Busy Week Concluded

What a busy week that was...

We had activities going on simultaneously: press briefing, testing/interviewing of and job offer to software engineers, screening for the new batch of code camp participants, participation in the Information & Communication Technology Conference (ICT), graduation and awarding of ECC winning code campers, etc... There were about 5 counterparts from Manila who flew in to assist in all these.

Here are pictures as proof:


(Left: Abuhan lunch; Right: Guiseppe dinner)


Big Mao dinner


Hehehe.... Okay... The pictures didn't show the actual activities I was talking about. But that is not to say I was bluffing about being busy...

In fact, I so look forward to the weekend... I need to unwind, slow down a bit and enjoy some quality time with my boys.

When I wake up tomorrow, I will be seeing this:


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Or this:




Hmmm.... Just the thought of it does wonders now to my frazzled brain cells... Hope you all have a relaxing weekend!

More Free Days Up Ahead

used fd's flickr toys for this captioner...

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Setting: In one pre-school, for 3yo Jake's interview (Nursery1 class)
Cast of Characters: Jake, the Guidance Counselor, Jerry & me

GC: Hi Jacob! (She proceeds to engage Jake in a conversation.)
Jake: Ma look! (He points to a calendar with a colorful drawing.)
GC: Oh this one... (holding the calendar). Could you identify what you see in the picture?

(Jake successfully identifies the ff: rainbow, elephant, house, etc.)

GC: (Gets her box of crayons and turns to me.) Is Jake familiar with colors?
Me: No, he only knows black.

(GC proceeds to take out some colors anyway...)

GC: Jacob, could you show me the color red?

(Jake obviously makes a guess and points to the wrong color. GC insists on asking Jake some more about colors to which Jake miserably commits mistakes. Didn't I just tell her that he only knows black??? Grrr...)

GC: Oh Jake is really poor with colors...

("Poor with colors"...My smile suddenly feels like a grimace upon hearing this comment. Since when did we measure a tot's IQ with just the colors? Anyway, just to show the guidance counselor that Jake's intelligence is not limited to the concept of color....)

Me: Come on Jake, you tell the teacher the different parts of your body.

(Jake identifies his eyes, ears, nose etc correctly. I am now on a roll...)

Me: Very good. Show the teacher how you sing the alphabet.

(Jake sings proudly the alphabet song...and even sings Twinkle Twinkle as a bonus.)

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If not for lack of time, I would even have drawn the logos of the different car brands and Jake would have been able to differentiate a BMW from a Toyota or a Mitsubishi. This is not unusual as kids are really more visual at a very young age.

Ask them to draw a square and they might not be able to. But give them a shape sorter and they will successfully match the shape with the correct hole. Haay.... It doesn't take a genius to know these things... Then again...

I bet Jake is more adept in using the laptop and mouse than the Guidance Counselor...

After hearing my account, one friend hastily scratched the school from her choice of schools for her son. Tsk-tsk...

One of these days, the Directress of the school will know about the "very good" Guidance Counselor.

Sing With Me

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I first saw this online karaoke on Chase' site. After checking it out, I got hooked! Click play below and listen to Jake sing impromptu the kiddie Alphabet Song. While you're at it, try hopping on to the site, choose your favorite song from their extensive list, then hit record. That's all there is to it. Ayt?

Oh, and it's all for free!

Foodies & WIFI

Though we'd love to, we rarely spend time with friends mainly because of schedules. So when friends are in town for a short visit, we all free up one night for a mini get-together.

Last night, dinner was spent at Manny & Monica's. Gret & her kids were in town for some visa requirements and the last time we saw them was about last year just before Christmas. So imagine my surprise seeing all the kids all grown in such a short time.

Food was yummy as usual and I had to stop myself form gorging the fried lumpia lest I run out of "gastric" space for dessert. Hehehe...

Since Gret's hubs, Marcel, was in the US, we tried calling him via Skype. It was a funny sight seeing our group whipping out the Macs (we had 3 on the table), chatting, Skype-ing and checking out some blogs (!) and Google to search answers for Gabrielle's assignment on God's qualities.

We couldn't be any more high-tech! I even heard Monica's youngest daughter, Sofia, say, "This table now looks like a study group!". Or something like that... Hahaha!

Anyway...

It was the first time we combined good food with good WIFI surfing. It definitely gave a new dimension to our party...

Have a safe trip back to the US, Gret and kids! *Waves*
Thanks for dinner and wifi Mons! *Waves again*
Good to see you Estee, Ingrid and everyone else!
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Have you done dinner and WIFI together with your friends? :)







a (kinda) blurry pic




this one is a little clearer

Papa's Nice

There was one time the boys overheard Jerry and me discussing about some mix-up in schedules while we were all inside the car. Our voices were somewhat a few decibels higher. I knew the elder ones were aware of what was going on and probably thought this was just one of those days... Nothing much to it.

They were mostly right. Though sometimes Jerry and I are quite excitable (ok, ok, just me...) when in a discussion, we simmer down after a while.

The following day, while Jerry and I were in the room preparing for work, 3yo Jake was lying down on our bed.

JAKE: Ma...
ME: Yes?
JAKE: No "away" Papa, ok?
(Jerry and I looked at each other. Was this about last night? I thought. Did Jerry prompt Jake to say that? Not likely...)
ME: (smiling at Jake) Of course I won't "away" Papa. (Jerry and I looked at each other again, my eyebrow now headed north.)
JAKE: No "away" Papa, Ma ok? Papa is nice...

(We both smiled and I think Jerry gave me that "I told you so" expression. Hehehe.)

I know I shouldn't underestimate the mind of a 3yo. Sometimes there's wisdom to what he says. BUT...

I will have to disagree with you Jake. No, Papa is NOT nice. No, no, no, no. He's not!

Let me re-phrase that. He is NOT JUST NICE! He is actually more than nice. He is the best Papa one could ever hope for. You guys are lucky to have such a doting and funny Pa. I couldn't imagine raising you all by myself and doing a good job. You are what you are because of him. And I'll bet you, he won't disagree with me on this. :D

Happy Fathers' Day Jerry!

(Happy Fathers' day Paparazzi! And happy fathers' day to all the wonderful, caring dads in the whole wide universe!)



Friday - Keeping busy while waiting for Pa to arrive from Manila
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Saturday (AM) - badminton session from 10-12
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Saturday (PM) - choco fondue dessert at Tinderbox
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Fathers' day portrait :)
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AND FOR MY VERY OWN PAPArazzi....

Here's my reply to SunStar's questionnaire on "Why do you consider your father as your personal hero" that got featured last June 15, 2007...



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Original text: No other Papa would put up with all our impossible requests (well almost). He may be way over the hill at 65, but he feels he's never too old to see the world with loved ones, to learn new things like surfing the internet and peeping into our blogs to see what his kids and grandkids are up to and to give precious bits of advice.

Having a bad day? Count on Papa who's always ready to cheer us all up with his weird sense of humor. He is our Prozac personified.

Careful What You Say! :)

My friends and cuzns, pic was taken last March during Jake's birthday
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Here's a short one that I couldn't resist not posting...

LOCATION: In my room at work
CHARACTERS: Dahlia (friend), Mimi (cousin)

MIMI: I stopped breastfeeding. Im a bad mom.
LINNOR: Oh? But why?
MIMI: (Proceeds to explain how she breastfed for a while and why she stopped...) Yaddi yaddi yadda...
DAHLIA: As long as the baby was able to get the first production of milk... He'll be fine...
LINNOR: Yes, that's the important thing.
DAHLIA: What do you call that first milk? (Pauses, thinks, and then mumbles something). Isn't that the scr*t*m?
LINNOR: What the heck? Colostrum you mean!

Bwahahaha!


I forewarned my good friend D about the blogworthiness of that slip-up...:D She was game to be blogged. Hence this. That's the best part about friends like her, she revels in the humor of it all. Love you Dahls! You made my day!


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Was there ever a time you got your words mixed-up? Tell us about it! :D

Papa Said

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It seems that 3yo Jake has discovered the art of having a "padrino" whenever he is trying to convince anyone and everyone into letting him get his way or wiggle himself out of a situation.

Sometimes I would overhear him reasoning out or "arguing" with the elder brothers about something and would punctuate his halting English with "Papa said (insert applicable phrase here)..." as if his elder brothers would be reduced to submission. Hehehe... Well, Jake does succeed sometimes but mostly because they found him cute.

As for me, I've also been exposed to Jake's verbal antics many times, most especially when I'm telling him not to do something. He shoots back as if I would feel subjugated by the mere mention of "Papa said"... Asuuus! Hehehe...

On different occasions he told me...

"Papa said, I sleep later"
"Papa said, I play Gameboy"
"Papa said, I eat sapsap (his term for chips/junk food)"

You get the drift? I don't know how and when he learned this... Maybe the elder brothers would tell him off by prefixing each sentence with "Papa said". Now he's saying the same thing to counter them, and me.

Yesterday after lunch, right before Jerry & I drove back to work, this was how the conversation went...

JERRY: Jake... Sleep na. I'll go with you upstairs...
JAKE: (Looks at his Pa) Papa said I stay here... (Begins a litany of kiddie gibberish)

Toinks!



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