Showing posts with label family. Show all posts
Showing posts with label family. Show all posts

Friday, January 13, 2012

Hammock na Di Hamak

Excuse my title. That's the first thing that came to mind while writing this :)

This being summer and with temperatures just right (still feels like spring), we've been taking every chance we get to go out. 

And wherever we go, the hubby never forgets to pop into the car's trunk two hammocks. 

In December, on our way to the Hunter Valley, we stopped over for bbq lunch at The Entrance and took a short nap. Yes, on the hammocks, where else?




Note that one of the hammocks is in camu, obviously he misses his days in the military. Hhhhmnnn, not!





Sunday, November 20, 2011

Saturday Afternoon in Cronulla

With exams done, I finally get to hang my feet and spend lazy weekends.

Two saturdays ago, we went to a secluded beach in Cronulla, put up three hammocks under the trees and spent the afternoon reading, eating, sleeping.

Me in my hammock with a very good book. Bliss!


We were in dreamland when this bridal party arrived to take some photos.
Hubby just 2 meters away from the bridal party.

They were very apologetic for disturbing our peace and quiet. But I would say it was a very nice distraction.


It was my perfect Saturday afternoon. With summer here, we might just have more of these.


Monday, August 15, 2011

Big Holiday 2011

I know, I know… I deserve a big whack in the head for not writing about our three-week holiday back in the home country. Three weeks, baby! And I thought, three weeks was long enough! Apparently, we need to stay longer if we want to squeeze in everything we want to do. Perhaps we might just need to live there again then? Geez, what am I saying? I need another whack! Hehe


Like in our previous holiday back in 2009, the hubby and I prepared our itinerary a month before we left. The big list included the things we needed to do (i.e. pay advance property taxes, renew licenses, visit Pag-ibig office, sort and dispose of old stuff), things we need to buy, people we wanted to see and places we wanted to visit. The “to do’s” and “to buy’s” were all ticked but too bad only about 20% of “places” and “people”. There is just not enough time.

There are so many things to remember from that trip:


• Getting items from the Duty Free shops at 10% additional discount because A works at the airport. Yey!


• Stop over at Brisbane International Airport. We left a very cold Sydney and arrived at a very humid Brisbane but couldn’t change our winter clothes because everything was checked in.


• Meeting the Kuas and Acuins in Manila despite the very short lay over. I also got to see my very good high school barkada, Badah, after 11 long years.


• The many trips to the spa with hubby for the massage that’s aptly called “hagod”- wash out jud tanan kakapoy and worth more than the measly P600 charge.


• Filipino food- lechon, mud crabs, fresh prawn kinilaw, chicharon, mangoes, suman, native chicken, and the list goes on


• Food again but this time our favorite kanding. Papa Nick got one for us which he and the hubby made into papait, kaldereta, sinigang and adobo. I’ve never had too much goat meat in my life! All so yummy—all cooked from the heart.


• The many hours spent at the duyan in Tubod and the never ending exchange of stories over extended meals with my family.


• Trip to Davao, for that unexpected cash (weee!blessing!) and seeing good friends from our military days. We also made a quick visit to hubby’s cousins who have made big businesses in Davao, inspiring us to dream some more. Haaaayz! Big thanks to the Dongail family for being our gracious host- for organizing two dinners with the mistahs and their families, for lending us their Pajero so we can visit Tagum and even go all the way up to Mawab. Grateful for the mistahs who came to see us and stayed until the wee hours of the morning for the big catch up. And if you’re reading this Marnellie, thanks to you and Julien, too 


• Visits to MOA, Divine Mercy Shrine and Dahilayan. Short but really memorable.

  • Short drives on hubby's big bike- adrenaline rush!

• My boys bonding with their relatives- priceless! I took a lot of photos so the kids will always remember their family back home.


• Boating inside the fish pond, Kuya Vince learning how to paddle and Rafa doing his bit by putting more water into the boat. Haha!






• The boy’s excitement over seeing real eggs hatch from Lolo Nick’s chickens.


• Crosswind XUV 2011 Moroccan Gold (big, big smile and big thanks to you oh, Lord!)


• Short meet ups with old friends. I promise to see more next time.



We squeezed in as much as we can in those three short weeks. I am grateful most of all for time well spent with family- the very reason for the holiday.

And now I’m counting the days to retirement so I can go back. Haha C’mon y’all, give me a huge smack!





Thursday, June 2, 2011

3 years


On our third year anniversary in Australia last June 1, i came home to this feast. Hubby decided to celebrate by cooking pancit, pork liempo, adobong kambing and calamari.

Thank you, Lord for three wonderful years. There are so many things to look forward to.

Thermal Boots

Check.

All set for the Snowy Mountains.



We also bought brand new ski jackets and pants for the four of us.

It will be our first time to see snow so we're pulling out all the stops. Hold up na kung hold up!

Tuesday, May 31, 2011

Weekend Get-away

We've been putting off the trip to Port Stephens for the longest time..err, lets rephrase that. I have been going against hubby's suggestion of a holiday at Port Stephens since we bought the car. You know me. I'm an accountant, I was running the costs in my head :) Ang pagkatihik!

One Saturday in May, the hubby announced we'd go for a picnic at Nelson Bay. The kids and I hopped on the car, me not realizing that Nelson Bay is a town in Port Stephens, a two and a half hour drive from where we live. I was too lazy to care, really. All I wanted was an escape from the autumn chill.

It was a good full hour into the trip when it hit me from the road signs that we were actually heading towards Port Stephens. Again, I was too lazy to complain.

Actually, I couldn't find a reason to complain.  Look at these photos :)




Vince and Gab at Nelson Bay- nice and quiet and very clean.
 
Kuya can't get enough of this outdoor shower.


Rafa wanted to swim but was having a bad cough so he played with the water fountain.



and goofed around..

An older couple waiting for the sunset.

Mum and bub playing on the sand while a few men were fishing on the dock.

the original excuse for the trip- a picnic! yummy food!
and this- beautiful sunset. i love!
It was only when we were watching the sunset when I realized we were not going back to Sydney for the night. Hubby planned for an overnight stay! Geez, and I was the only one who didn't bring extra clothes. I enjoyed myself too much so I didn't complain and just went with the plan. We grabbed some things from the shops and proceeded to our accommodation.


Admiral Nelson Motor Inn where wer stayed for the night.
After checking in, we grabbed dinner at the marina where everything happens at Nelson Bay come sunset.



We had an early start the next morning...

First stop- light house at Nelson Bay.

Installed in 1892!

1
The view from the top. Awesome!


What's a trip to Port Stephens without checking out the sand dunes.

Camels! Dubai in Australia!

Sand as far as the eyes can see.

I can't say I hate spontaneous, unplanned trips. I want more :)


Saturday, April 23, 2011

Sleepy Head


I often hear about mums who complain how hard it is to bring their kids to sleep. On Facebook, my friends post status in the wee hours of the morning, still singing or dancing their babies, hoping to get a few hours of rest before going to work. Lucky for me,  I've never had the same major problems with my boys. With Vince, I sang "You Are My Sunshine" very slowly and quietly and he'd dose off. With Rafa, it's "Oh Holy Night" all nights of the year, kahit hindi pasko. I'm beginning to think I'm a pretty good singer. Nyahaha!

Nah, I don't actually know what is the magic formula here. I guess I just have two sleepy heads with me.

Look at Rafa, he sleeps everywhere.


on the floor while playing


On the couch, feet dangling and holding his favorite blankie.


front view. so deep in sleep, hey!



And this!!! Oh how i love this. Hehe Off to lala-land after eating a bowl of mashed potatoes and pumpkin!


Really, I am not surprised. They have a dad who can sleep in between firing canons in Jolo. Nyahahaha!


Thursday, April 21, 2011

Summer Bay/Palm Beach

My sister in law arrived on April 9. Yey! She's staying with us for a few months to help look after the kids. What a relief! 

On April 10, we brought her to Palm Beach or Summer Bay which is where the famous Home and Away soap opera is set. Going there, we passed so many picnic and fishing areas which hubby and I vowed to visit next time. The view was great, winding roads overlooking the beach, huge 'mansionic' houses, beautiful people in skimpy swimsuits. Hehe 

The photos were not great though because it was cloudy that day but here are some of them, anyway.


The sister in law  was busy chasing the kids on the beach.

Kuya Vince trying his tumbling stunt.

Rafa busy picking flowers. Should I be concerned? 

Nah...because he picked them for Mama. Sweet!


The boys took out the kite.


So, where was I???

Here. Sitting on my favorite blue picnic chair, trying to get some readings done :)

Friday, April 15, 2011

Rafa's Portfolio

Every year, parents receive the kid's portfolio from childcare which contains a summary of the child's activities, progress, photos, and plans for his development.

I'm sharing some pages here for my family back home.









Card from the centre's staff


We are pulling Rafa out of childcare for a few months while his Tita is here.

Sunday, April 10, 2011

Easter Hat Parade 2011

Every year, kids from Kindergarten to Year 2 at Vince's school celebrate Easter by donning fancy hats for the Easter Hat Parade. Coincidentally, this also marks the end of the term before they commence Autum break.

The hubby helped Vince make this year's hat while the little one was only too happy to be the "model".




Friday, April 1, 2011

Can't Quite Remember Where

One day in August last year, we went for a drive with our group of friends. We initially aimed for Bobbin Head Point but the GPS was playing on us and instead pointed us to this place. I can't quite remember where it was but I remember the warm and happy feeling from that trip.


group pic

my boys

vince loved this swing which was very close to the shoreline

great food, great company

After a hearty lunch, we hopped to another picnic area where there was a bbq facility because we had to grill the pork and fish that hubby brought. We had that for afternoon tea along with a bottle of wine. ahhh, the good life!

Tuesday, March 29, 2011

A different kind of toy

Like most kids, my boys, Rafa and Vince have a gazillion toys between them. We rarely buy them but they are lucky to have generous relatives and friends who shower them with toys on every special occasion. But because we have a tiny house, it is a constant struggle to organize these toys. Our solution is to put them in boxes, keep them in the cupboard and alternately take out these boxes so the boys don't get bored playing with the same toys over and over again.

There are days when we just hide them altogether, like when we had Rafa's bday party a couple of weeks ago. However, the ingenious little tot, found a way to amuse himself.


 He took some bottles of Coke from the kitchen.

 Lined them up like this at the same time practising his numbers counting- one, chooo (two), T (three), Fo (four), ayve (five), ix (six) and the rest was eeeechhhh.

 and drove his bike straight through.

then he'd start all over again.

You might have noticed some Skyflakes in the photo. Yes, he played with those, too. Stacking them inside his bike's trunk and dumping them everywhere.

After an hour, he sat down and ate some of the Skyflakes. : P

Notes:

1. Our kids know the rules on drinking Coke.
2. My boys would gladly pick Skyflakes over the Australian icon Timtams. They are very pinoy at heart :)



Thursday, March 10, 2011

On track?

A few days ago, I had one of those days where housechores just get the better of me. I was so tired from work that arriving home and realizing i have to cook dinner, feed the kids, bathe them and supervise my son with his homework then study for my exams hit me so hard, I couldn't stop my tears from falling. Pathetic, i know :) But I bet my entire life's savings (which is not much hehe) that some of you can relate.


Vince, who saw me crying while washing a mountain of dirty pots and pans, came up to me.



Vince: Mama, what's wrong?
Me: Nothing. I'm just tired.
Vince: Okay. Is there anything I can help you with?
Me: No, I'm okay. You can help me by doing your homework now.
Vince: Are you sure? I can wash the plates if you want.
Me: No, that's fine.



This time, I was already sobbing. Not anymore because I was tired, but because I was deeply touched by Vince's gesture.



I might be off-track with housechores sometimes but I'm pretty sure I'm on the right track with parenting :-)

Wednesday, March 9, 2011

Bobbin Head Point

This is our family's favorite spot. It's called Bobbin Head Point and is very close to where we curently live.We come here every chance we get to spend a quiet day away from all the noise of the city.

look at that great view. i usually end up sitting on my picnic chair, dosing or taking photos of the boys.

hubby likes bringing all types of balls.

the little one having a go at soccer :)

there's plenty of birds around. they're not afraid of people. look at those cockatoos.

the hubby and another guy trying to catch some fish. it takes so long to set up that fishing rod but he's never caught any fish yet :)
we brought my inlaws here on New Year's Eve.

trying football this time around

Flying kites on New Year's Eve

they never give up :-P

but of course, what's a picnic without the barbie*?

* Aussies love to shorten words. "Barbie" is short for barbecue. They call breakfast, "brekkie". No kidding!  :-P

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