Caehl's version of Manhattan
When it comes to writing stories from life's natural everyday situations, no one does it better than The Good Girl. Now she is telling all...touching, true-to-life, heartwarming tales that tell the world about her life, love, and lessons learned, with her usual delightful brand of humor and drama. Follow me @therealgoodgirl (Twitter) @talesofthegoodgirl (Instagram)
Friday, July 29, 2011
CKLC Nutrition Month*July 29, 2011
Prep-Joy
Caehl introduced his class presentation. Missed the event :(
Wednesday, July 27, 2011
Don't let that moment pass you by
A recent work-related event reminded me of a popular, most popular I should say, quote from the movie My Best Friend’s Wedding.
Michael: Kimmy says if you love someone you say it, you say it right then, out loud. Otherwise the moment just...
Juliane: Passes you by...
We always thought we’d be here forever, that sometimes we set important things aside. Important things like spending time with your loved ones, showing them how much you care, or simply telling them you love them.
We always thought we would always have time to do all those things.
I am so bothered because lately, I feel Alex and I have been neglecting each other, trying to do “more important things” like focusing on work, getting office work done, looking for or completing sidelines, and attending to our children and our household needs. We are both so preoccupied with work, especially now that I have an upcoming major event and he has major writing jobs.
I sleep early, he sleeps late. I go home early, he goes home a little bit late. The only times we spend together regularly are those morning rides going to the office. Sometimes we catch up on each other’s activities. Sometimes we’re just silent during the 10- to 15-minute trip. When I get off the car, it’s always, “Babay, ingat.” And that’s it. There are days when we don’t even get to talk to each other, not even an SMS. Or if ever we would text each other, it’s always “Uwi na” or “Gabihin ka ba?”
During weekends, I wake up early, he wakes up late. Although we always spend Saturday mornings in the mall, doing our weekly grocery-shopping with Caehl, we have different weekend habits. I watch my favorite TV shows, he watches his. He watches DVD in the family room, I stay in our bedroom. I use the PC in the library, he dabbles on his netbook. My siesta time differs from his. Oh yes, we do go out and watch movies together, but always with Cae. And he doesn’t mind making me hatid-sundo if I have to be somewhere.
Why am I telling you this? Alex and I have been together for 19 years and we are comfortable in laughter, noise or silence, time and distance. Meaning we don’t have to talk if we don’t want to. We don’t have to be together all the time if we don’t want to. Alex and I know that we’ll always be here for each other and it doesn’t mean I love my husband less.
Maybe it’s the same comfortability level one shares with a longtime friend. You know that even if you don’t always see each other, even if you’re apart, you both know that you’ll always be friends, no matter what. Gets?
I may not be a sweet person and I always say that I show my love in a funny way. But I'm telling you right now, I don’t want the moment to pass me by. There are things happening around you that make you realize you just have to make time for the most important things – or persons, for that matter – in your life.
Monday, July 18, 2011
Whatchama-CAEHL-it L (50th episode - A Tribute to Mel & Joey)
Watching Mel & Joey's final episode last night:
Me: Caehl look, Mel (Tiangco) is crying.
C: Why is she crying?
Me: Because it's their last show.
C: Di bale, it's ok naman...Joey has Eat Bulaga pa, and Mel is in 24 Oras.
O ha, kaya ninyo yun?
Ms. Mel, I hope you are comforted by my son's words... :)
Truly a Kapuso's son.
Thursday, July 14, 2011
Whatchama-CAEHL-it XLIX
Sometimes I think I don't know my son.
I was munching on a Chowking siopao one afternoon when Caehl entered my room.
"Mommy, what's that? What are you eating?"
"Sandwich," I replied.
"Ah siopao," he said.
LOL alam pala niya. Akala ko hindi niya kilala ang siopao eh.
Monday, July 4, 2011
My Daughter the “Dormer”
A daughter may outgrow your lap, but she will never outgrow your heart. ~Author Unknown
(Of course, there’s no such word. By “dormer,” I'm referring to a dorm resident, or a person staying / living in a dormitory.)
I remember when our eldest sibling, Ate, entered college (FEU) and my parents decided she would stay in my aunt’s apartment in Galas, QC. She has always been my roommate and although we were 4 years apart, we were close to each other. We didn’t have a landline then, and for the first few nights and weeks, I would call her up using a payphone in the nearest sari-sari store, and end up crying and missing her so.
And then it was my turn. Part of my parents’ plan (that’s why they chose UST over UPLB) was for me to stay with my sister. So that they won’t have to travel all the way from Los Baños to QC each time they would make us hatid. It was more convenient and they felt more comfortable with the set-up, knowing we were together.
I didn’t realize that at that time, I was giving them a heartache or that I was breaking their heart. To me, it was the most practical thing to do. I knew myself, I could take care of myself, I was capable of doing household chores, and I knew how to commute. But for parents, those could never be enough, I learned. I am learning that now.
My daughter is now living in a dorm. It’s a new dormitory, a street away from UST. It’s a four-person room, but currently she is sharing it with Shae, her schoolmate since Grade One and a fellow CTHM sophomore. We wouldn’t have allowed her if it she weren’t with Shae (and Shae’s parents maintain the same stance). Shae’s mom and I have been acquaintances since the girls' grade school days, when we would both stay in the parents’ waiting area in Colegio San Agustin – Biñan. Yes, that’s how far we go back.
Cae is independent, and she is used to sleep-overs. My aunts would take turns borrowing her from us when she was two or three. She is a smart kid, but I must say, we are very protective of her. All through her grade school and high school life, she was hatid-sundo by a trusted tricycle service. She wasn’t allowed to commute and if she did take public transpo, we were uber panicky and worried. When she studied at UST, that was the only time she commuted big-time. And we were proud of her learning how to ride the MRT or LRT and even the PNR on her own. When she started feeling the pains and challenges of commuting from our place to UST and vice versa, she complained and suggested dorm-living. But I guess we weren’t ready then. We asked her to try it out for the rest of her freshman year and then who knows, things might change. And they did.
With the 2-hour travel time, plus traffic, plus rains and floods, she was such a pity coming home wet with muddy shoes, kinakaladkad ang sarili while walking, plastado na sa gabi, and with a body brace at that. She asked that we revisit the idea of dorm-living and this time, we were cooperative. She prepared a PowerPoint presentation, with a matrix of pros and cons, even if that was just a formality. At the back of our minds, we knew we were giving in.
It is a big change. For seventeen years, she was just in the next room. But I guess, we have to go with the flow. Alex is stricter though, laying down the rules - No this, no that. Do this, do that. There were so many reminders. And it’s more expensive. Yet we are somehow comforted that she can enjoy a few more winks (she usually wakes up at 4am). She can even take a shower after her Monday AM PE class and put on her brace comfortably. Her last class ends at 7pm and she can still be “home” early. When it rains, she doesn’t have to take on the downpour, fight it out with other commuters, and take the risk of getting sick and yes, ruining her shoes.
I hope she’ll be fine. I know she’ll be ok. Because I am missing her already.
(Of course, there’s no such word. By “dormer,” I'm referring to a dorm resident, or a person staying / living in a dormitory.)
I remember when our eldest sibling, Ate, entered college (FEU) and my parents decided she would stay in my aunt’s apartment in Galas, QC. She has always been my roommate and although we were 4 years apart, we were close to each other. We didn’t have a landline then, and for the first few nights and weeks, I would call her up using a payphone in the nearest sari-sari store, and end up crying and missing her so.
And then it was my turn. Part of my parents’ plan (that’s why they chose UST over UPLB) was for me to stay with my sister. So that they won’t have to travel all the way from Los Baños to QC each time they would make us hatid. It was more convenient and they felt more comfortable with the set-up, knowing we were together.
I didn’t realize that at that time, I was giving them a heartache or that I was breaking their heart. To me, it was the most practical thing to do. I knew myself, I could take care of myself, I was capable of doing household chores, and I knew how to commute. But for parents, those could never be enough, I learned. I am learning that now.
My daughter is now living in a dorm. It’s a new dormitory, a street away from UST. It’s a four-person room, but currently she is sharing it with Shae, her schoolmate since Grade One and a fellow CTHM sophomore. We wouldn’t have allowed her if it she weren’t with Shae (and Shae’s parents maintain the same stance). Shae’s mom and I have been acquaintances since the girls' grade school days, when we would both stay in the parents’ waiting area in Colegio San Agustin – Biñan. Yes, that’s how far we go back.
Cae is independent, and she is used to sleep-overs. My aunts would take turns borrowing her from us when she was two or three. She is a smart kid, but I must say, we are very protective of her. All through her grade school and high school life, she was hatid-sundo by a trusted tricycle service. She wasn’t allowed to commute and if she did take public transpo, we were uber panicky and worried. When she studied at UST, that was the only time she commuted big-time. And we were proud of her learning how to ride the MRT or LRT and even the PNR on her own. When she started feeling the pains and challenges of commuting from our place to UST and vice versa, she complained and suggested dorm-living. But I guess we weren’t ready then. We asked her to try it out for the rest of her freshman year and then who knows, things might change. And they did.
With the 2-hour travel time, plus traffic, plus rains and floods, she was such a pity coming home wet with muddy shoes, kinakaladkad ang sarili while walking, plastado na sa gabi, and with a body brace at that. She asked that we revisit the idea of dorm-living and this time, we were cooperative. She prepared a PowerPoint presentation, with a matrix of pros and cons, even if that was just a formality. At the back of our minds, we knew we were giving in.
It is a big change. For seventeen years, she was just in the next room. But I guess, we have to go with the flow. Alex is stricter though, laying down the rules - No this, no that. Do this, do that. There were so many reminders. And it’s more expensive. Yet we are somehow comforted that she can enjoy a few more winks (she usually wakes up at 4am). She can even take a shower after her Monday AM PE class and put on her brace comfortably. Her last class ends at 7pm and she can still be “home” early. When it rains, she doesn’t have to take on the downpour, fight it out with other commuters, and take the risk of getting sick and yes, ruining her shoes.
I hope she’ll be fine. I know she’ll be ok. Because I am missing her already.
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