Cutie Pies in the park

last sunday we took the kids to the new park and playground in Highstreet. here are some snaps from the weekend.

the two cuties playing with the chameleon

i asked ELAH to pose for me and this is what i got

they were rolling around the grass and plain having fun

isn't he the cutest?

propped him up the trunk of the montero.  he didnt mind watching the groceries while eating his pop pop

running down the mini mountain

ate and uno 

this was taken saturday.  i wasnt able to join them. 2 consecutive days of playtime!  

i hate the love month

February... oh the love month... NOT!

i've had a roster of badluck in the past.  happened mostly on valentines day.

the biggest unlucky day i had was on valentines day 2006.  i crashed the side of my car to the neighbor's wall.  i was like 5meters away from our gate!  i remember that day entirely.  i wasnt able to eat lunch, i worked til late night, then went through horrible horrible traffic of dating lovers and was so dizzy by the time i reached home.  i remember before i turned the corner i was so excited to get home after a long dizzying traffic drive.  and then bam!

after which i vowed to never ever ever go out on valentines day.  prior to the car mishap of 2006 i remember losing money before. another valentines day i got injured while dancing.  oh and a lot of other unlucky stuff in the other past years.

thats why ive always equated that Feb 14 is my version of Friday the 13th.

i dont know if im still unlucky this year.... definitely i will stay home again on valentines to be sure. except that i have to go to work.  no date with my husband definitely.  weve never gone out on valentines since we got together.   i'd appreciate a bouquet of flowers though. hehe

Creamy Potato soup

Got this recipe over the net.  my husband and i enjoyed it a lot.  kulang nalang daw yung bread bowl like from the restaurants, kabog na kabog daw ng luto ko ang soup nila!

• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 1/2 to 2 cups chopped onion
• 1 cup chopped celery
• 2 large carrots, peeled, chopped
• 2 to 3 cups diced ham, about 1 pound
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 2 cups vegetable broth
• 1 cup water
• 4 to 5 cups peeled and diced potatoes
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1 cup half-and-half or whole milk, more if needed to thin
• salt and pepper, to taste
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley, optional
• sliced green onions, for garnish, optional
• shredded Cheddar cheese or Cheddar-Jack blend, for garnish, optional

Preparation:

In a large saucepan, melt butter over medium-low heat. Add onion, celery, carrots, and ham. Cook, stirring frequently, until onions are tender, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for about 1 minute longer. Add vegetable broth and water and potatoes; cover and cook for about 25 minutes, until potatoes are tender. Whisk flour into the heavy cream until smooth; stir into the hot mixture. Stir in the half-and-half or milk. Taste and add salt and pepper, as desired. Mash slightly to thicken and add more milk if needed.

Serve garnished with parsley, sliced green onions, or a little shredded cheese.
Serves 6.

No!

i decided today that one of my new year's resolution is to say No!

I've gained a lot since i started working.  i put partial blame to my officemate who shares his nuts (not his anatomical ones but the sugo packed salted peanuts) to me everyday.

today i've decided to say no.  lets see how long i can put up with it before i give in to his nuts again!  :))

2011 in retro

11 Yays on my 2011
1.  Got accepted in the first job i applied to last august
2.  ELAH now reads better.  i gave up on drilling her to read and use phonics and just let her be.  now she actually loves reading and likes to show off. Uno now walks and talks and does everything cutely.
3.  First family out of the country trip last april.  so happy the kids had their first flight out.
4.  ELAH finally participates again in the school programs.  though she still moves little.  but atleast there's no more crying and just standing like a wallflower on stage.
5.  Uno's party was a total success.  so happy with the outcome.  despite the heavy rains, people actually had fun.
6.  My parents are home for the holidays.  its the best treat ever!
7.  our short boracay vacay.  2days of leave without pay was worth it just to lounge at Sur all day and getting drunk on vodka.
8.  My team are finally warming up on me.  though i still dont have a constant lunchmate, im happy that i can actually share a few laughs with them and talk nonsense sometimes.
9.  i am back to reading.  i actually got farmville and television detoxed.  i just drown myself on books every night.  which is good coz i think im building up my vocabulary again which was stalled for a while.  though my books are piling up.  they wont fit anymore in the bookshelf.
10.  the condo renovated.  atleast my kitchen is not falling anymore.  :)
11.  i am surrounded with awesomeness.  my kids and husband are good pretty much throughout the year.  my parents are awesome sending us everything we could possibly need and not possibly need.  my brothers are to the rescue when i need them and they happen to be available.  friends are forever friends.

11 Boos on my 2011
1.  I was told last november during my 3rd month evaluation that i was recommended for early regularization.  but i'm still waiting to get regularized til now.  an officemate got her early regularization on the same day of her 3rd month evaluation.  can't help but be a bit bitter ocampo.
2.  Uno's skin problems from skin ashtma to the very stubborn impetigo
3.  Uno's very obvious resentment with me since i started working.  adjustment period hasn't ended yet.  he still likes yaya better since i started working.  i have to bribe him with ipad and cellphone to be able to get him at night
4.  i gained 8lbs since i started working in august.  my clothes dont fit anymore and i refuse to buy more big clothes since i hate looking at my closet filled with L and XL clothes.
5. My brother wasnt able to pass the medical board this year.  hopefully next year he gets it!  he is a really good doctor.  its just the test scores dont give him justice when he is in action doing his doctor thingie.
6.  My silent wish for more money.  If only i can poop money, i'd rather stay home with my babies than leave them with my yaya in pekpek shorts.
7.  My ever stubborn skin problems as well.  comes out from stress and weight gain.  sucks really.
8.  some arguments that i wish never happened.  still makes me sad when i remember them.  what can i do, theyre inevitable.
9.  i literally wreaked havoc in the Terminal 2.  i unleashed my inner annabelle rama when cebu pac wanted to bump me and hubby off the flight.
10.  uno lost his left thumbnail.  everyone assures me that it will grow back.  but its been a month now and still nothing.
11.  for all the sickness and the sleepness nights the kids went thru.  it was hard and theres more years ahead of us worrying but hopefully the worse will never come.


12 things to look forward to for 2012
1.  my regularization.  if i wont be granted early regularization, its still coming on feb.  ill just wait i guess.
2.  ballet classes.  i would really love to make time and attend ballet classes again.   or maybe try the aerial dance when the studio opens in strata.
3.  enrolling elah to ballet class.  i get pressured by all the ballet lolas to enroll her.  she just wasn't ready last year.  hopefully this year she is ready.  i need not enroll her with HCSB necessarily, though i would love for her to see the school where i spent my last 20 plus years with and see my old photos, but HC is a bit far and will be a bit of a hassle if i take her there the whole summer.  hopefully toni lopez-gonzalez rates are good.  i think thats where ill take her.
4.  elah's bday party in school.  she had been thinking about it since forever.  everytime she hears i am buying cake, she requests for a huge disney princess themed cake, thinking that its her birthday already.  i hope to make a really happy girl out of her on jan.16.  lola will be there attending too.
5.  uno completing his immunization shots.
6.  jun's regularization
7.  kuya pau hopefully making it to the board exams. and ziggy talking clearly
8.  happy home with zero away.
9.  finding a good school for elah by 3rd quarter of 2012 so that elah reserves a spot for grade 1 in 2013 school year.
10.  uno growing/maturing a bit so i can get more help from yaya.  right now she just watches uno mainly.  and cleaning a little and ironing a little.  if uno wont be a handful anymore nextyear, i would love for her to cook a little too.  it would be nice to come home with cooked food for dinner already.
11.  me trimming down.  i swear i will shop till i drop my skinny ass when i trim myself down.
12.  my parents visiting again next year hopefully.  it really just feels different when they're away.  this year our celebration is simple but everyone is so happy theyre back here.  my dad finally got to meet the 2 baby boys. and elah is spending her whole vacation with them and sleeping beside them at night.


sharing a glimpse of my Yays for 2011....

dalagang filipina

Dalagang filipina was choreographed for me and our whole QCB batch by Tony Fabella back when i was in 3rd or 4th year highschool.  it was our most cherished dance ever.  until now it is still being performed by the QCB after more than 5 batches/generations after us.

proud to say we were the original cast.  we mounted the dance en pointes.  Tito Tony was a total genius.

other ballet schools tried to copy it.  some schools also requested for tito tony to choreograph for them a different version. well, we don't care about it.  we just love the dance.  no comparisons necessary.  until now after  more or less 15years, we can still dance it right on, just not on pointes.

kc found the music in an mp3 website months back.  i couldn't share their joy then because the site was blocked here in my office.  i discovered just today its not blocked if i try accessing it via google chrome.

so now, after waiting for the download to finish for more than 10mins, im listening to it.  and it really brought tears to my eyes dancing it in my head right now.

in this video im one of the blue (luzon) girls.  at the latter performances, i get to do the lead blue also when ate grace was not available.  

http://www.youtu.be/watch?v=qai2ChrcHJc&feature=related

you may see me clearly on the following times:
5:33 to 5:52 - im the blue girl in the middle
7:46 to *:00 - im the lone blue girl in the group part

Presents i got this year. for christmas only!

• technomarine watch
• fitflops
• tory burch bag
• kindle touch
• books

hopefully next year i get the prada bag that i am soooo drooling on for months!  

will i be getting presents for my birthday???  yes nagpapa rinig ako!  :P