Before I had a daughter, the only “DQ” I was fond of was the no-spill-when-turned-upside-down creamy concoction called Dairy Queen… now, DQ takes on a totally new meaning for me… For you moms out there with precocious little daughters, this one’s for you…

After her recent bout with some gastro problems, I can say that my daughter, Marga, is sooo back with a vengeance! The past few days, she has literally driven me up the wall in a hodgepodge of surprise, frustration and outright hilarity. Let me share with you some recent events to prove my point: my little princess is a “certified drama queen” (takes one to know one, I guess! Hahaha!):

Ø EVIDENCE 1:

Every morning, as Keith is preparing to leave for the office, we are very careful not to wake Marga up lest she gets into one of her moods again. Today was no different. Unluckily though, the princess was needlessly roused from her slumber…so with loud protests of “Papa, waah!” and “Dan” (her version of “down”, when she wants to get off the bed), Keith painfully extricated himself from the tearful clutches of our wailing daughter with promises that he’ll be back soon (Hon, how come I don’t get the same response when I make drama???).

Ø EVIDENCE 2:

Last night, we had a follow-up visit to Marga’s pedia. For some reason, Ramadan season contributing, probably, the hospital was packed! What normally took 3 mins to an hour took an excruciating 2 hours! Needless to say, the princess got tired and upset by the time we got home. What followed was classic: Setting her down the bed while she was already screaming and throwing a fit proved no easy task especially when I still had to get out of my “costume” (i.e., abaya) and eventually still change her to her sleepwear. Taking a quick stop to the bathroom to fix her stuff, I was surprised to see our little diva heading right at me (yup, she got off the bed pretty quick even in her “highly charged emotional state”!)and whaddyaknow! The minute she saw me, she let out a piercing wail of protest enough to wake the dead before walking out towards the living room! What a night! What a girl!

Ø EVIDENCE 3:

Never thought Windows came up with such an addictive concept when it introduced me to its movie maker! Now, I have this highly unnatural urge to document even the simplest of experiences with it... oh no!

Well, without further ado, may I present, in collaboration with my dear hubby (who acted as musical director, o di ba? ), our second foray into the WMV World!

Disclaimer: Please be kind and lower your standards a bit... after all, we are still amateurs!

">WMV Project#2

It’s been exactly 2 weeks since we arrived here in the Kingdom and I’ve been practically on my toes doing God-knows-what most of the time! It’s only now that I can actually sit back, catch my breath and relax somewhat… What have I been up to exactly? A quick run-down follows (drum roll please!)…

Just wanted to share with you the finished product (Strike a Pose! ) of what I had been dabbling with practically the whole day yesterday... Many, many thanks to Keith for guiding me through! Mwah!

Though I'm still no "Rina Veguillas" (i.e., expert) at this, do give me time and I'm sure I'll get better at it. One thing for sure, though, it was FUN!

Enjoy!

Pardon me if it took ages for me to get to the blogging groove again. Ever since my last post, things have been really hectic that I literally felt my head spinning! In fact, I even went to the extent of consulting a neurologist a few days before we left for the Kingdom since I felt pain on the right side of my head and some numbness on the right side of my face. The verdict: Stress Headache - I wasn’t imagining the pain after all…

Believe it or not, towards the tail-end of our Manila holiday, it felt as if I already needed a “vacation from our vacation”! Nevertheless, despite the stress of it all, Keith and I were glad that we were able to do most of the things we set out to do – the most notable among these would be:

1. Being able to celebrate (never mind if it was 2 months late!) Marga’s 1^st birthday at the Palms last 05 Aug 07 – thank you to all our family and friends who made time to be with us during this special day! Special thanks go out to Ninang Rina for the lovely party invites, name tags, loot bag tags and directional signage as well as to Uncle Jamie, Ninong Manny, Ninong Mark and Tito Benj for rendering their “professional photo services” free of charge! Thank you too to Ninang Millie who braved Divi with me just so we could complete the party stuff. I’ll always be grateful to Wowo, Wiwa and Tito Pippo who accompanied me to Palms for the pre-birthday arrangements. Love you guys!
2. Celebrating Mommy Dollie’s 60^th surprise birthday party (please check out Keith’s post on this -A Totally Retro Night - for more details)
3. Having a “Grandparents’ Day-Out” Down Under as we celebrated Rafa’s 7^th birthday in Australia from 07-18 Aug 2007 (I promise to post pictures soon!) together with Wowo, Wiwa and Grammy.
4. Touching base with our MWG and HSBC friends. We miss you guys! Tess and Boboy, the La Pampanguena stuff were just heavenly! Taps and Karen, thanks so much for hosting us at the very posh Vivere executive lounge... May and Derek, Allan and Peachy, thanks for squeezing us into your ever-busy schedules! Marge, Anna, Val, Trina, Gigi, Charles and Anna Chinj - it was great to see you guys again! Mina and Tessa - setting-up the Masas lunch was much appreciated... so happy to swap stories with you, Karen, Jeff, Anj and Anna GDL after such a loong time...
5. Luigi and Rafa receiving the sacraments of reconciliation and holy communion for the first time . Since freedom of religion is not something we enjoy here in the kingdom, the first holy communion we so took for granted as 7-year olds has become something quite difficult to arrange from this part of the world. Thus, after personally supervising catechism lessons for the two boys (Auntie Barty would be so proud of me! ), good ol' Lolo Kit was able to arrange for the boys to have their first confession and communion with him at the Salesian parish churches of Don Bosco Makati and San Ildefonso, respectively. Thank God for uncle priests! Kudos too to the Salesian community for supporting this endeavor .

Now that I am back to my “diva-ness” here in the Kingdom, I can say that, stressful as it was, it was definitely great to be home again and that we all look forward to our next Manila holiday in December!

Ciao! The dreaded Cs await…

I know, I know… I said that I wouldn’t be blogging until after our home leave… Well, don’t blame me – I’m a woman – I have the right to change my mind!

This won’t be long though, I promise. Just wanted to let you in on what has been happening to me so far during my 1^st month of chillaxing in Manila. Here goes:

o Finished my 8^th session with my personal gym trainer (yes, I have been trying hard to get back in shape!) – 12 more to go! Don’t ask me how the results are thus far as that is worthy of yet another post

o Successfully weaned Marga from breastfeeding - did I just hear applause from my dear husband? Am also getting her to drink non-sterilized (but purified) water… Major project is how to convince her to walk!

o Regularly been having weekly massages to get the circulation going and to bust those darn nodules. Thanks to Ma and Pa for sponsoring my weekly sessions! Aaah… this is THE LIFE J

o Did my long-overdue salon visit the 1^st week of my leave – yes, I feel human again! Too bad, though, that my fave stylist Melanie has left the salon I frequent – boohoohoo L

o Completed all medical procedures I intended to do: pap smear - check… sebaceous cysts removal – check! As the late James Brown sang, “I feel good!”

o Was able to go to confession after a long 15 months. Thank God!

o I’m a Divi convert – thanks to my sis-in-law Millie who has opened my eyes to the wonders of Divisoria

Yup, the first month has definitely been good. I look forward to the coming month as well when Keith can finally join us. Am so lovin’ it!

Yup, as many of you may have already read from Keith's blog, we're left with only a week till we plane in to our beloved Manila - woohoo!

We just finished our pasalubong shopping earlier tonight and my next problem would be how to fit all the stuff in into our suitcases without going over the weight limits (thank God for the additional 10kg per person courtesy of our Gulf Air frequent flyer membership)... Please note though that I am worried about exceeding the weight limit not because marami kaming pasalubong but moreso because maliit lang suitcases namin - hahaha! Sorry guys... Papa, Ayn and Ivy, I so miss you and your world-class packing skills!!! What's more, with three kids in tow all by my lonesome, am sure my trip back home will be, to put it in the most politically correct manner, "most interesting"...

I am very sure this coming week will go by so fast that my head will surely spin but am definitely looking forward to my "abaya-less" two months . After 10 months here in the kingdom, going back home even for a short while is such a welcome treat.

Bring out the vintage Hotdog music and join me in singing "Manila, Manila... I keep coming back to Manila!". Sa lahat ng aming mga minamahal na kaibigan at kamag-anak, kita-kita tayo! Mabuhay!

Woke up earlier than usual today. After almost 10 years of marriage, it's funny how sleep somehow eludes me everytime I don't find myself beside Keith when I wake up in the morning... then I noticed how peacefully our three "gremlins" were sleeping, thus the inspiration for this post... Have a blessed day ahead!

As they sleep, a flood of emotions surges in

There is quiet.

There is peace.

In the stillness, I am made more aware

of the hand of a loving Creator

who has entrusted these angels to us

so beautifully, so wonderfully made

In their slumber, I am reminded

of child-like confidence

of total surrender to a Father’s will

I am thankful.

I am richly blessed.

Ever since the major lifestyle change we adapted (i.e, having to run a household by ourselves) when we moved here to the kingdom, weekends have always been jam-packed. Keith and I would want to think of ourselves as slowly being able to perfect the “art of the weekend warrior”. Somehow, we have managed to do a major part of our chores (house cleaning, grocery shopping, babysitting – name it, we’ve done it!) during weekends with enough time left to spend with the kids. Of course, due credit have to also be given to our two boys, Luigi and Rafa, who have their fair share of the “dreaded Cs” (aka chores).

Sadly though, this weekend would be slightly different as I go solo. Yup, we are officially one weekend warrior out – ouch! Keith is in Bahrain this weekend attending their company’s annual summer outing. So, while my hubby is grudgingly enduring (?) the time away spent apart from us (he never liked the beach – or so we’d like to think!), the kids and I would still have to brave the “warrior’s way” this weekend (sigh!).

Good thing that we have the reliable “Mega-Mags” to see us through this weekend. Ge, Rinel and Ira have been so kind to let us tag along with them this weekend so we don’t quietly lose our minds at home… Let’s face it, weekend warriors need some R&R too, right?

So as Keith “binges in Bahrain”, Marga, the boys and I will also make the most of the “delights of Dammam” and the “allures of Al Khobar”. Weekend warriors, unite! Let the party begin!

Came across this amusing piece which I found so appropriate for Mother’s Day. To all the dedicated and untiring moms out there, this one’s for you! Have a chillaxing day!

It was Sunday morning and her son still had not appeared at the breakfast table. She had tried yelling up the stairs: “Wake up and get down here!” But there had been no response. Finally, she went up the stairs and opened the door to her son’s room and said, “You need to get up and get dressed. It’s time to go to church!”

“I don’t want to go to church,” her son groaned from under the covers.

“You can’t give me a good reason not to go to church, so get up!” his mom replied.

“Actually, I’ll give you three reasons. Number one: it’s boring. Number two: the people there are gossipy and critical. And number three: no one likes me. So why should I bother?”

“I’ll give you three reasons,” retorted his mom. “Number one: the Bible says you should go. Number two: you’re 45 years old. And number three: you’re the pastor! Now get out of bed and get dressed for church!”

Where would we be without the tireless urging of our mothers to do what is right? Truly, very few roles demand such unconditional, self-sacrificing perseverance and commitment as that of motherhood. So, moms, take a bow, we deserve it!

PS I was delighted to discover that Keith, the boys and Marga actually had flowers and cards for me for Mother's Day. How sweet! I attach the pics below - hope you enjoy viewing them as much as I enjoyed receiving them

Very touching hand-made cards from the boys, Luigi and Rafa

The full package - loved the Stargazers! Luigi even prepared a Book of Poems especially for the occasion (how sweet!).

It’s been exactly 1 year and 9 days today since I said goodbye to my corporate career and embraced my new-found career as full-time stay-at-home wife and mother.

True, it’s not been all roses thus far as there are certainly days when I tend to look back on my “glory days’, so to speak – when I was actively involved in the rat race and would get my adrenaline rush from hitting asset and liability targets or from exceeding service standards. Life then was indeed very much different from the life I now live.

Back then, the sense of achievement and appreciation was much more instantaneous and predictable – simply exceed what was expected of you and you’d certainly be on your way up the corporate ladder with matching financial incentives to boot. Today, it sometimes is a struggle to know where I am exactly – whether I’m doing a good job or not or whether I am actually “adding value” to my husband and childrens’ lives by taking care of them full time.

It’s very tempting to just re-live my glory days in my mind to find satisfaction and meaning in the seemingly mindless routine I now live day-in day-out.

Don’t get me wrong, though, I still choose to be where I am now. Never mind the chores that never seem to get done or the “tutoring sessions” and “refereeing” I do almost everyday for our three growing, active and precocious children. Life has indeed been very different yet, in a strange sort of way, also very fulfilling.

I thank the Lord for giving me a new opportunity to go out of the “comfort zone” (yes, my “stressful comfort zone” seems to be a more appropriate term) I was in for the past 12 years of my corporate life to try something new and many times more exciting than what I had before. True, the recognition and appreciation from colleagues and peers are now but memories yet the innocent shrieks and lovable smiles from my little girl or my two growing boys asking for seconds because they loved what I prepared for them are just a few of the perks that I would never trade-in for any promotion or financial incentive in the world!

Let me end by sharing something I read recently which seems to reinforce the thought that my “diva days” are certainly not half as bad as my “glory days”:

“It’s been said that each life is like a book, lived one chapter at a time. If you think your most fruitful years are behind you, remember you’re writing a new chapter now. Learn to live each day with contentment in the present.

Living contentedly in the present has a way of making us productive for a lifetime—for God’s glory.”

This was a photo I took using my N70 (yes, am trying my hand to be “techie” at last – don’t also want to let Keith think that I am not putting his anniversary/birthday present to good use!) during our recent trip to the Bahrain Causeway. I honestly think the picture captures the deep bond between our two boys, Luigi and Rafael.

Probably because they are only a little over than 1.5 years apart, Luigi and Rafa are very close. In fact, when they were younger, Keith and I didn’t have any problems in entertaining them or in finding worthwhile things for them to do – they simply had to be together and they would “automatically” entertain themselves! Be it by playing with their action figures, drawing, coloring or even by watching their favorite tv shows, the boys knew how to have simple, good, clean fun!

Keith and I have always prided ourselves at how well-mannered and loving our two boys have grown up to be. I, for one, couldn’t hide my excitement when the flight attendant at Northwest even gave them their very own “wings” because she couldn’t believe how two very young boys (they were only 3 and 2 at that time!) could be so well-behaved for such a long flight (it was the boys’ first long haul flight to the States).

Now that they are entering the “age of reason”, we admittedly sometimes find it difficult to deal with their naughty pranks and petty spats. Nonetheless, Keith and I have still managed to follow the “no spanking” method of disciplining the boys and it has still worked for us so far. Thankfully, both Luigi and Rafa still listen to us when we correct them - although we also have to stand our ground “more fervently” at times as these two seem to be experts at testing their limits and our patience! Well, boys will be boys, I guess!

Luigi and Rafa, we are very proud of you! We pray that you continue to be good, loving, responsible and charitable Christian men. Be one another’s “pare” (best bud) until you grow old and gray and see each other through all that happens in your lives. Take care of your sister, Marga, and always be good examples for her to follow.

We love you!

This is our house. It is the place that Keith and I have called home for the past 5 years prior to our move here to the kingdom. It is here that we have made memories and shared a life together – raising children, welcoming friends and family, where we exchange interesting stories and conversations and essentially sought refuge in after long, tiring days.

I had a dream about this house two nights ago and it somehow kept me awake from 3 am onwards. Not that the dream was scary or anything… guess it just struck a sentimental chord in me and made me miss our life in Manila a wee bit more.

It also made me remember the wonderful lyrics from Jose Mari Chan’s song “Constant Change” and found how appropriate these were in our current life situation. Allow me to share bits and pieces with you (at random and in no particular order) so you may also take this “sentimental journey” with me.

Constant Change

As I was preparing my grocery list yesterday, I was both surprised and amused to hear my younger son, Rafa, remind me: "Mama, we need ice cream. We already finished what we have inside the ref."

What struck me was how he seemed to think of ice cream as a basic necessity . Indeed, when I recounted this story in the car on the way to the grocery, Luigi, my eldest son, even stated the obvious: "Mama, ice cream is a need - not a want." Omigosh! Have I turned my boys into lean, mean, ice cream slurping machines?!? The undeniable answer: guilty as charged.

Notwithstanding Keith and myself's predisposition to diabetes (since both our families are afflicted with this disease), we find ourselves still drawn by the irresistible treat that is ice cream. Call it self-flagellation - since we are pretty sure to regret giving in to this indulgence sooner or later when both the pounds and health risks caused by our ice cream binges increase. Sigh! What are we to do?

Blame it partly on the genes - I distinctly remember my maternal grandfather, Lolo Gang, fondly tell me how they even made their own ice cream (with the traditional ice cream maker which needed salt outside the main metal container to preserve the coolness and creaminess of the treat inside - yum!) when he was a young boy. Or the fact that meals in my own house were never complete without the much-needed "sweets" afterwards. Want to get into the good side of anyone in our family? Chocolates and ice cream should do the trick!

Given this background, I guess I really shouldn't be surprised if my children also find the lure of this treat too hard to resist. Yet, the scare of insulin injections (which my paternal grandmother took when she was still alive) or the fact that 4 of 7 siblings in my Papa's family have diabetes should serve as grim warnings of what could happen if I don't nip this "addiction" in the bud soon... "Everything in moderation", as my Papa always said, right?

Till then, while I think about how to overcome this sinful indulgence, my mocha almond fudge (or strawberry) delights await... Will power, don't fail me now! Bon appetit!

Three weekends back, Keith was finally able to arrange for assistance from his office maintenance personnel to set-up the remaining paintings and wall fixtures in our flat. At least, it’s beginning to feel more and more like home in our tiny haven here…

Among those that were displayed was a tie-dye project my Mama did while she was keeping herself busy in their Nagoya, Japan posting during my dad’s “drug lord” days (I often jokingly refer to my Papa as a “retired drug lord” – having been an expatriate executive for a top American pharmaceutical company for 30+ years until his early retirement two years ago). Mama admittedly enjoyed their Japanese stint since she really took the opportunity to immerse herself in the local culture by taking up lessons in Nihongo, ikebana (the Japanese-style flower arrangement) and tie-dye. Back then, she could also whip up a mean chawaan mushi (delectable egg custard) and various kinds of sushi – yummy! Oops, pardon me if I digress a little bit as thoughts of delicious food can really put you off-track sometimes (foodies out there, y’all know what I mean)…

Going back to Mama’s “opus”, we now proudly display it on the wall above the mini-computer nook in our room so that we actually see it every single day. Given the circumstances, I couldn’t help but do some “art interpretation” on the work.

Picture this: four boats sailing on a calm, blue sea with the fiery sun on the horizon and two solid mountains on separate sides. I admit I may be seeing more than what was actually intended but I hope you indulge me in this “creative exercise”.

So what exactly do I see when I look at the painting? What story does it tell me? Well, I see the four boats representing my mom’s four children (myself, Monty, Pippo and Rina) sailing along on the blue sea of life as we try and get to our respective destinations (i.e., goals and dreams in life) before the sun sets on all of us. Though sailing separately, we remain connected and are within “seeing distance” from one another – I view this as an analogy of how communication can keep us together though we may be physically apart (both my sister and I are now overseas while the two boys are in Manila). As in all seas, I reckon that it won’t always be smooth sailing for us so we have to stop and rest awhile at times to re-focus and assess where we are and where we want to go. This provides the opportune time to momentarily dock on the two mountains (which I view as representing Mama and Papa, our two strongholds who have always been there for us) so we may recharge and gain the proper perspective before we set sail again and savor what life has to offer.

True, I may have read much more that what was actually there (for all I know, my Mom just wanted some sort of creative outlet when she did this!) but it certainly made me reflect on how blessed I am to have been born in my family. It may not be perfect but it is definitely the right one for me.

So, when you look at the painting, what do you see?

Enjoy the rest of the week!

Been out of commission the past week or so as all of us, except Keith, were down with some sort of ailment. Last Thursday evening was particularly bad as I hardly had enough sleep - my nose was so clogged I couldn't breathe and I kept on barking, este, coughing, the night away! Seems like I caught all the illnesses with "itis" in them - allergic rhinitis, sinusitis, conjunctivitis - name it, I had it!

Though Luigi and Rafa have already recovered quite nicely, Marga and I are still slowly just getting back in the groove of things. We are better, but not totally "there" yet... if you know what I mean...

Anyway, one good thing that came about out of my being sick was that I discovered the culinary skills of my dear hubby . The morning after my particularly hellish night, I was pleasantly surprised to wake up with brunch already served! Keith and the boys dubbed the meal - "When Mama is Sick Fish" - cute! Actually, Keith did a pretty decent job at it, if I may say so... Imagine, he was able to prepare panfried fish fillet with EVOO (that's extra virgin olive oil to you, non-Rachael Ray fans!) and garlic - definitely yum-o! Am proud of you, hon! Sa uulitin...

Am still not "that" well... wonder if I should expect another gourmet meal from my honey? Hint, hint!

Catch all of you later. Need some quick shut-eye to fully recover. Bye!

We were blessed to head off to Bahrain to usher in the New Year with Bro Cuz Rinel and John, Keith's office mate who flew in from Riyadh. We set out the morning of Dec 31st and stayed on until the early afternoon of 02 Jan. We stayed at the Al Jaberiya condotel which, though a bit older than the Sayedaty Plaza unit we reserved during Ramadan, was more spacious and had free internet access.

Like most Filipinos who go to Bahrain, first order of the day once we got there was lunch at Swan Lake, the Filipino restaurant known for its yummy Crispy Pata. Unfortunately, as there were apparently a lot of Filipinos who also trekked to Bahrain to celebrate the New Year's and had the same agenda as ours, the Crispy Pata had run out by the time we got there - too bad! We had a true-blue Pinoy meal nonetheless as we feasted on Lechon Kawali, Kare-Kare, Lumpiang Shanghai and Sinigang na Lapu-Lapu sa Miso washed down by refreshing Gulaman at Sago - yum-o! For dessert, we had creamy egg pie, something I make it a point to order whenever we go to Swan Lake. Did I just hear myself let out an oinkish squeal of delight? Hahaha!

After lunch, we headed off to the Seef Mall to catch the movie, "Arthur and the Minimoys", which the boys had been dying to watch since our last trip there in October. I surprisingly found the movie nice as it skillfully combined animation with "real-life" actors - was even doubly surprised to find out that Madonna and David Bowie were the voices behind two of the animated characters, Princess Selenia and the Evil M. As this was "too kiddie" for Rinel and John, they opted to watch "The Illusionist" instead and also found it to their liking. We also managed to grab DVDs of films we missed back home (MI 3, Monster House and Da Vinci Code) which we intend to watch in a "movie-like ambience" (complete with popcorn and dimmed lights) back home since movies are a no-no in the kingdom (pathetic ba?). We were so exhausted by the time we got back to the hotel that we just freshened up and said our quick New Year's greetings to one another before we hit the sack at around 2 am - definitely a far cry from our usual New Year's eve celebrations back home! We so miss Bellevue already!

New Year's Day was spent pretty much like our first day - brunch at Bennigan's (French Onion Soup, Chicken Salad and Monte Cristo Club Sandwich) and a movie ("Night at the Museum", a Ben Stiller comedy-adventure which I recommend) at the Al Dana Mall - except that we managed to squeeze in a visit to the Bahrain International Circuit, the country's very own F1 racetrack! Too bad, though, that we only got as far as the gates and its souvenir shop as the stadium was closed for the Muslim Eid End-Of-Hajj Holiday. Hope to catch an F1 race soon when the races start again in Feb or March.

Since Japanese restos are a rarity in KSA, our Japanese lunch at Gulf Hotel's Sato restaurant was a definite highlight of our Bahrain visit. The classy ambience - Japanese snare drums as guests enter amid very Zen-like interiors - and the tatami room where we were served our meal lent to a very authentic Japanese eating experience. For starters, we had tuna sashimi, California Maki and Miso Soup while Keith and I both had bento boxes for our entrees. Keith chose a Japanese version of "Surf and Turf" while I ordered something not as delectable - fried dumplings, hammour sashimi, stir-fried noodles and beef teriyaki. Good thing the boys ordered the usual ebi tempura and yakisoba which tided me over! The green tea ice cream which I had for dessert thankfully made up for the "blah" meal I had for lunch. Yum yum!

As we headed home, we couldn't help but say a silent prayer of thanks that despite being away from home during this holiday season, the good Lord made it possible for us to still celebrate Christmas and New Year's in very meaningful (though simpler) ways.

A blessed and bountiful new year ahead! See y'all in December!

It was back to Applebee's for us to celebrate Marga's 6th month birthday (so sorry we couldn't resist the yummy food  - the Cajun steak and shrimp dinner and sizzling apple pie a la mode are definitely tops on my list!) last 03 Dec.  It also helps that 90% of all staff in this resto are "kabayans" so we get the little extra home-style service which seems like a rarity in this part of the world... This time around, we had Rinel (aka Tito Dimples ) join us so we could at least help ease his tearful nights pining for his family (Gorgeous Ge and Irresistible Ira  -they will, as they say here, inshallah,  join him by Mar 07).

Enough said about the resto, now on to the main event - our little princess, Marga . 

Due to insistent public demand (okay, okay, her grandparents, titos and titas wanted more news about her!), allow me to describe what  Marga can now do.

As Keith mentioned in his earlier blogs, gone are the days when Marga would just eat and sleep.  She has since become more active and at times, demanding .  Whoever made the nursery verse saying, "Sugar and spice and everything nice, that's what little girls are made of", probably had Marga in mind.  True, she still melts our hearts whenever she innocently smiles, coos or giggles hysterically, BUT... this is just one part of the story - this little spitfire also definitely has fire in her belly when the occasion calls for it!  Looks like, in Marga's case, more spice than sugar was added to the mix!

A classic example would be our recent trip to the mall when, probably in a fit of boredom, she decided to growl and raise her voice non-stop evoking stares from passersby (nope, rolling her stroller frantically to shush her didn't help!) until her ever-loyal Papa carried her or until I brought out the bottle to feed her - good thing that she didn't feel like I had to do "cow duty" right there and then as I would've probably been arrested for "indecent exposure" - hahaha!   There are also days when she feels she needs to exercise her lungs (if you know what I mean) that I practically rush over to her side time and again and throw whatever housework is scheduled for the day out the window.  Keith jokingly (more like a half-meant joke, if you ask me) tells me that at least I know Marga got something from me... well, can't say I disagree as I, too, am a very outspoken person and do also have my moods . 

Don't get me wrong, though, I adore my little girl and as I always say, she is truly a "bonus" gift that Keith and I will always be grateful to the Lord for.  When she tightly holds my hand as she drifts off to sleep or when she laughs uncontrollably at some silly antic she saw, I feel as though God has shown me pure bliss and a piece of heaven . When she rolls over by herself (this has become quite rare, though, after "The Fall" - natakot ata!) or picks up her duckie rattle and shakes it, I am beaming with pride at how much she has grown.

Truly, through all the sugar and spice that makes up this little girl, we got ourselves one heck of an extra-special package.

Our dear Marga, no words can express how much you are loved. 

Happy 6th month, darling girl!    

Two days ago, Keith and I went to Luigi and Rafa’s school to claim their first quarter report cards.  Without further ado (drum roll please), I am delighted to share (allow me some bragging rights here) that both boys are straight A students (surprisingly with the same 96.33 average!) with a few 100% marks thrown in (Luigi for Science and Rafa for Math and Social Studies).  What’s more is that their teachers only had good words for them (i.e., “Gabriel (that’s what they call Luigi) is such an excellent student!” and “Rafael started out shy but is now doing very well.”) and were all praises for their good behavior.  What surprised us, however, was that both boys’ lowest marks turned out to be their Global Language subject, Filipino (Oh no! Our boys are turning out more “amboy-ic” than we thought!).  Dahil dito, nais ko tuloy pag-ibayuhin ang pagsasanay sa kanila sa aming tahanan sa paggamit ng ating inang wika.  Subalit, ayon sa aking kabiyak, maaring masyadong marahas ang pamamaraang ito at baka lalong hindi matuto ang mga bata.

Anyway, we were comforted when their teachers reassured us that this was usually the case for all foreign students away from their own countries.  I am confident that the boys will survive in Filipino somehow…

What pleased us even more is that their getting good grades is a reflection of how well both boys seem to have adjusted to our move here in KSA.  Truly an answered prayer.

I guess nothing is more heartwarming for a parent than to see your children growing up not only intellectually sound but moreso happy, healthy, with positive character and good behavior.  I pray that what Luigi and Rafa started in terms of academic performance and  behavior will also be true for our little girl, Marga, when she comes of age.

So, if and when Luigi, Rafa or Marga asks me (in decidedly American Idol-ish Taylor Hicks fashion - less the raining confetti and adoring fans), “Do I make you proud?”.

The obvious answer, without batting an eyelash – “Most definitely .”