Snickers

So I got this text informing me that i can purchase snickers bars at P2.00 per pack.

I told anak: "uy, may promo. 2 pesos ang snickers!"

Anak goes: "yung shoes o yung chocolate?"

Nga naman. Malabo ako.

Scarred for life

Anak saw somethig that gave her goosebumps today.
She immediately declared : "I am scarred for life!"
She pauses, then continues: "Kailangan ko ng Contractubex!"

Text messaging

I texted anak to ask if she has homework that her "maganda at matalinong mommy" can help her with.
This is her very detailed reply.

Collect

Social media has somehow "trapped" me into wanting to share most of the minute highlights of my day. However, I am also aware that it is not fair to inundate my virtual world with photos of my little joys. I am also a bit of a snobbish recluse in when it comes to sharing parts of my personal life. So having discovered this photo journal app was a sweet serendipitious moment. I am absolutely in love. 😍

Big Fish, Small Fish

Years ago, when I was quitting my job
with the boss not wanting me to go, he asked : "Would you rather be a big fish in a small pond or a small fish in a big pond?"

My immediate reply was : "Small fish, BIG pond! " I figured that a bigger space will allow me more growth. More opportunities. MORE of eveything.

I have since then moved from several "ponds", and the exposure and experiences taught me that the correct answer would have been:

"It does not matter how small or big of a fish I am, nor how big or small the pond is, what matters is that I get to be a HAPPY fish."

Yup, time has a way of making one understand the intricacies of working and finding happiness. 😉

War

I find it incredulous that there are people who would so gladly start a war and then so convenienty be missing when all hell breaks loose. You just cannot begin to fan the fire and be the first one running when it becomes unbearable.
Stand up to your convictions
Do not expect people to take the cudgels for you.
And seriously, do not start a war by pushing someone else at the frontline to take the bullet that was aimed for you. Learn how to fight fair and square.
Your actions tell more of your character than your words.

Knowledge

Sometimes we think we know everything, when we don't. We only know what people let us know. It is never wise to go to war if we do not know who we are battling.

Pretentiousness

It's either I like you or I don't. There is no fine line for me. That is just the way I am, I guess. So it always gives me hives when I see and hear people who are so sweet and chummy together, but would lash out at each other behind each other's back. I will never be able to pull off something like that. I just do not feel pretentiousness is worth the effort. Never my thing. It's either I like you or I don't.

It goes on. and on. and on.

How do you teach your child that life, even at it's most happiest, is not fair?

It breaks my heart to see that point in my daughter's life when she actually experienced the intricacies of life.  No matter how hard I try, I will never be able to fully cloak and protect her from whatever life has to deal her.  Her life is hers alone, and whatever good intentions I may have, these will never be enough to shield her from sadness. or pain. or heart-break.

I must remember that sometimes despite my very best effort, my most fervent prayers, and everything and anything in-between,  she will be faced with her own challenges, her own battles. I only pray that we have armed her with enough goodness of the heart to bring her through whatever life may throw her way.

9 out of 10

I was showing this e-card to anak (my daughter) and while she was reading it, i was smirking in front of her and pointing to myself.
She then looks at me, and declares, with an even smirkier smirk: "Ako yung one! (I'm the 1)"
I can never get one past anak. :)

The Little Mermaid

I was telling anak about The Little Mermaid statue in Denmark.
She asks: "bakit may statue si Ariel dun?"
I tried to explain: "hindi si Ariel ng Disney. Yung little mermaid na story na ginaya ng disney. Yung classic na story na sinulat ni....." then i turned to hubby kse nakalimutan ko sino ang author.
I asked: "sino nga ung sumulat nun dad?"
Hubby looks at me and very innocently declares: "aba, hindi ako!"
Aruu. Nakatira ako sa Iskul Bukol!

Sawsaw suka

"Saw saw suka, mahuli taya!"

May mga kilala ako na ito ang tanging nasalo ng magsaboy ng talento ang langit-- ang talento ng pagsawsaw sa problema ng iba.

Hindi sya masasabing "concerned" dahil ang kanyang kontribusyon ay ang ipaglandakan ang kanyang opinyon. Ang ipagmalaki na di tulad ng sinasawsawan nya, hindi sya nahaharap sa mga problema. Magaling sya. Pinagpala ng kakaibang talino.

Gusto lang nyang ipaalam sa buong mundo - at isama na ang outer space sa lakas ng boses - na the best ever sya. May sagot sa lahat ng problema ng ibang tao. May solusyong naisip. Sundin mo sya, di ka mapapariwa.

Meron syang sariling mga problema. Pero di nya yun pinapansin. Keber lang. Bakit pagaaksayahan ang sarili kung mas makakatulong sya sa sanlibutan, di ba? "The hell with my problems" ang drama.
Martyr ata ang gustong i-peg.

Hay. Sana nung nahulog ang meteorite sa russia, sana nandun ka. Sana nasalo mo. Bidang bida ka nun! Dedbols ka nga lang,pero front page naman! O di ba, di mo na kailangan makisawsaw?

Les Miserablés

So today anak and i went to see the movie Les Mis. I am happy to report that I did not have to drag, bribe or coerce her into seeing it with me. Lucky me!

So, because Les Mis seems to be the best movie of the year (unless they do Miss Saigon), i have to process all my thoughts and make sure i record them for posterity:

1. I wonder what kind of bread Valjean stole? Wheat bread? Italian bread? Pandesal?

2. What would the "i dreamed a dream" scene be like if fatine had lost her 2 front teeth?

3. For some reason, Hugh singing the contents of Marius' letter reminded me of Ate Helen. Vela.

4. Injured Marius was dragged across murky waters,fell down the sewer and had this face covered by mud--and yet he survived beautifully well. Talk about lucky.

5. Does love at first sight really happen?

6. I feel for Eponine. Masyadong masikip ang belt ng damit nya.

7. Were the hookers during the 18th century really that filthy?

8. That scene where Anne appeared as an angel to Valjean threw me off-guard. Naging fanta-serye?

9. Who was driving Valjean's coach everytime they would ride to escape or move places?

10. It must have been a sad honeymoon night for Marius and Cosette. KJ si Valjean. Mamatay ba naman sa wedding day ni Cosette!

Daily Grind

Sometimes we get so consumed by the daily workings of our lives that we forget to appreciate what we have.

Sometimes we get so engrossed in what we do that we think everyone is as interested as we are.

Sometimes we get so involved in the goings-on around us that we let our emotions rule.

Sometimes we get so attached to our concerns that we become tactless and disrespectful.

There is more to our lives than what occupies the hours of our day. Do not let transient matters consume you, break you and rule you.

Better to live a life that is guided by a thoughtful heart than one driven by fleeting emotions. ❤

Bucket list

My bucket list of annoying facebook posts:

1. Photos of one's self uploaded in succession. I know how you look, i do not need to be reminded every nano-second.

2. Comments to shout outs that make the shout out seem to be about the person
making the comment.

3. Shout outs written in migraine inducing, gramatically incorrect english.

4. Shout outs in colehiyala or konyo english.

5. Photos aiming (hoping!) to show how luxurious one's taste in food is.

Drives me crazy. And yet, i do not have the courage to not log in and spare myself the anguish! Haha

Instagram

Anak has 959 followers. I have 20. 😜

Bridges

Last year was a significant one. I burned many-a-bridges, but also reinforced many of the existing ones. It was a year when I learned about what makes friendships work. It is not time. It is not presence. It is TRUST.

And with trust jumping off the edge of the bridge, the next reasonable thing to do is burn that bridge. It will not take me anywhere else... And i also do not wish to go back and rebuild what has been lost.

So with that, here's to the new year and to the many new bridges that eagerly await. Cheers!

Canimals Diary

This diary app is hilarious. You can mark the day when you had "smooth bowel movement" ☺ how can any other diary beat that?

Brace yourself!

Anak had her braces fitted before 2012 ended. Just in time to not be able to eat as much during new yer's eve media noche 😊but she did not complain. Not even a whimper of pain. Tutuong "tiis ganda" lang. 😄


(btw, these photos were taken weeks after the braces were placed, when she can already enjoy eating out again🍴)