On Learning the art of cooking.

I don’t cook and sometimes, I feel bad about it. Siguro I’m upset with myself din kasi I’m not like any woman of my age. I have tried several times to live on my own away from my parents and during these times, yan ang lagi kong problema. What to cook and how. I remember when I was still living with Niño when I was still pregnant, I had to call my mom and cook while on the phone with her. Given all the detailed instructions, ganon pa din. Sometimes, OK. Most of the time, sablay. Mas madalas ung sablay. My mom is a very good cook so I still believe na if I’ll take it seriously, matututo din ako. Dun kasi ako nahihirapan sa part na pagtimpla ng vinegar, soysouce or any condiments. For some reason, di ko sya ma-gets. And it’s so frustrating.

I remember one time when I met Erick’s friends for the first time, I was asked to cook “adobo” for them. I was nervous. Kasi di ko nga sya magets. Super hindi sya edible at first then I started putting in a lot of sugar, Surprisingly, everyone liked it. Erick even said that it was the most delicious “adobo” he ever tasted! ♥ Until now, there were times na nagtatanong sya if I can still cook that same ”adobo”, unfortunately, hindi ko na kaya. I’m not even sure how I cooked it. L

Anyway, good thing, Erick is not so hard to please. I’m proud that there are two dishes I’m expert at! And Erick is so inlove with them, pati si Nyx. So when I’m in the mood to cook, I cook these for them.

That’s Purefoods Sisig and Argentina Corned beef. 

For the corned beef, I put a decent amount of onion and a lot of potatoes (kasi Nyx super loves potatoes!). I put right amount of salt and that’s it. I taste other corned beef and feeling ko ibang iba ung akin (hihi!). O baka kasi exaggerated lang si Erick. For the sisig, I just put a lot of chili and chicharon without any other condiments. Basta naman maanghang, it pleases Erick na. :) I’ll try to cook more so I can cook for them. I know eventually we have to get our own place so I better start learning how to cook. J By the way, I can also cook great “Sinigang”! J

Happy 50th Birthday Inay! :)

Last weekend, we were not supposed to go to Batangas. Pero since Inay texted to inform us that Melissa (Erick’s sister) would come for a visit, we opted to go na lang din kasi it’s very seldom that Inay sees all her 3 children together. We want her to be happy. At first, I was not really considering it kasi I know we’d be busy in the next 2 days with all the construction and renovation. Pero since Erick almost begged for me to agree, I said yes. J

We left Cavite at around 7 AM and we reached Erick’s family house around 10 AM. Super sanay na si Nyx sa byahe. He never complained and I guess, we can start tagging him along in our future trips. Kahit mga tipong Zambales and Baguio lang.Kasi I don’t think kaya na nya ung Ilocos. J

I remember sharing here na super ayaw ni Nyx ang magpapicture. Ewan ko ba dun. Hindi pa nasanay. Super bilang na bilang ko ung few pictures na nakatingin sya. Kiber! I still take pictures of him kahit di sya nakatingin. J 

This was taken before we left Cavite. I super love it na kasya na sa kanya ung Adidas shoes na bigay ng tita ko from Dubai. It looks so good on him! J

 This was the cake we bought for Inay when we came home to Batangas. Medyo na-disappoint lang ako kasi hindi sila kumakain ng cake. Meron palang nageexist na mga ganon. We gave cakes away sa mga kids then nilagay na namin sa fridge. I was just thinking, kung sa bahay namin un.. di na un magtatagal sa table. Anyway, atleast it made Inay smile. So its worth a try. Si Nyx din kasi ang nagbigay. Sino bang hindi mapapangiti dun?! J

Our plan was to stay in Batangas overnight pero since Nyx took a nap for over 2 hours, I was afraid na baka hindi sya magpatulog ng ibang tao dun. So I asked Erick if we could go home by 7 pm. Pumayag naman sya. I was amazed kay Nyx kasi he was up the entire time on the road plus he was still super energetic when we reached home. Iba talaga ang energy ng anak ko! J Anyway,  I was thinking din na renovation would start early the following day and I wanted to be there when it starts so nagyaya na din ako umuwi. Good thing, Erick agreed . J

I have the most understanding, generous, caring, kind, patient and loving boyfriend in this planet talaga! ☺

It was totally fine with Inay din kasi Melissa left naman ahead of us. J

Baguio. :)

I know I have already shared here how fascinated we are with Baguio. Erick wants to settle down there in fact. Ako din. There’s just something in that place na ang sarap balik balikan. Siguro kasi I found peace there. It’s my haven. I studied there for a year and it’s definitely unforgettable.

Few years ago, when Erick and I were just friends, I introduced him to this place. It was his first time. And since then, pabalik-balik na sya sa Baguio.

In fact, it was a co-incidence that we stay in the same transient house whenever we visit Baguio. Dahil dyan, pareho namin kilala si “Ate Nining”. She’s the very nice and accomodating land lady sa transient house na to.

Sa super dalas ni Erick sa Baguio, one of his colleagues asked him to book a reservation for a family in Ate Nining’s transient house for the Flower Festival. So, last weekend yun dapat. The reservation was set na so in the middle of Saturday night, nagising kami sa text ni Ate Nining asking what time darating ung nagpareserve – which reminded Erick na hindi pa pala nagfofollow-up ung officemate nya. Hmp! How inconsiderate! (pero ok na.. forgiven na.. kasi the following day, nagtext ung son nya saying that nasugod pala sa emergency si Mommy Verns so di sila natuloy. )

So you know what Erick thought about?!

He was insisting that we go to Baguio instead para hindi nakakahiya kay Ate Nining. Matagal na kasi namin pinapangarap na makita si Nyx na tumatakbo around Burnham park or Mines View. He was dead serious. As in. I just had to say “yes” daw tapos gigisingin na nya si Nyx at aalis na kami. I thought about it. Buti na lang hindi ako nagpadala sa kanya. Kasi mega gastos na nga kami dahil sa renovation, sabayan pa namin ng Baguio escapade. Baka ma-drain na ang little savings namin. So I told him we’ll go there some other time. Plus, I don’t suggest that we go there during Flower festival kasi super daming tao. Hindi masaya makipagsiksikan sa Session Road with a 3-year old kid noh!

So ayun na nga.

Hindi kami natuloy.

In October of last year, nangyari na din to. Out of the blue, niyaya ko sya mag-Baguio. He said yes kagad without hesitations. So we went there unplanned. This time, ako ang di pumayag. J

I’m sure next time na bigla kami magkayayaan, matutuloy na un. J

If you want a cheap transient house in Baguio, you can message me and maybe we can help you with the reservation. I’ll post pictures of the place when I have the time. It’s super cheap kasi it’s only Php 300.00 per head. The place has a common restroom (with hot shower, ofcourse!), common living room with TV (cable) and you can even use the common kitchen if you want to cook your own food. J This is ideal for people travelling in large groups kasi super cheap lang ng place. Walking distance lang sya sa Victory liner terminal. J

Happiness. :)

We normally plan our weekends ahead of time. But since there were scattered rains the entire week last week, we thought it would be better if we’d rather stay home. It was Inay’s (Erick’s mom) birthday last Friday, February 22^nd, and since it was raining hard all day, we were left with no choice but to stay at home kasi nga mahirap bumiyahe especially with a kid during rainy days. So un na nga, we stayed home instead of going home in Batangas.

Minsan lang to mangyari na we have a long weekend so I was super thrilled. Again, we had no plans kasi nga we were kinda expecting the weather to be not cooperative.. So while we were watching TV, Friday afternoon, we thought of having a major renovation of our room. It badly needs renovation din kasi. The walls, ceiling and the windows aren’t ok na din. This has been in my bucket list ever since but since I didn’t have savings during those days; it remained in my bucket list for so many years. Now that we have finally started saving, it’s a lot easier to do home improvement. Finally, we’ll have our own personal space na din!

So un na nga, I hurried downstairs to tell my mom the good news. She’s been waiting for a major house renovation na din kasi ever since my dad stopped working. So when Eric finally agreed to tap on our savings to get everything done, I told mom na din para di na kami mag-backout. J Mom instantly asked for a construction worker to check on the house and do estimates of how much the labor and materials would cost. That same day, I asked my dad to order for the construction materials and have it delivered Monday (kasi Monday pa daw pwede ung mga laborers, I had to do that kasi baka magbago pa isip ko if we wait until Monday..).So wala ng makakapigil sa’men!

I’m super excited! Kasi Ive been wanting to paint our room, post pictures on the wall and draw paintings on the wall na din para it’ll look like Nyx’s room na din. Finally, mangyayari na din.  This Monday morning, tapos na sila sa walls and ceiling. They’ll come back tomorrow to install the windows and to do the repairs sa living room naman. I’ll post pictures soon!

Life really gets better to those who are determined and to those who remain patient while waiting.

Acceptance. :)

February 17th, Sunday

As a single mother, one of the dilemmas that I have is whether or not Nyx will be accepted by Erick’s family. I guess this is one of the many challenges single mothers face and I’m not an exception to this case.

Upon realizing that Niño (Nyx’s father) will be gone for good, it never really came to me that I’d be with someone again. I know I’m too young and it’s too early to tell yet. It’s just that the thought of rejection scares me to death. I hate the thought of Nyx being rejected by my future in-laws. We see a lot of it in movies and Lord knows it’s possible. So I dismissed the thought of being with anyone again.  

But..

Apparently, God has another plan for me. He knows that I need someone I can share my life with given all the responsibilities I’m faced with. He gave me a chance at love and life. I’m grateful of the chance and I’m just happy God made it so easy for me and Nyx..

It took us months to introduce Nyx to Erick’s parents. They were already made aware by Erick that I have a son even before I met them. As far as I can recall, their only concern was whether or not I am married. They were sort of pleased when they learned that I’m not. Erick was insisting that we bring Nyx in his family house months before we actually took him in Batangas. I was not convinced that they’d like him so I was hesitant. To my surprise, it was a breeze. In an instant, I felt that they sincerely like Nyx.

Nyx has this natural charm. Aside from looks of course, he knows how to make someone like him effortlessly. I think most kids are like him. I know I’m just biased because of course I’m his mom.

We spent our weekend in Batangas and I can never be happier as a mother to feel that my son is accepted by my partner’s family. Now, I’m convinced that I’m blessed to have Erick in my life. I never felt as comfortable around Erick’s family as I did this past weekend. Erick’s mom even gave me a purse and bag which I super like!  Everything changed when I felt their deepest concern to Nyx when they learned that he was rushed to the hospital few days ago.

Pagdating ng house, di pa sya nakakapagpalit ng damit, upo kagad sya then he started playing with Eric's niece. :)

Nyx feels so at home in Batangas now.

Di naman halata na at home talaga sya noh?!

Mega close na sila ng kapatid ni Erick.. Super habol na sya jan and everyone in the house adores him! ♥

Hiniram nya lang yan sa pamangkin ni Erick! Parang sa kanya lang ung mga damit e. :)

Mawawala na naman si Jollibee sa eksena. :) We dropped by Jollibee before going home. :)

Happy pa sya nyan sa byahe.. Super sanay na sya sa byahe. As in. Wala na lang sa kanya ung 3 hours na byahe.

Nakakatulog na din sya ng mahimbing sa byahe. Then when he wakes up, he'll ask.. "Andito na?"

He didn’t ask about going home in Cavite. He played with kids from the block and he even let me sleep while he was out playing. He was so comfortable that he wanted to go back in Batangas as soon as possible. I feel completely satisfied now as a mother to Nyx and as a partner to Erick. ♥

Note to Erick (My No. 1 blog reader):

"Thanks for making the load lighter. Thank you for the love and acceptance. Thank you for the understanding and patience. Thank you for giving me the family I never had. Thank you for making me feel complete. I can never ask for more (aside ofcourse from the ones listed in my wishlist! :p). Thank you for the trust. You know I’m bad at this, but I just want to say Thank you for everything! I love you babe!  ♥♥"

I’m a very proud mommy. :)

I remember sharing here that I had to stop my regular tutorial sessions with Nyx kasi he had fever one time after our intense lesson.. since I felt guilty about it, I opted to stop it muna and just resume after some time. I also remember sharing with you that I discovered an Android application about learning ABC’s and I introduced it to Nyx para there’s a fun way of learning naman din for him..

The other day, I was checking if he still remembered everything I taught him about alphabet. To my surprise, alam na nya din ung ibang letters na hindi ko tinuro. I realized, maybe he learned it from this Android application I was telling you about. There were times kasi when I see him browsing and playing with these applications. I’m just so proud of Nyx and I will definitely start teaching him how to write soon! J

Out of the 26 letters in the alphabet, 2 letters na lang ang hindi nya alam (Q and V)!

I’m just so proud and happy that my son is picking up really fast. He has good retention and comprehension skills and it manifests this early. At least now I’m relieved na kahit “bulol” pa sya in his age, smart kid talaga sya! J

I’ll be more patient in teaching him para he’d like studying din as he grows up. J

Our first Valentines! ♥♥

I wasn’t really expecting a lot kasi knowing Erick, wala naman ako talaga aasahan sa kanya. He’s not the kind of guy who will exert an effort to surprise you.. kahit naman during those days na “ligawan” pa lang. He let out emotions na ikakikilig mo, or he says words out of the blue that will sweep you off your feet. He’ll be your constant companion kasi he’ll never leave you alone. Pero when it comes to special occasions like this, do not expect anything from him. Naku, this will disappoint you big time. Anyway, napag-usapan na namin yan at napag-awayan na din. So I’m moving on… J

Di naman sa totally wala syang ginawa.. When he came home from work, he brought me Ferrero chocolates and Chocolate Truffle flavoured – Magnum (2 of my all-time favorites!). Dahil medyo nag-iinarte ako.. I gave Nyx the ice cream then I set aside the chocolates for later. ☺

It was around 4 PM na when Nyx ate the ice cream. He took a nap na and we were almost getting ready to doze off. Just when I was about to fall asleep, I heard Nyx crying out loud in the middle of his sleep. I tried to ignore it kasi baka bad dream lang saka he was sleeping with my dad naman kaya no worries. Pero when my dad began to call out my name, I almost jumped off from bed. I saw Nyx scratching his whole body literally from head to toe. Then when the light was turned on, I saw a lot of rashes all over his body. Not the usual ones huh. It was bothering. My mom was out so I called aunt and lola for help.. then mom came na din in a bit. Nyx’s ears was swollen. So confirmed! allergy nga daw. So I gave him a dose of antihistamine first before rushing him to the hospital. Deadma muna ang away namin ni Erick, he had to come with me and he did. Parang wala na lang nangyari.

Our lunch was ”ginataang alimasag” (crab cooked in coconut milk). He super liked it nga e. He even told us not to eat too much of it kasi sa kanya un. So malamang, natrigger nung ice cream ung allergy nya dun. I’m not sure. That’s just my colleague’s theory. Basta, for now.. strictly no-crab diet sya.

His rashes looked like these:

 



On our way to the hospital, mejo nahimasmasan na sya. I know na he was feeling better na pero he still didn’t look ok. I chose to bring him to St. Dominic Hospital. I know na it does not have great reputation pero since it’s the nearest (about 5 minutes away), I was left with no choice.

 In fairness, the nurses on duty were friendly and nice. What bothered me at that time was because there was no attending physician. So when I requested that a doctor insert the needle to my son for dextrose, there was none available. I was even informed na dahil medyo mataba si Nyx and there were rashes all over the skin, they have to do “blind spotting”… I’m not sure if that’s how they referred to it exactly pero it sounds like that. I was worried. Sabi ko sana one attempt lang para hindi madala si Nyx, di daw possible yun! Hay! I kept calm despite that kasi Nyx looked calm. Ayaw ko mag-panic.

There it goes.

There were rashes all over his body. :(





He was scratching his entire body the entire time. :(



Mega sumbong sya kay Erick while I was being interviewed by the nurses.



Ayan pa oh..



They tried inserting the needle in his 2 hands, both attempts failed. Nyx was hysterical na so di na din calm ang aura ko. I asked in a loud voice if there were other options. Meron naman pala e. They injected the drug in his 2 arms. It looked saturated so I know medyo masakit sya as it ran thru the muscles and veins. Sigh. Super nakakaawa sya. He was like begging the nurses to stop na.

That was the longest 20 minutes of my life yata.

I didn't take pictures na while he was being injected.. pero he was smiling like this na after a few minutes so the medicine was really effective.



Relieved Mommy and smiley Nyx. :)



Finally, tapos na. The rashes subsided in no time. We were just waiting for the attending physician to prescribe take home medicine. We were asked to wait there kasi nag-rorounds pa daw ung doctor. Fine. We waited. It was over 30 minutes na and Erick’s phone was drained na din so we knew that Nyx will start complaining na. So he did. He started roaming around the ER kasi kami lang naman ang patients at that time. Everybody was so fond of him. He started asking the nurses..

“Doctor, galing na ko diba.. Punta na kami Jollibee, Mcdo saka Shakey’s..ok?!”

He went on as if chanting that line for soooo many times! Pero the nurses didn’t look annoyed kasi my son looked so cute and handsome para mainis sila! :p

I was impatient na  kasi Erick and I have work that night pa.

So pikon na ko when I asked them kung ganong katagal pa kami maghihintay. Kung pwedeng itawag na lang ung prescription. The nurse replied na baka mas maganda ung ibigay na antihistamine. So, I extended my patience.

Finally,  after over an hour of long wait..

The doctor arrived.

Only to find out na same medicine pa din ang itatake ni Nyx. The same antihistamine prescribed by his pediatrician.

I was pissed and I made that obvious.

To summarize..

If it’s not an emergency case, I’ll never go back to St. Dominic Hospital again. I don’t think it’s acceptable to not have a paediatrician available in an Emergency room. What if it’s a life and death situation! Oh my!  Kawawa naman ang mga bata.

Sigh.

We went to Jollibee as usual,  as per Nyx’s request, then we headed home.

We arrived home around 8 PM, slept for a little over 2 hours then lazily went off to work.

This was how we celebrated our first Valentines together.

Sabi ni Erick babawi daw sya next year, let’s see! ♥

Lessons learned this week.

• Every little thing we do – whether good or bad; has its own consequences. Believe in good and bad karma.
• Always be prepared to accept the consequences of your bad actions. You can't get away with it all the time.
• Don’t expect too much from someone you love. It will disappoint you big time if they fall short in your expectations.
• Make your girlfriend/wife feel special on a Valentine’s Day. It only comes once a year. Celebrate it as if it’s your last. Make it as memorable as you can. I especially believe that Valentines is supposed to be celebrated every day. But reality check, we don’t give flowers to our love ones every day. So, if you can, send her flowers on this day. It doesn’t matter if it’s as inexpensive as flowers picked from your backyard or as pricey as a bouquet of flowers from a posh flower shop. What matters most for women is the thought of you trying to make her feel special on this day. J
• Try not to argue when you’re upset. If you do, think multiple times before you say a word. Once uttered, you can no longer take it back. You may apologize, yes. But it’ll never change how you made the person feel when you fall victim of your own monster.
• Appreciate every little or big thing your partner does. Don’t expect too much because each one of us is unique in our own way. Just because you are more expressive and demonstrative of your love, and he’s not - does not make your love greater than another person’s love. Accept that we all have certain ways of expressing our love towards another person.
• Be always grateful of the people who never let you down. They're very rare.
• Pray hard.
• Find your own brand of happiness. Being happy does not always have to be grand. Look for simple things that can make you happy.
• Spread the happiness. Try to put a smile on someone's face. Spread the good vibes and don't ever be a liability to anyone!

Have a great week ahead! ☺

On Breaking a bad habit.

I know..

I made a promise to myself and to almost everyone close to me that I'd  quit smoking..

I'm sure most of them noticed that I am "slowly" reverting back to my old ways..

I'm seriously trying not to think about it..

But it's hard to break an old habit..

When something has formed part of your routine and when it becomes part of your system for 8 long years..

It's hard to breakaway from it..

I came across an article which talks about how to break an old habit..maybe I should continue reading up on it.

Maybe, quitting smoking also takes technique - not just DISCIPLINE.

I should think of ways on how not to think of a cigarette whenever I see someone smoking..

Maybe I should think of other things to do when I get up in the morning, when I'm in the restroom, during my idle time.. during my short break time and during all those times when I cant think of any other thing to do but smoke.

Other people crave for coffee in the morning...
Other people read magazines when they are all by themselves in the restroom..
Other people sleep during lunchtime in the office..
Other people chat with friends on the phone or in person during their idle time..


All these they do.. when I feel an urge to smoke.

I better find good diversions.

The clock is ticking.

I need to stop now.

On Planning our Ilocos Trip.

Erick and I are so excited to go to Ilocos. (Saying we're just excited is an understatement!) We are so thrilled to finally put the plan in place. We are still not certain of the dates yet but over the past days, I have started gathering information on itineraries that would be ideal for our upcoming trip. In addition, I have listed contact numbers of prospective/recommended tour guides  from different blogs around the web. I am also currently looking for budget-friendly accomodations and hopefully, everything will be ironed out before the month ends.

I'll definitely give credit to all the bloggers who have given helpful information in materializing this travel experience. Advance gratitude to y'all! ☺

All the DIY Ilocos travel information is indeed helpful! ☺

source

See you real soon, Ilocos!

Things I would have done had I known..

Had I known that I wouldn’t be able to pursue Law, I would have chosen a more in-demand course in UP…

Had I known that it feels so good when you travel, that it’s not as pricey as I think it was, I would have chosen travelling over gambling. I have wasted my time, money and youth over the years when I could have enjoyed it in travelling locally and overseas...

Had I known that I’ll be stuck in a call centre, I would have accepted administrative jobs before I even shifted to this industry to somehow give me an idea on how it feels to have a normal job – something related to my course and experience when I was doing my Practicum..

Had I known that March 11^th 2011 would be the last day I’d see the father of my son, I would have taken a lot of pictures of him with Nyx so I have a lot to show Nyx when he starts asking questions about his dad. Also, I would have asked him why he planned on leaving us for good. I would have said “Sorry” too for all the pains I’ve caused him. I wish him all the goodness in life. I’m glad that I have Nyx now. I would never trade it for anything.. I just wish and hope he has found his own happiness too. ☺

No more bitterness. I have moved on and I am definitely happy now with Erick and I’m so glad Erick came in my life at just the right time. ☺

Had I known that I’d gain this much weight after giving birth, I would have controlled my diet ever since.. (baka sakaling di ako ganito kalaki kung ginawa ko un dati pa.. )

Had I known that my dad would be laid off from work even before my siblings would graduate, I would have meddled in their finances na even before pa… baka sakaling may natira pa sa separation pay nya at hindi sa akin nakasalalay ang lahat (I’m not complaining, just ranting! Hehe ).. :p

Had I known that my future partner would hate smoking as much as he does now, I would not have tried smoking. Period.

Had I known that sooner or later, I would need to send my brother to college, I would not have postponed it. Sana ginawa ko na 3 years ago pa. Ganon din naman. Ako din pala magpapa-aral sa kanya.

Had I known that I’ll be with Erick din naman pala, I would have pursued him 3 years ago when we were still working in the same company. Sana di na ko dumaan kung kani-kanino pa. He was single for 4 years, I guess. He was just waiting for me siguro.

☺On second thought, naisip ko.. edi sana wala si Nyx.. kaya OK na din siguro that he came at just the right time. ☺

I’m not regretting anything because every little thing that happened in my life made me the person I am now.

I am the strongest woman I know.

When Nyx came in my life, I never thought I can be as strong as I am now.

I wouldn’t be as strong as I am now if not for those mistakes. I’ll just try to make wiser decisions moving forward. I’ll try to be a better partner to Erick, a better mother to Nyx and a better person in general. ☺

God is good to me and to my family and I feel so blessed for having Erick and Nyx in my life.