Father Rafa?

Last weekend, Rafa saw the bowl of vinegar on the table.

The little boy dipped his fingers and guess what???

He made the sign of the cross :) :) :) :)

He probably saw us doing the same thing with the Holy Water in church on weekends.


Kids!!!!

P is for "Passed"

I am still euphoric over passing my first CPA Australia exams! Yes, folks! Only my first and I have 5 more to go. But I already feel like I finished all of them and worthy to be called a Certified Public Accountant in Australia. Ganito kasi yun...

Other examinees may find the exam easy but for a working mum like me with two active kids and no help other than the hubby who's also clocking in more than 8 hrs of work a day, taking the exam was equivalent to committing suicide. Not the quick poison-induced suicide but the slow and painful kind...torture!

Study time was 3am to 5am and then I have to make breakfast, our lunchboxes, prepare the kids and drop them off to school. Studying at night wasn't possible because when I arrive from work, I still have to feed the kids, supervise Vince with his schoolwork, bring Rafa to sleep, then go back to the kitchen to prepare the next day's meals, clean up the mess and pop in a load of laundry. To make matters worse, hubby was working late nights most of the time. Some nights though, he's off and cook's a week's worth of meals and finish off ironing clothes that I keep pushing to the bottom of the basket. So what about weekends then? I've promised myself that I wouldn't let the exams interfere with our weekend family activities but towards the exam date, I had to log around my books to the beach, the park or wherever the boys decide to go. While they do the barbecue, play ball with their papa, go fishing, I was there sitting on our blue picnic chair, reading my books.

I may not be able to describe in detail the actual experience but suffice it to say that it was the most difficult time of my life. So much more difficult than when I had to do 6 CPA exam subjects all together back in the Phils.

On the brighter side, a few of my Pinoy circle of friends were doing this with me and we helped each other a lot. We exchanged notes and tips and had good laughs sharing our experiences. After the exam, we all went to the Sydney Fish Market to de-stress. Our husbands met us there, too. Talk about moral support :) and then we took a walk around the city, stopped at Max Brenner to have dessert, laugh and just be silly.

On Friday, when I got my result through SMS, it read " CPA Program-Subject- P"

I honestly thought it was the tonque-sticking emoticon :-P
With knees and arms shaking, I had to check online. "P is for Passed"

It sure is! And I am glad :-)

P.S.

I just realized that this experience is the ultimate Balancing Act! Whoooaaa! I'd like to believe that I now have bragging rights but i know in my heart that if it was not through prayers from friends and my family (special mention to hubby, my boys, mama, papa and sisters)- i wouldn't have survived this.

Thank you, Lord!

Funny

Natatawa ako...

(1) Vince: Mama, why are animals called pets when you take care of them?
Me: (Trying so hard to come up with an answer but couldn't) Hmnnn, I really haven't thought about that...
Vince: I know why..because you get to PET them (gesturing a pat)...not smack them! otherwise, they will be called SMACK animals..

NYAHAHAHAHA

(2) One night, i was going through the alphabet application in the Iphone with Rafa when..

Me: "A" is for apple..."B" is for bee...
Vince: (who, I thought was busy drawing..) "B" is for "bee"??????!!! How dumb is that!!!! You can't say that! That's so dumb!

Gosh, what does a mum say to that?

All hail break loose!

It rained ice last night!

Wow! Surreal! Ice in the middle of spring! This is the closest I could get to snow this year as our plans to visit the Snowies is moved to Winter 2011.

I'm already counting the days...

Happiness

These days, it takes very little to make me happy.

Yesterday, it was arriving from work to see that the hubby has vacuumed the carpet, did the grocery, cleaned the car and taken out the garbage. All these he did when he's supposed to be having a day off. He must have been beat which explained why we had corned beef, hotdogs and eggs for dinner. Nyahaha!

Today, it's getting a call from hubby before he left for work to inform me that he's already prepared dinner for us tonight and tomorrow night and our baons for tomorrow. There were also 2 extra viands sitting on the stove waiting to be packed and stored in the fridge. I think there's enough cooked food to last until the weekend.

Oh, God, thank you for domesticated husbands. I know I am one of the lucky few so I just want to write this down now as a reminder when he pisses me off! :P

Hilot in Oz

When no amount of doctor's consultations, antibiotics, paracetamol and vaporub can stop a recurring fever, what's a parent to do? I don't know about you, but my husband and I go to the hilot.

So today, upon recommendations from friends who have discovered a Pinoy hilot in the far west of Sydney, we packed our stuff very early and drove about an hour to visit Lola Itang.

We arrived at Lola Itang's house in Yagoona, around 8am. Surprisingly, theirs was a granny flat at the back of a huge beautiful house. Not something I would expect from someone who has been here for more than 30 years.

The old lady was expecting us since I called last night. She was older than I imagined, probably in her seventies and reminded me of my paternal grandma. We exchanged pleasantries and then she ushered us into her room where a small bed was made ready for Rafa to lie on. The hilot was quick and for such an old lady, she had strong hands!

We thanked her and handed her $25, the only money I had in my wallet as we were in such a hurry, we did not have time to scout for an ATM. And then we noticed bottles of bagoong and pickled papaya. Negosyo daw pala nya yun. We lingered a bit in the sala where her ailing husband was slumped in a chair, bingi na ata kasi di sumasagot sa mga tanong ni A.

We did not stay long although I really got curious about this couple and wanted to hear their story. Some other time, perhaps.


On our way home, we checked out a nearby suburb, Auburn famous for cheap items of all sorts. A and I agreed, it was "pirated country", it's like walking on Cogon in Cagayan de Oro or Divisoria in Manila :)

We bought meat at half the price we pay here in our suburb and a huge bag of rice and promised to come back when we have more time.

For now, we're just relieved that we've discovered Lola Itang because Rafa has felt better since Lola's healing hands touched him.

Guilty

I was busy browsing through Facebook (yeah, i know i broke my promise) around lunch time yesterday when Vince started to complain that he was hungry.

I told him to get some biscuits and continue doing his worksheets while I got hooked with photos of acquaintances on FB. At around 1pm, Vince declared, "Mama, I'm really, really hungry now!"

I grumpily asked him what he wanted to eat. He replied, "Can I please have pancit canton?"

I dismissed a nonchalant, "Sure!" and went back to Facebook.

He then came up to me, gave me a hug and said, "You're the best mum in the whole wide world!"

Surprised, I asked why. His reply, "Just because...."

I hurriedly got up and guiltily dashed for the kitchen.

More Math Humor

Vince has progressed to another level in his Kumon classes and as expected, the drills are getting harder.

Me: Vince, you need help with the sheets?

Vince: No, thanks Mama. I'm ok.

Me: Oh, good! well done!

Vince: When it's hard, i just count my fingers..and if it's more, I'd count the holes in my tennis racket or the blades of the blinds...

Geez, i think i would need to add more blades to our blinds...

Sweet

This morning, Vince pulled me aside, and with a sweet smile blew me a kiss then handed me a heart shaped red colored-wire. I was happy for 5 seconds until I realized that in a few years, he will be doing the same to some girl....huhuhu

Classroom vs Bathroom

I was running some math drills on Vince yesterday when this conversation came up.

Mama: (Randomly giving Vince addition problems)

Vince: Answers each question correctly and then blurts out, " Mama, i know 8 +4!"

Mama: Oh yeah? what is it?

Vince: 12!!!!

Mama: How did you know that?

Vince: Because i counted all the tiles in the bathroom when i made a poo!

Nyahhahaha! this boy's got a sense of humour!

But seriously, it got me thinking...could he be learning more from the bathroom than from the classroom? :P

Today's Random Thoughts

i am taking time off from work today because i got a call for a job interview this afternoon. it's not until 4:30pm but i didn't want to rush from work to my interview. and friday is jeans day at work so it wouldn't look good if i show up dressed in my interview suit.

ahh, i feel great so far. i slept late last night and woke up just in time to prepare Vince for school. by the time hubby returned from dropping him off, i have already given rafa his meal, vitamins, a bath and have taken a shower myself. so i have a couple of hours to spare before preparing lunch.

as i write this, i hear A puttering with his tools. he's been working on a multi-media shelf for our sala for a few days now. i keep telling him we should just buy one but he insists he'd like to make one. it doesn't look good yet and i'm worried it will be a sore in the living area but he assures me that i'm going to be pleased when i see the final product. oh well, let's see...i just don't understand what's this thing with guys and their tools.

where's this entry heading? i don't know... i just felt the urge to write and i even don't have a particular topic in mind. i was blog hopping earlier and one blog got me thinking: what do i do best? what do i want to do with my life? what job is there for me that could be rewarding--financially, spiritually, emotional and all the "ly" in the world? what is my purpose in life?

i think i should stop before i ask questions that should never be asked...:P

obviously, i am just jittery because of the interview :)

Valentine's Day 2k10

We woke up late on Valentine's day because on Saturday night, A and I slept at 1am. No, we did not go out. We spent the night catching up on housechores, with hubby ironing three weeks worth of laundry and I cleaning the kitchen and bathroom. Bonding to the hilt!

On V-day, we heard morning mass then headed to a Vietnamese restaurant with friends for lunch. Sa dami namin, it looked like we reserved the entire place, the owners had to refuse a lot of customers because there were no more tables. Isang buong barangay na talaga kami dito.

There were so many things to celebrate: Cyndere and Fred's civil wedding that morning, Dina's birthday, Rafa's 11th month, Elijah's 5th month and of course---LOVE!

Trip to the library

Last Saturday, I had to have some documents certified by a Justice of the Peace (JP) at the library. I am impressed that certification of documents here is free unlike in Pinas where you had to pay at least P300 for every document 'notarized'. And it's not only lawyers who can certify but also CPAs/CA's, police personnel, pharmacists, engineers, and the list goes on.

Anyway, after having all documents certified, I decided to apply for membership at the library because hubby is already a member and regularly takes the kids to borrow cds, dvds and books. I completed a very short form and got my membership card in less than 5 minutes. How efficient is that?

I then proceeded to the video section and started browsing. Unfortunately, most of the new releases were out but I still went home with these:

1. Tuesdays with Morrie- I was able to start a few pages of the book but did not get to finish it. I'm surprised that there's a movie. Perfect!

2. Daddy by Danielle Steele- I've been reading D.S. novels in high school and college. I'm looking forward to watching this.

3. Becoming Jane- starring Anne Hathaway

4. Parenting video

I have 3 weeks to finish all four. Now, let's see if I can find time to watch these...

Of tennis, violins and cow manure

It looks like it's going to be a very busy year for Kuya Vince. Today, he started with his tennis lessons. And because the racket brand Head is sponsoring the clinic, each student is given a small racket to use for the entire year. He couldn't stop raving about their first lesson when he came home. Naku, baka puro lang to porma! Next week, he begins violin lessons as they are also encouraged to take an arts class. Sosyal naman, may pa-violin-violin pa si Kuya!

How different his primary years are from mine! Coming from a public school in a small town in Mindanao, all I can remember aside from our regular classes are gardening/cleaning lessons .Everyday, before we start classes, we have to help cut the grasses because our school's only janitor can't keep up with maintaining the huge grounds. And in the afternoons, there was Home Economics where we had to tend to our own plot of veggies- pechay, sibuyas, kamatis, sili at kung anu-ano pa. Grades were dependent on how healthy your plants were. Ang masaklap, we could only use natural fertilizers! Buti nalang, my father has pangsabong na manok so I can easily bring chicken dung to school. On some days, though, our terror-of-a-teacher would require us to bring cow manure only. Eh, dios mio, di naman ganun kadami ang baka sa town namin! I remember having fights with classmates on who gets the cow manure we see on the roads. Sometimes, out of desperation to get additional points, we would wait patiently for a cow to poop. Gross, i know!

Looking back, I would say it was a good learning experience and I wouldn't mind my kids going through the same stuff. But as it is, my boys will have a different story to tell their grandkids and I'm sure it will be as interesting, nevertheless.

All in January

After what seemed like a very short summer break (1 1/2 months), Vince is back at school and is now on Year 1. How time flies! We have to get him a new set of uniforms as he's barely squeezing into his old ones. He also lost another front tooth when Rafa accidentally kicked on it while playing. He looks and speeks funny these days.

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While Kuya was losing teeth, Rafa had 3 of them growing all at the same time. His gums must be real sore/itchy coz the poor little fella is biting anything he can put his teeth into. Thankfully, he's not feverish or nag-tatae and still manages to give us a smile without fail. He's most adorable when he wakes up and peeps from his crib to see if any of us are watching. He has this mischievous but very sweet smile. But he could also be a handful and is very different from Kuya. He is more independent, more active and I think a lot smarter than Vince at that age.

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We celebrated our first Australia Day on Jan 26. It's actually our second but last year, I was heavily pregnant so we didn't get to join in the celebrations. There were many events around the city on the day but we hit Hyde Park to see the impressive display of vintage automobiles and race cars. There was a huge crowd watching the concerts for the children and the older ones. There were freebies from a few companies and dozens of food stalls. But what really struck me is the amazing support the residents had for all the activities. From their enthusiasm, you would have thought they're celebrating for the first time. I would love to see Filipinos doing the same on Phil Independence Day.

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We finally visited Taronga Zoo. Out of the blue, a friend lent us a gold pass which coincidentally admits 4 persons. Hallelujah! We've been putting aside the zoo visit because at $41/adult and $20/child, we thought it was not worth it. So on Jan 30, the boys and I packed 'saging turons', burgers and chips and took the fifteen minute ferry ride from Circular Quay to Taronga. We were so amazed with all the animals specially with the seal and bird shows. The view was also breathtaking as you can see the Opera House and Sydney Harbour Bridge from the zoo. We enjoyed it so much that we wouldn't mind paying on our next trip.

It's been a good start to the year. Thank you, Lord for all the blessings!

Grateful

The recent heartbreaking development in a friend's life and the tragedy in Haiti, has made me stop a moment to count my blessings.

And so I thank God for:

- a roof above our heads despite the staggering monthly costs

- food on the table and a husband who loves to cook

- a choice of clean and hot/cold water right in the comfort of our kitchen/bathroom sinks, grateful that we never have to walk far and lug heavy bottles of water.

-the seemingly endless pile of laundry that needs to be folded and ironed for it means I have clothes to cover unsightly fats and scars. Pano nalang if I live in a place and time where everybody needs to wear g-strings? Everyday would have been torture! :P

-family and friends scattered all over the world, specially my papa, mama and sisters
-the love of a husband who has kept his commitment to our marriage despite and inspite of all the hardships…hmn..actually he doesn't have much of a choice :-)

-the adoration of two little boys who think I am the best mum in the world. One even thinks I am the best chef and has given my cooking a perfect 10 rating! :-)

-for a thankless job that continues to pay the bills

-for priceless hugs, kisses and i-love-you's from my 3 boys, concrete reminders that the best things in life are free…uhmn, if you don't count the cost of diapers and milk :)

I don't rejoice in the misfortune of others but somehow, it never fails to remind me that although I have difficult days, I actually have everything that matters.

On to 2010

Now that I have officially closed 2009, time to list some goals for 2010.

So here goes…

1. Start Rafa's letters

I wrote letters for Vince from when he was 2 yrs old to about 5. I plan to put them in a scrapbook soon and give it to him as a present now that he knows how to read. It is a labor of love, one which he will thank me for when he is old enough to understand. I should really be starting one for Rafa soon.

2. Tone the tummy

A rather huge task after giving life to two boys but one which I am determined to do not only for my self-esteem but also to save on buying new clothes :P

3. Pay off debts

Yeah, like it's on my goals every year! There must be a way to stay out of debt...Or at least not to take anymore while I pay off the old ones. Crossing fingers!


4. Learn how to bake

And I mean, Martha Stewart-baking, and not from pre-mixes. Vince is getting smarter so I don't think I can get away with baking from the box this year. Aaarghhh, wish me luck, lots of it!

5. Explore Aus


We hope to continue our little explorations around Sydney and New South Wales. There are still so many places to visit, plenty of interesting things to do and it does help that we don't have to spend much to enjoy all these. Last year, the Aus government launched the Family Fun Pass which allows families to travel anywhere in NSW for only $2.50. How cool is that?

These are just a few of my goals, though, because the other half are too personal to share here. I keep them safely tucked in a document somewhere which I read everyday without fail. More on that in a separate entry.

Here's to a more fruitful 2010!

2009

I know, I know...

I have not been updating my blog and what few readers I have must have given up visiting this site for updates. It would be a shame to blame it on motherhood duties so I choose to blame it on Facebook, instead. Admittedly, like many of my blogger friends, I have been too hooked on this networking site and it is such a waste of my time! So for 2010, I resolve to spend less hours on Facebook. Itaga na yan sa bato!

Before I move on to 2010, however, please indulge me as I take stock of the past year. Here are my 2009 highlights.

• In Mid-February, my youngest sister joined us to help with the new baby. It was great having someone to do the housechores and take charge of Vince while I carry around a bulging tummy. We had a lot of fun showing her around and introducing her to the Aussie way of life. She also saved me a lot of money because she can bake cakes and trim my hair. We miss you Tita Chiq! I hope you can visit again.

• In March, we welcomed a new addition to our family, a healthy, happy and handsome (I love my own) little boy we named Rafael Benedict. It's been 6 years since I had my first baby so I was a bit scared how things will go this time. Thankfully, we have managed well.
  
  Everyday continues to be a challenge but I have always wanted A and I to experience being hands-on parents. With Vince, we had two nannies and we were both working long hours so we really didn't get to do the dirty job like diaper changes, feedings, baths, etc. It's a bit more than I had hoped for (hehe sabi na nga ba, be careful what you pray for) but experiencing all these has made us better parents. I would consider Rafa's birth 2009's biggest blessing.
• Also in March, my sister passed the Philippine Bar Exams which was a very happy time for our family and close friends. We threw a thanksgiving party for her here before she flew back to the Phils to attend her oathtaking ceremony. It's been the fulfillment of our parent's dream and we are just so happy for them.




• In October, we went home to the Phils. This trip is special for so many reasons. One, we were mainly there for my sister's wedding, a very welcome event in the family with my sister finally getting married after hitting the big 3-0 and to a real nice guy at that..(ehem, Bry, akong pasalubong hehe). Two, it is our first trip home since moving to Australia. Three, the family saw Rafa for the first time. Although he was uncomfortable from the heat, the little one was a darling, always having a ready smile for family and friends who are eager to hold him. He was an angel on the plane, too, entertaining the passengers with his giggles and shrieks. One elder Aussie who was headed to Bohol for a church congress said to me that it was a pleasure to watch our young family. Oooh, God bless her kind soul!
  
  Four, it was good for Vince. Before the trip, I was beginning to worry that our eldest wasn't speaking Bisaya anymore but it was such a relief that when we went back, he remembered all his Bisaya words and have kept them until now.
  
  I would say that among the four of us, it was Vince who did a lot of memorable activities, being the coin bearer in his Tita's wedding, spending a lot of playtime with his cousins, sitting on his lolo's lap while driving the pick up (only in the Phils, we'd be in big trouble if we do that here!), going boating and fishing inside the family's fish pond and bathing from the nearby well to name a few. He must have enjoyed the trip too much because to this day, he still keeps asking me when our next holiday in Pinas will be.
  
  Five, for hubby and me, we had a very welcome break from the kids and housechores. There was always someone to do the cooking, the laundry, feedings and diaper changes. On the few ocassions that we had to meet our friends until the wee hours of the morning, we never worried about the boys, assured that they were in good hands.
  
  A and I agreed to visit as often as our finances will allow because we find it imperative for the kids to know more about their roots.
  
  In between the above significant events, our family spent weekends exploring Sydney and having little picnics on the many choices of parks and beaches. Towards the end of the year, A and I were also able to go out on dates, big thanks to our friend who agreed to babysit the boys. 2009 also saw us meeting new friends while keeping the old. We now have really good friends here, it just feels like being in Pinas once again.
  
  Most importantly, 2009 has blessed us with so much love, peace of mind and good health in the family. I can only say, "Big thanks to Him!"