She only had 1 night off. But because it's Zach's and Coco's Conference Day on Monday, she has to work until Saturday.

I'm quite from my school requirements, but as usual, the newsletter takes a back seat again. Probably, it will be done on Friday night.

Time is so fast, October is almost over. We can't wait for the coming of December.

Last night was horrible, at around 12 am, I had hypo. Thanks to the wonders of peanut butter and roll, I was saved.

Its Friday tomorrow, I can't wait to come home and just enjoy the breeze of fall.

This pm, as always, Zach presented to us his new art, the Whale. For the first time, I am posting it thru this site.

Wet Wednesday

Sometimes, no matter how wet is it, you simply don't like rain. This is what happened today. On our way home, we were rained so hard that we have to stop from driving. At first, it was fun to watch and feel the rain, but later on, when it was already a threat, the fun stops.

The kids are good today. Zach and Coco definitely are enjoying their school. Aside from occasional morning riot, everything is fine. This morning though was Coco's turn to make things difficult to us. Unlike his kuya, he can easily be pleased.

Mom is off today, so I am on duty.  The question is, "tatagal ka kaya ako?".

We're heading to redbox to try to snatch Monster v. Alien.

Note: had a staff meeting today about RIT and CBM, all for kids development in school.

Back to School

After  a week of resting courtesy of the flu and cold, the two kids are back to school. Thanks to the extended holiday weekend, they are able to rest more. Right now, they seemed ok. Mom, unfortunately, is the next one to battle the virus.

Hopefully, nothing will follow after this.  We're just hoping that they can continue their school days without major interruption.

FASTIDIOUS FEVER

The fever has been here for a week already...and its causing havoc in Zach and Coco's school life. We went to see their doctor this morning but it seemed it didn't help either. Zach continous to have fever at night.

It's really hard to see your kids get sick. Its harder when they don't take their meds. Its been a week since they started going to school, and it seemed the new environment, both germs and people are taking toll at them. But as the nurse say, "its the real world", no matter how we wont' like to pull them out of school, yet if this thing happens, you simply do the righ thing.

I hope tomorrow, it gets better.

Scholastics First Week

This is our first week at school. Its a tall order for us to wake up at 6 am and get ready by 6:30. Coco has no qualms in taking a bath at 6, but Zach has a different story. You really has to be creative in luring him to the bathroom. And sometimes of course, you ran out of patience.

The first day. Zach was fine but Coco cried (somebody was crying though before him). He realized that he has now a different world to play, new faces to deal with. Thanks to Ms. Gilmore who really gave her extra mile of caring. She is an angel.

2nd - 5th Day. Perhaps Zach got to used to it when he was at Southminster, but Coco is trying to get used to it. Whenever I would bring him to his classroom, he just simply hold my hand so tight as if he won't want to go. There were two occassions that he cried and won't let me go. When, Ms. Gilmore, however would tell him that they are going to the library or open up books, there his crying would stop.

We survived the week in a high note. Except for occassional early morning cry, Coco was fine.

This monday is a different story. They will be joining us for the morning prayer and I just hope that Coco will get used to it. Perhaps Mom will join us so as it would not be so hard for him to do it.

We're crossing our fingers, though. Hope for the best.

Lazy Sunday

We just came from Sophia's christening in Richmond. The reception was awesome. Although we were late, we still had a chance to taste the remainder of the lechon.

Jaz was not there since she was working for the last 2 nights. I have to pick up Coco and Zach after the mass though since I can't afford to bring them during the baptism, lest, I want a chaotic baptism.

It took us an hour before we could back to the reception because I have to pick up Deacon Dale's gift plus I have to get gas. I know, I was in the brink of hypo on the way to the reception. Thankfully, there we brought enough water to hydrate me.

Zach as usual doesn't want to be disturbed when sleeping. But we had no choice, we can't afford to leave him in the car amids the texas scorching heat. It caused us a lot of cajoling before he could come to his senses again.

Coco was always terrific, no hassle at all. He is the easiest to deal with, be it taking shower or changing shirts.

I hope when time comes for them to go to school, it will not be too hard for us to get dressed and get up for school.

Mommy is working today. Harvested tomatoes and carrots. Planted the jackfruit and liveoak.

Taste Like...

We just came back from dinner at Kemah. Mom's classmate Jo and her husband Mike are spending the nights with us before they drive to Phoenix.

After riding in the train, we went to one of the restaurant for dinner. Zach though was still having fever and can't just enjoy what we're having. Coco on the othe hand was always upbeat, especially if he hears Michael Jackson's "Beat It!"

When most of us are done with our dinner and Coco was still working on with his hotdog, I told him top finish his slice of pizza. He tried but put it back and just uttered, "No, it tastes like underware."

It was amazing how he converse now. He speaks his mind and does not even care a lot. Tonight was a classic one.

We had fun but Zach as of this time is still sick.