Today, Jon and I are bidding goodbye to our red Volkswagen New Beetle. After close to seven years, Jon finally had the courage to sell it. This was his dad’s graduation gift back in 2001. When we got married though, it was handed to me as I left my car with my mom after the wedding. I used to drive this red beetle all the time when we didn’t have a driver yet. I take Sophia to Little Gym and Gymboree with it before. The little girl has grown to love it too and would call it “mommy’s small red car”. As time went by though, I discovered the pleasure of having a driver so I never went back to driving the red beauty. Hence, Jon felt “mommy’s small red car” has to go and be replaced with a bigger car we can maximize especially with the coming baby. Ano kaya yun?

Abangan ang susunod na kabanata…

My husband loves trucks. His fascination started when he first owned a Ford F-150 when he was in third year college. I clearly remember his excitement that time as he would clean the truck all on his own every single day. He also had it painted black from its original green color. He even begged me to get his truck a billet grill as my birthday gift for him! For three years, we used the F-150 with every date we have, rain or shine. Flooded streets were not even a problem which is why I got to love that truck too despite the very muscular look and big parking space it usually occupies. For several reasons though, Jon sold the truck to his friend about four years ago. He switched to a smaller vehicle but his love for big trucks never faded. In fact, to this day, he would often visit the trucks for sale in san diego website as he drools over the Dodge Trucks being sold there. According to him, if budget permits, he’d get one for his own pleasure as his Ford Explorer is just not as big, and not as good. Obviously, he misses his big old F-150. Oh well, we’ll see about that.

Yesterday, I was killing time reading articles at a very popular entertainment site. I read up on a noontime TV host’s interview and was surprised to learn that he is diagnosed to have heart problems and intestinal disorder. You see, his noontime show is the only show I watch when I have time as I find him very funny. I also love how he interacts with the game contestants on his show. Despite being branded a playboy, he seem to be really nice.

As I went on reading the article about him where he revealed that he has actually drafted his last will and testament, I can’t help but feel sorry for him. If ever, he’s going to die alone. He has four children but none are with him. In the article, he seem to just take pleasure putting his hard earned money to good use, buying properties here and there. He obviously has a lot as he revealed some of them during the interview. What shocked me though was when he said that, he hopes his kids and other family members won’t take offense that some people who are in his last will and testament are not even family members but rather friends who have one way or another touched his life and were there for him when he was down. I think its good that as early as now he revealed such thing as if he doesn’t, some might question his will if ever. I have heard so many stories of wills being questioned and challenged which is why there is quite a popular demand for a san francisco probate attorney these days.

I wonder if you know who I am talking about.  Go to http://www.pep.ph/index.html.

… is over.

After reading stuff about BPA, I am now switching from Avent Bottles to Dr. Brown’s. I know, there isn’t specific proof or evidence yet as to how dangerous BPA is but every mom would agree with me that its better to be safe than sorry, right? After all, I’ve got nothing to lose if I go on the safe side, aside from the few more dollars maybe. LOL.

Dr. Brown bottles are highly recommended. According to KK:Cool Tool:

The secret to Dr. Brown’s Baby Bottles, apparently, is the tube system inside — it prevents the infant from swallowing air, which makes for a happier baby (and by extension, happier parents). As baby eats and the bottle drains, the internal tube directs incoming air to above the bottle contents, so the young one’s not working against a vacuum. This is supposed to be easier on their eardrums, too. Make of it what you will, but we’ve managed to avoid the ear-infection boogeyman which seems to hit nearly every other young family we know. Also, unlike similar systems that use collapsing bags to keep out the vacuum, you don’t need to keep a supply of the little bags around.

Here’s my loot care of my sister in law from the US:

Dr. Brown’s Polypropylene Bottle - 8oz. 3pk

Dr. Brown’s Sterilizer Gift Set

Dr. Brown’s Standard Vent Inserts

Dr. Brown’s Standard Vent Reservoirs

My family has been into the construction business ever since I can remember. My dad who is a civil engineer pioneered Mallari Construction way back in the 80’s and soon my mom joined him to manage the company when she resigned from her day job when I was 5. Since then, the construction business has been our bread and butter. My parents managed to give me and my siblings a very comfortable life all these years thanks to building houses, bridges, school buildings, covered courts, and repairing roads. Through time, they also managed to buy equipments of their own and even rents them out now which my dad said is a good money making business too.

Lately though, with the hard times we are facing each day, the economy going down, it has become more and more difficult to earn as much with every projects my parents get to close. It’s just not the same as before as they would put it. Construction material prices are sometimes way over board and sometimes, by a stroke of bad luck, they also get to deal with people who are dishonest and who doesn’t hold true to contracts signed. One time, my parents even resorted to sending stop notices as materials or equipments my parents supplied to the work of improvement has been furnished but not paid for.  I wonder why there are certain people who just don’t know how to do business at all.  But what can my parents do? Nothing, as they don’t know of any other business alternative because all these years, they have dedicated their time and effort to their one and only construction business which I doubt will last for another five years because of the terrible economy crisis we are experiencing now.

After seeing celebrity kids like Suri, Violet and Shiloh tote their Correlle baby dolls as shown here, I can’t help but want to get one for my little girl too. It’s the closest she’ll probably ever get to having celebrity status, HAHA. Seriously, ain’t they just the cutest? Sophia loves playing pretend too and I’m sure she’ll love to own one of these almost-for-real-dolls. I hope to find such in Hongkong next month.

I’m also planning to get Sophia these toys if available in Toys R Us HK:

V.Smile TV Learning System Pink

Barbie and Pup Styling Head

Bubble Mower XLT

LeapFrog Leapster Learning System: Metallic Pink/Purple (Rectangular)

Disney Princess Enchanted Tales Karaoke Machine

goes like this now that we have a school girl.

6am - Sophia and I wake up.

6:10am- Yaya feeds Sophia breakfast while I snooze a little more. If I am going to school with the little girl though which is usually twice a week, I take my bath at this time.

6:50am- Sophia takes a bath with the yaya while I prepare her “baon” and the stuff she needs to bring to school. For today, they were asked to bring candles.

7:05am- Yaya dresses up while I dress Sophia up, brush her teeth, clean her ears and nose, put lotion on her and what-nots.

7:20am- Off to school.

She attends an 8am class. If I am with her, I just take her to school and I’d ask the driver to take me to the nearest Cafe, with wifi of course!, while yaya stays in school and I’d kill time blogging and surfing the net over either a salad, pasta, sandwich and fresh juice. I usually am very productive with “my work” when I’m in a cafe rather when I’m at home. There’s no urge to just lie down every once in a while thats why.

By lunch time, we’re home or the little girl is home. If I am not with her, she must see me as soon as she arrives. Read, I should be waiting at the gate LOL.

Nap time follows after lunch. Sophia takes a good 3 hour nap each day. By the time she wakes up, its almost 5pm already. She then takes her daily exercise walking her dog, eating light snacks and playing in the garden until about 6:15pm. She eats dinner after. By 9pm, we are all tucked in bed.

Now, care to share your schedule with your school girls/boys Jody, Joy, Jacqui, Tet, Juliet, Alpha, Dez, Abie and Kelly?