waaah!

It's been one hell of a week at work! Feels like I'm being pulled from different directions. Good thing I still manage to smile despite the incident reports, budget preps, programs launches and other stuff I have to take care of. Well, smiling is part of the work. You have to maintain composure despite the odds. Downside is...Im sooo beat by the time I reach home :( It's like Ive been to a race or just been dragged by a crazy horse, couldnt move... couldnt even think anymore. Sometimes I just stare into oblivion, my head feels hollow and swollen. I hope things will simmer down in the following weeks. I need a loooong vacation!

Typhoon Preparation and Checklist

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Typhoon Preparation And Checklist

by Justine Camacho-Tajonera





Typhoon Checklist:

· Food and water

o Better if you store food that doesn’t easily spoil like canned goods, noodles and food cooked with vinegar

· Disposable utensils

· Can and bottle openers

· Plastic-ware to store food and supplies

· First Aid Kit

· Flashlights and candles

· Games and activities

· Paper towels

· Garbage bags

Typhoon Preparation

Plan In Advance

1. Check if you can remain in your home during the typhoon. You may be able to ride out a weak typhoon but will need to evacuate for stronger storms. Listen for warnings from your local government officials or official local media broadcasts in situations where evacuation is ordered. Note the evacuation routes and plan to leave early.

2. Make lists of television and radio stations where you can get storm information, phone numbers to call in case of emergencies and locations of relief shelters. Get directions for the relief shelters.

3. Have a location for you and your family members to meet if you get separated and the number of a relative in the province to call to say everyone is safe. Have a list of phone numbers of relatives that you will want to inform about your condition. The out-of-town relative can be the one to start the phone brigade to your list after learning you are okay.

4. Find a place to take your pets where they will be safe if you have to evacuate. Some relief centers may not allow pets.

5. Remember to turn off electricity, water and gas to your home before evacuating.


Put Together A Typhoon Kit

1. Pack food that doesn't have to be refrigerated or cooked along with disposable plates, bowls, forks, knives and spoons. Each person and pet in the home should have enough to eat for three days. For those with babies, please remember that exclusive breastfeeding is best for infants up to six months old. This is especially important in times of calamities and emergencies.

2. Store water. Each person needs three gallons of clean water to drink and to use for washing. Pets also need water. For babies, please note that they are constantly feeding. If you are formula feeding or doing mixed feeding, please store additional sterilized water for your baby (both for feeding and cleaning bottles).

3. Have flashlights, oil lamps, lanterns and candles, along with extra batteries, matches and fuel on hand.

4. Include a first aid kit in your typhoon kit.

5. Pack board games, reading materials, card decks and a battery-operated radio. For babies and small children, make sure to include a favorite toy or blanket.

6. Prepare a box of garbage bags and paper towels.


Pack Your Bags

1. Pack a small bag or backpack for each person in the home. It should include clothes and toiletries for three days. For babies, make sure to include cloth or disposable diapers and extra plastic bags to store diapers or soiled cloth diapers.

2. Include a blanket and pillow for each person and place them in garbage bags (to keep them dry) to take along when evacuating.

3. Include a small water-proof bag or satchel of photos and documents you want to keep dry and safe, such as wills, passports and government-issued certificates.

4. Place everyone's bag and bed bundle near the door so they can be quickly loaded into the car if you decide to evacuate. Make sure your car has enough gas.

march on...

march on...

Caramio!

My Favorite Amici Gelati station gets a new look and a name - Caramio! :)

Been a while since I last ate at Amici, Tomas Morato. And it's so nice to reunite with an old love. Their Cannelloni Agli Spinaci and Margherita pizza really make my day. But what ends my visit to Amici with a heavenly smile is their gelati station. For that visit, I tried their tiramisu, one of their new flavors. Not being able to take anything with coffee (and anything sugary) during my pregnancy, I cherished every bittersweet and creamy taste of my cupful gelati. I think it was a great idea also that each cup has broas cubes to break the monotony. It's nice to get a different texture once in a while.



I'm looking forward to another visit to Amici. Im gonna try one of their cakes next time.


check out their menu :)

How to React When Your Toddler Swears

"I read this article in one of the baby sites I follow ever since I was pregnant with Sophie. Generally, the site has been very helpful to me esp. on the part of child development and products update (recalls, safety, etc). But with this particular article I do not agree. Ignore my kid when he swears? I dont think so. I've heard Sophie swear before and it was like a bang in my ear. I know she just heard it from one of her playmates and was trying out the words but I told her immediately to never ever say the word because it is bad. I never heard her say it again. I know she understood me, never underestimate a 2-year old's comprehension. Also, in our household, although we are not perfect and may utter a no-no word sometime in the presence of the children (even unconsciously) Stephen and I immediately correct ourselves. We want to instill in them that even for adults bad words are wrong words."

Yikes—where'd he learn that one? Here's what to say and do to flush your toddler's potty-mouth tendencies completely.

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The Mall and I

For the past three weekends we were able to go malling (one weekend with the whole household, Stephen, Sophie, Sam and two househelp and two consecutive weekends with stephen only).
I miss malling so much, I was a mall rat before I got pregnant with my second baby and before we got the new house. When I was single I could spend the whole day in a mall... on my own. My personal fave is Glorietta 4 in Makati City. Growing up in Pasay, Glorietta was my next home. There are so many unforgettable memories intertwined with that place. I witnessed the first coup d' etat in Glorietta. My mom and I went to Glorietta unknowingly (because there was no media breakout yet) that a coup was being staged already. We got a scare of our life when we saw armed soldiers on top of Landmark, scattered around the bus terminal and along Ayala, I failed to count how many tanks are positioned in that area alone. We went home as soon as came.

Anyway, avoiding the malls was a personal choice. With the commitment to get a new house and with all the financial responsibilities, one sacrifice was to avoid the malls and to avoid the sale in Mango or Terranova or Janilyn, Timezone :(, the promos, the new stocks in Landmark, the movie theater, new restaurants and the salons ( Haay, I'll blame Suze Orman if this backfires hehe).

But lately, weve been spending weekends at the mall again to unwind and do grocery at the same time. I think it's also a good time for Stephen and I to spend time together sans the kids, I believe it's important for any couple no matter how many kids and commitments they have. Although when Im at the mall I feel the need to go home soon because I miss my kids, somehow it's a refresher activity... especially for me :)

Sam turned five months last August 31. At this stage he is now starting to crawl and reach for the toys in front of him. Well, i think the more appropriate term is 'trying to crawl'. His legs are so chunky that his toes can barely touch the floor and he needs those toes to push him forward. But he's a smart baby, what he does is bring his butt up so his upper body will move forward (imagine an oversized worm). He looks much like a human canoe when on his tummy, both ends upturned. oooh! he's so cute.

As with Sophie, well that little girl never fails amuse, amaze and mezmerize me. Up to this time, i still watch in awe at how beautiful she is (evenwith the skin condition she has right now, although its starting to heal thank God). She always amazes us with her queries, antics and witty remarks. Sometimes I'm even dumbfounded with her knock out / out of the blue questions. And she's not easily swayed by the palusot of the elders (kaya Stephen and I realized she needs a smart and patient yaya).

Everyday I thank God because we are so blessed with two lovely children and I pray that they will always be healthy and safe. That they will grow into responsible, intelligent, compassionate and God fearing individuals.

i just realized that i havent read a single book for sometime now, i remember the last book i read was Neil Gaiman's Stardust and it was last year pa. then i was able to finish it after a couple of weeks i think because i only get to read a few pages only after sophie sleeps.

as a teenager i got really hooked on pocketbooks. during summers i could finish 3 mills and boon novel in a day. way back in highschool (parang a long time ago na ah...) i got hooked naman on sweet valley high and harlequin romance. i remember finishing 3 books of LOTR in less than a week, that was a good mark already considering others find LOTR really hard to digest if you read fast. but mind you, i never bought a single book, never really had a budget for that back then. all books were borrowed from classmates or cousins. you will never imagine how far 1 book can reach and how many people get to read 1 book from pasa-pasa system lang.

but now, because of so much stuff at work and home i never get to find time or strength to read a novel. i have some pending Coelho books to read but i feel like my brain could no longer absorb and process the details from the book. at home it's such a rare occasion to have the time to just sit back in a corner and read. i guess that's why i started to enjoy blogging. instead of thoughts getting in and just get all rumbled inside at least i can exhaust my brain once in a while. Blogging is really an effective outlet, its a refresher from the corporate doucments that you need to compose and email at work. it's also a way to express yourself and minding your own business.

i think im gonna keep on blogging for a while...

background change

Ive changed my background template again. Soon I will settle with my final template. For now, please bear with me... :)

cry daddy

i never realized that my husband was such a cry baby until sophie came. i just noticed this when i started to share milestones sophie made. like when i told him one day that sophie can already pick her food, he got really emotional. another time i told him that sophie actually ran to her potty to wee, he hugged sophie because he was proud and yet sad because her daughter is all grown up (imagine a girl barely 2 years old all grown up?). a few months ago Sophie was telling us she already wants to go to school and you know what's her daddy's reaction?... he hugged sophie and told her not to leave him yet. OA talaga pero it's amusing how daddys can be so attached to their unica hijas. i have one friend who shares the same experiences and we would laugh so hard everytime we share their teary-eyed moments :)

daddy and sophie on sophie's 1st birthday

the latest tearjerker moment was when sophie became little bride for a cousin-in-law's wedding. during the reception there was an onsite video of the wedding prep and ceremony and there were clips of sophie. when we saw the clip, my husband and i looked at each other with that 'awww' look on our faces... i saw my husband's eyes glistening and moist with tears and i just smiled because my eyes were blurring with tears na rin...we looked at sophie and i know we have the same thoughts in our mind - 'please dont grow up yet, please still be our baby'...

Sam's Christening

Sam's christening last July 25, 2009 in San Nicolas Parish. Thank you Siops for the wonderful pictures...

Children Are Amazing

When I come across people who tells how good looking they are, I wud sometimes kid na 'sino nagsabi, nanay mo?' I'ts a joke that I used to not really understand. But now that Im a mom, I do. When sophie came I was overwhelmed by the thought that she actually came from me (by God's grace, of course). That I actually nurtured her from the womb and I was part of making her become such a beautiful, healthy baby. I would spend many waking hours just staring at her as she sleeps ( I still do, actually). And now with Sam, it's the same. I would scoop him towards me in the middle of the night (as I do now while writing this entry) and just stare at this wonderful creature of a gift. They're the most beautiful creatures I've ever seen. Well, kasi nga ako ang nanay nila. Children are amazing, and what's more amazing is the impact they have in our lives. I have always wondered -how can someone I just came face to face with for the 1st time be so meaningful, so precious to me? How can i commit to someone for life (and beyond) and offer unconditional love when i just met him 3 months ago? Children are amazing and so is the nature of love.

rantings

this morning we brought our yaya to the bus station because she needs to go home to her family. so now were left with just one househelp and we need to look for another one. this yaya search is starting to become taxing. it's starting to take a toll on me emotionally. sometimes i think of quitting work na lng and dedicate my time on my kids.
i'm a working mom but i have always been a hands-on mom when im with my kids. during weekends i make sure that i personally attend to them. every morning i feed and bathe both of them before i go to work, it's my bonding time with the kids. if only i have a choice, i want to personally take care f my kids. beng a full time housewife is no joke but i'd rather do that than go through these yaya woes over and over again.
but then again...
have you ever experienced being on a crossroad? you have two ways to go - left or right - but the thing is you have no choice but to take left only because turning right is not an option. road to the right exists but it's not passable...so even if it's the way you need to take to get to the end, you have no choice but to take the longer, more complicated and uncertain left road. the complications of adult life...

another day, another problem

This morning my yaya of almost 6 months confirmed that she needs to go home to her parents to take care of some family issues. Although a few days ago I already had an inkling about her dilemma from our labandera/cook but my yaya confirmed everything just this morning and that she needs to go home tomorrow (talk about 2 weeks notice :( ) . So now I will be left with just my cook to temporarily look after sophie and sam until we're able to find replacement. Haay. Bakit nga ba hindi matapos-tapos ang problema? Especially with house help, I feel like its one step forward and two steps back. No matter how much you try to be as tolerable and nice with them they will still leave you eventually. They never run out of family problems, conflicts in life.

What a morning. Then on the way to work, the cab we took had defective aircon and it was so hot and suffocating. My husband and I were already late so we did not bother to get another cab. And then there's the blockbuster pila in the elevator (we call it blockbuster kasi pang-blockbuster movie ang haba ng pila).

Another day, another problem. ..It just never ends. Now I have to look for another yaya, better start looking soon.

Although come to think of it, problems are as temporary as life. Nothing is permanent in this world, even the worst of woes. So I know that someday somehow, all this yaya issues will be of no problem anymore. Ang tanong lang eh, kelan kaya? I hope soon...

day 2 as blogger. i decided to finally give blogging a shot. somehow it's exciting to be doing something new... i was used to writing my thoughts on pen and paper, i guess i get a different high when i scribble those words. and then there are times when i dont have words for those emotions i just sketch and draw...
blogging seems kinda exciting at some level. hope i can keep up with this new hobby...

Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory

willy wonka has always been my fave movie even as a kid. The soundtrack is great, the moral of the story really touches the heart n soul. Its the kind of movie the is timeless and universal. But what makes me love the movie more is that i was able to watch it when i little together with my mama and siblings. In our household, its very rare that all of us 4 kids watch a movie together til the end. We tend to have diff tastes in shows to watch, even cartoons. But this one movie, we watched til the end.
Sometimes, its not the object perse that makes it memorable, valuable but the xperience that goes with it. For me, willy wonka becomes a fave bec the experience in watching it was unforgettable. It brings back wonderful memories :)

Would like to start my blog with this article I've saved in my phone for sometime now:

During the World Forum at Davos the winner of the Nobel Prize for Peace, Shimon Peres, told the following story.
A Rabbi gathered together his students and asked the : how do we know the exact moment when night ends and day begins?
When it's light enough to tell sheep from a dog' said on boy
another student said:'no, when it s light enough to tell an olive tree from a fig tree.
No, thats not a good definition either.'
well what's the answer? Asked the boys.
And the rabbi said:
when the stranger approaches and we think he is our brother, and all conflicts disappears, that is the moment when night ends and day begins.'


Part of my work as producer is to keep all elements of project as flawless as possible and to accomplish a project without any hassles, incident report or conflicts in the end (you bet it's not so easy a task but someone's got to do it). Part of my work also is to make sure that everyone works with much gusto and inspiration and that everyone is still friends in the end despite the differences in opinions and outlook. Trust me when I say, when you're surrounded with great artists, the concept of right and wrong is sometimes irrelevant.