Fickle-minded II

A week later.

"Mommy, I changed my mind again. I really, really, really want a baby brother... can we go to the baby store so you can buy me a brother?”

I wish it’s that simple. Blah! :p

But it's a cute thought. :D

Fickle-minded

Amber: Mommy,... I want a baby brother.

Me: You do?

I looked suspiciously at the Hubby, thinking he has something to do with the sudden announcement. He shrugged and made that I-swear-I-have-no-idea look.

Me: Why a baby brother?

Amber: Para I’ll be the big sister. I will play with him. It will be fun!

The day after, we saw her staring at a baby on the table next to us in a restaurant.

Me: What are you looking at?

Amber: The baby!

Me: Do you really want to have a baby brother?

Amber: Naw. I changed my mind. I don’t want a baby brother anymore.

Me: How about a baby sister.

Amber: No.

Me: Who are you going to play with if you don’t have a brother or a sister?

Amber: No one. I can play with myself... alone!

I’m so confused! Girls and their fickle minds! :/

Amber’s Weird Taste in Medicine

Why is it that she doesn’t like to drink fruity tasting medicines and vitamins but doesn’t give a fit when given dark green colored Lagundi syrup?!? She even says that it's her favorite medicine!

Gulping every last drop of it.

Weird taste buds!

A Note On Our Bedroom Door

Recipe: Pan-cooked Pork Barbecue

I know how hard it is to plan daily meals, especially if you have a husband like mine – super picky!

I am always thankful of the recipes that I find in the net. They keep me sane. So, in the spirit of giving back, I’d like to share with you a hit but very simple pork barbecue recipe from my MIL.

We normally do not measure the ingredients, we do it the tantya-tantya way. :) I’ll try to make the nearest estimate of the ingredients, feel free to make your own adjustments if it turns out too sweet or too salty for your taste. :)

Ingredients:

-1/2 to ¾ kg Pork (can use porkchop, pork steak, pork ribs)

-4 tbsp soy sauce 

-2 tbsp oyster sauce

-6 cloves of garlic, minced

-2 tbsp sugar 
-juice of 4 calamansi
-cooking oil

Here’s how to cook it:

1.    Mix all ingredients in a bowl and marinade pork for at least 30mins.

2.    You can grill the pork, (keep it marinated for a longer time) basting it with the marinade as it cooks or the easier way, which we often do – put the pork together with the marinade in a heavy pan and let it simmer over medium heat until the sauce is reduced.

3.    Once the sauce is reduced, pour a little cooking oil and cook until the meat is tender. You may turn the meat over to cook it evenly.

That’s it! Perfect with a steaming white rice and sautéed veggies on the side. 

We used pork ribs here.

It’s Nanay’s Birthday!

We celebrated Nanay’s birthday by having lunch at Uncle Cheffy in Festival Mall. Yay! I was so excited that I’ll get to taste Cheffy Cheesecake again!

Since I didn’t eat breakfast that morning, I wanted to order everything that’s on the menu, so I just let Nanay and the Hubby decide what they want on our table as long as I’ll have my cheesecake later.

We wondered why Amber kept on standing on her seat then the Hubby discovered that ghost-like image of a little girl on the mirror on the other side of the resto. 

 

Was she trying to scare herself of her own reflection? 

And because I didn’t get a picture of everything that we ordered, I will not talk about them anymore but have to mention that I love the Tiuey Noodles!

At least I got to ask the Hubby to take a picture of the Rolled-up Panizza that I assembled!

 

Quite proud of my masterpiece. ^_^

I was disappointed when my Cheffy Cheesecake arrived.

It lacked the beauty that their branch in Venice Piazza presented on plate. I was looking for the choco shavings and the bed of chocolate fudge where the cheesecake should be seated but they weren’t there. This plate was as simple as it can be. Even the taste seemed different. Oh well, at least the crew here were nicer and very attentive.

May I also add, that in most desserts na may cherry, ‘save-the-best-for-last’ ko yang cherry na yan. Ngayown, while I’m taking a picture of the cake, may nakaabang na sa kawawang cherry.  

At the end of it all, what’s important is that we had a sumptuous meal.

Happy birthday, Nanay! My wish for you is to have more happy, strong and healthy years with us. I may not tell you this often but I’m sure you know how much I love you. I’ll forever be grateful for all the sacrifices you made for me. I may have questioned some of your decisions before but now that I’m already a mom myself, I came to understand why you chose not to do the things I thought you should have done, I respect the decisions you made and I admire you for weathering the storm alone for me. I love you, Nanay!

"Milk Cookies"

They're not Otaps. They just look like it. ^_^

Amber called them ‘Milk Cookie’ and liked how they tasted. She said “So yummy, Mommy!”, and even had a few more servings after her first bite.

It’s crunchy outside but very chewy and milky inside.

It’s actually my failed attempt in making Toasted Pastillas!

Yup, my intent was to make toasted pastillas but I might have put too much condensed milk that it turned out gooey and even after I doubled the measurement of powdered milk, I still can’t make them firm enough to form small cubes. So I ended up having small logs, which flattened out when toasted.

Oh well, at least they still turned out yum-yum, that it was gone minutes after. Most of all, Amber and I had a fun time making them.

Enjoying the gooey dough. :)

I found another recipe online and might give it a try one of these days. ;)

“Mommy, Let’s Take A Picture Of Us!”

And so, I obliged! :)

Anak, maybe I should hold the camera instead.
Nawawala ako sa frame pag ikaw kumukuha ng pics e. LOL!

I've been tricked! Sabi nya silly face daw, eh!

Hmmm, can’t help but notice that lately, you are beginning to look more like your Dad and less like me. Bakeeettt ganun?!? 

Filipino Subject Woes

I knew it! I mentioned here my concern about the result of Amber's Filipino exams, which I haven’t gotten yet at that time. So I wasn't surprised when I saw it the other day.

Oh yes, she knows how to write her full name.
She just doesn't have the patience to do it. :(

Buko becomes Biko, and Baso is Beso. ;/

And that animal in #29 is called ISA!

Guess, we really have a lot of catching up to do in Filipino! Sigh!

Best Bridal Veil Ever!

I’m beginning to love her!

It’s not about the uniqueness of her wedding dress, but the thoughts put behind the making of her veil that makes me think she is truly awesome! 

Artworks of her kids were embroidered on her wedding veil!

Who needs and cares about flawless and glamorous wedding dresses? You rock, Angie! 

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Just beautiful!

Amber’s Newest Ate

Friends, meet our new Ate (big sister)… :)

That’s Ate Mai-mai. She joined us last April, a week before we transferred to Parañaque.

We celebrated her 24^th birthday last night by having a simple dinner at home.

What I like about her is that she seems to be a doting big sister to Amber. You can tell that they get along really well. Because,... you know how a duckling trails its mommy duck wherever it goes? That’s how Amber is with Ate Mai-mai. And most of the time, I use my daughter’s reaction towards our house-angel to gauge if they are okay as a nanny.

The only thing I can say I’m not okay about her is that she has the tendency to spoil the little girl. :(

Overall, she’s great in taking care of Amber and she is doing me a big help in keeping the house in order while I’m at work.

I hope she stays with us for a longer time. *fingers crossed*

Really?! They’re Gay?!

What’s with me liking these hunks and finding out that they're gay?!?!

At least with my on-and-off love, Matt Bomer, I knew from the first time I saw him that he’s gay. 

Oh-la-la! ^_^

It was hard for me to accept it at first but… who cares! He’s still sizzling hot! But I had to draw the line of course. ;)

There was also this Blue member, Duncan James, who I really adored. 

I knew every song their group recorded by heart! His lopsided smile makes my knees tremble. Alam mo yun? Yung parang there is something wicked behind that smile? I even wanted to name my first boy Duncan! Then he broke my heart by coming out. *sniff*

And you, Wentworth Miller! 

How dare you look at me with those piercing eyes! You made me realize tattoos can scream sexy. Oh yeah! How I love to look at that tattooed bod of yours in Prison Break. If only I can get my hands on them as well. I wish! And then you came out?!?! *weep*

No, I’m sure Justin Hartley hasn’t joined the bandwagon yet but he did a great job portraying one in Revenge. 

He really broke my heart into pieces when I saw him kissing Nolan Ross passionately. Argh! I still feel my heart being crushed when I think of that scene! He did his role so good that nobody can ever convince me that that was just an act. I cried inside.

For the record, I don't have anything against our gay friends. In fact, I'd love to be friends with them, I do! Because their fun to be with. They're so full of bright ideas! But I will not and cannot fantasize about them. You see, that's where my frustration stems from. Sigh! Imagine all that burst bubbles. Plop-plop!

Buti na lang hindi ko minahal si Piolo!

O sha, tapos na ang ilusyon! Back to reality. :) 

First Periodical Exams Results

Here again is one proud beaming mommy! ^_^

Looking at Amber’s test papers do make me beam, as in aabot na from ear to ear ang ngiti ko. Ngawit na ang jaw, pero keri lang.

I haven’t seen the results of her tests in Religion and Filipino, where I am most concerned dahil sing-barok ng pagsasalita nya ang pagbabasa nya sa Filipino. Although I hear her speak more in Filipino lately, she is still more comfortable in English. Anyhoo, pasasaan ba, darating din kami dun!

Results: Perfect 50/50 in Science, 48/50 in Math and English.

Yeap, di naman po super perfect but I’m so proud kasi if you’ve seen her initial quizzes, susmaryosep, record breaking! Record breaking low! Na-culture shock ata ang Amber. New school eh, new style of teaching, new environment, etc., etc...

Ang hindi ko pa rin ma-get over, is their Science lessons. They really are discussing Matter in Kinder! Aliw! I remembered learning this in Grade IV na ata!

Hindi ba talaga binago na ang spelling ng GRAEPS? Hehehe!

So ayun, hapi-hapi ang mader that the kiddo was able to turn her grades around. ^_^

Keep it up, baby girl!

A Very Intimate Children’s Party

Felt great to be among the only few guests invited to a children’s party! Well, it wasn't really a party but a simple celebration. Basta, feeling ko, nasa 6-14 year old bracket lang ako. Haha!

We celebrated my boss’ children's birthday on Aug-8. Katuwa ano, pareho talagang August 8 ang birthday nila. My boss is very fond of numerology, astrology and stuff. So connect na lang what’s so important about 8/8. According to him, it wasn’t planned at all, purely coincidental!

Going back to the party. It was very cozy and intimate. As in 3 lang kaming guests, save 1 teenage classmate ng celebrator who came in late, and none of us can be considered a child. On a children’s party? Ang bongga di ba? But it was still fun. Namaos ako kakasigaw sa videoke! LOL!

The good thing about being a guest in a party this size, with people you know very well, is that nobody will mind if you’re out of tune. Even if they do, they’ll just shrug about it. Wala talagang basagan ng trip! Kanya-kanyang panahon lang yan. When it’s their turn on the mic, you just busy yourself searching for your next repertoire para di mo rin sila mashado naririnig at walang temptation na mambasag ka ng trip! Ang saya lang talaga!

Anyways, happy birthday Kuya Jim King! 

The first time I stepped in your daddy’s office, you were barely a year old. Ngayon, abah! Binata ka na! Hmpft, makes me feel old again. Huhu! I’m happy that you are growing up a very respectful, polite and well-mannered young man. Keep it up!

Happy 6^th birthday naman to this cute and sweet girl! 

She’s my bestest friend na, ever! You know why? When I got there, she keeps on looking at me. Then after a while, she approached and tugged me on my arm and whispered, “maganda ka”. Oh di ba? C’mon, kids don’t lie! Haha!

After the pukpok-palayok game, she approached me again and with all smiles handed me 3 1-peso coins. Di ba ang sweet? Maybe she thought she should give me some coins because I didn’t get any from the palayok. Eh kasi, alangan naming makipag-agawan ako sa mga bagets di ba? Parang nahiya naman kasi ako. OR! She thought I looked like I don’t have pamasahe pauwi? Hahaha! Either ways, thank you, sweet Jexcel. Stay sweet and thoughtful!

Here are some pictures from that day:

At shempre... I'm so planning to make this an obligatory shot everytime I go out. Harhar!

Happy birthday, kids!

*Photos courtesy of their Tita Margie.