May 1 - Labor Day

May 1, Thursday, eventhough it is holiday today, we still woke up early this morning; maybe because we already had this set-up of waking up early for a long time. GMA, usually move holidays to the nearest monday or friday, but in this case, she did not. The reason maybe because labor groups and unions are really celebrating on the date itself. Yesterday on our daily morning meeting of equipment engineers, our manager asked who is going to work on holiday. One by one he asked, he mostly got a no answer. In my case I used to not working on holiday but he still asked me the same question, I just answer no, I still want to tell him that I be out until Monday, but I choose not too. I will just send a leave request on our time statement after the meeting. We are going to Quezon tomorrow, so we will prepare our things this morning. My husband mentioned that he is going to meet a friend of him this afternoon and wanted me to go with him. I had to stop blogging at this very moment because I have to prepare our breakfast.

A Busy Sunday

April 27, Sunday, we went to Robinson's Mall at Imus to buy gifts for JC, Charlie and Ellah Mae. They will be celebrating their birthdays this coming month. JC is on 6th (same birthday as Ate Liezel), Charlie is on the 16th, while Ellah Mae is on the 29th. Yesterday, our mother told us that we should make it as one celebration, actually her birthday last March is still not celebrated, but I think that is a mother's or grandmother's trait is. They are not thinking of themselves, for their childrens, in this case for her grand childrens. After buying some things that we need at home, we decided to go Imus. At around 4pm we arrived there, Ate Maricel with her family just left few minutes ago. They have been there since morning and they have to go to Ate Maricris to drop Charlie. Ate Maricris is the one taking care of Charlie, while JC stays with our parents; this is because both their parents need to work (this is also in our case). We ate bread and peanut butter for our merienda while watching movie in DVD. At around 6pm, Adis, Mama, Jelmar and I, went to the mall to buy some things (curtain hanger, electric fan for JR, table runners, pot holders, food keeper, etc) and food for dinner. We just bought andoks manok and liempo along the way. At around 8pm we arrived and the whole family ate the dinner together. The dinning table is for 6 persons only, so others took their plates on the sala. At around 10pm we went home.

Visit to Imus

April 26, Saturday, at around 10:30 am we (w/ Claire and Adrian) went to clubhouse to pay for our water bill and homeowner monthly dues. After paying we went to Imus to visit my parents and siblings. We will commute, because my husband is on night shift duty and he and his friend/co-employee is going to a car show after their shift. At 12 noon, we arrived at their house, they already finished eating lunch. They expect us to come late in the afternoon, so they were not able to prepare food for us. But that was not a problem, because we have packed lunch. I helped JR in doing the curtain hanger. Most of the picture frames were still not hanged, JR asked for my opinion on where to put those frames. At around 3:30 pm, Ate Maricel arrived from her work at Parañaque. At around 5:00 pm, she and Claire went to the nearby wet market to buy food for our dinner. She cooked pork sinigang and paksiw. At around 6:00pm, dinner is ready but I did not join them because I have to wait for my husband to come. At around 7:00 pm, Ate Maricel and JC went home. Before 8:00 pm, my husband arrived and with his friend. After having a quick dinner, we decided to go home.

First Day in Imus

April 24, Thursday, today is my parents and siblings first day in their new house in Imus Cavite. My sister Matet texted me if they can borrow our drill, to be use in drilling holes for the curtain hanger. I was at worked so I called my husband at home if he can bring it to them. I told my sisters Maricel and Maricris that Jelmar is going to Imus. Upon knowing it, they decided that they also wanted to go. My husband together with Adrian picks up Ate Cris, Charlie, Ate Maricel in their respective houses in Dasmarinas. I will join them there after my work. They already having their dinner when I arrived, because the shuttle bus got stucked in traffic jam due to the feast on barangay langkaan. We ate tinapang bangus (boneless) and tamban for dinner. After eating my husband took photos of my family.

Moving In

April 23, Wednesday, Adis, together with Mama, Papa, Matet and JR is moving in to her new house at Imus Cavite. After office hours we drop by to our house to pick up the items that Adis bought. Seeing us coming and placing things in the car, Adrian asks if he can go with us to meet his Ninang Adis. It is already past 9 in the evening, so at first we told him that it is already late, but he insisted. While we are entering the subdivision, we saw Adis and JR walking. So we pull over and asked them where they are going. They are going to wait somewhere in Imus Hi-Way to meet the truck that shuttles our parents and the furnitures. They are still in Manila and stucked in a traffic jam near Makro, due to a shooting incident. After unloading the things to the house, we told Adis and JR that we have to go because we still have to go to work tomorrow. We drop them to a 24-hour convenient store where they can stay, while waiting for my parents to arrive. We told them that we will visit this coming sunday.

My 10th Year Anniversary

April 21, Monday, it is my 10th year as regular employee at my work. I have been with the company since October 1997 as a trainee, they absorb me as probationary employee after I graduated on my three year technical course. After a month I was declared as regular employee. The probationary period is until 3 months, but I guess they really wanted us on the company during that time that they did not wait for that 3 month before they made us regular employee. Well, as I can recall, those times were the peak times for semi-conductor companies.

We used to have small breakfast during our daily Handler Improvemet Team coordination meeting, so I decided to give a small treat for them as I celebrate my 10th year. I offered free gourmet' coffee of their choice for my co engineers; while my husband bought pandesal with peanut butter and cheese from Pugon de Manila.

Juliana Cairene's Christening

April 20, Sunday, we went to Mendez to attend Juliana Cairene's Christening. She is the second child of our friends Gemma and Marlon (I am the godmother of their first child-Vince). We arrived at the St. Augustine's Church 30 minutes ahead of time. That time there is a wedding ceremony going on. After few minutes Gemma and Marlon arrived with their kids and together with the godparents. There were only two child scheduled for Christening that day, so the ceremony finished earlier, and picture taking follows next. After taking some photos, we went to their house for the reception. We planned to go to the Paradizoo afterwards, but when we arrived at the place we saw a sign that the zoo is temporarily closed. My son was disappointend because his mind is already set that we will go to the zoo. Another zoo is located at half-way tagaytay, but we were already been there a year ago. Luckily we were able to convince our son that we will go back there to check the animals, but not this time because there were renovations going on. Gourmet's is along the way so we decided to drop by to buy pasta sauce and their herbal tea.

Adrian's Enrollment

April 17, Thursday, my husband enrolled our son Adrian at Vel Maris School. I was not able to make it with them, because I had to finish some reports at work that needed to be submitted. My son attended his nursery at the same school. This school year he will be entering as kinder, while two of his classmates were accelerated to preparatory. We are not forcing him to be that good at school last year; our intention why we enrolled is we want him to develop his social skills. My son used to be afraid of people, everytime we attend family gathering or any gathering, he is always hiding behind me. We are thankful that now he can face anybody without fear. As a matter of fact, when he meet new faces, he is the first to ask their names and then he will introduce himself and sometimes he even introduce us to them. He will say that I am his mother, followed by my name and he will do the same to his father.

Photos from our grandmother's garden

Meeting a New Friend

April 13, Sunday, my husband is a member of honda club of the philippines. During his off and free time, except playing with my son or watching nba with him; he most likely on-line with his friends in HCP. Being a member of that group is helpfull especially when you are new owner of a car, they have selling section and forums that you can ask anything about car. A part of it is also meeting new friends, they actually have a smaller group inside that big group which they called cavite peeps. He (and I) had actually sets small get together for the group for the last four years. Today he is set to meet a new friend. Usually when meeting with a member for the first time, he asks me first if it is okay and if we can come along with him. My husband is very friendly but he is still not meeting with a stranger alone. The meeting is set at 3pm that they so we decided that we will go first to SM Bacoor to buy something for Adrian. At 2:45 we left and arrived at the meeting place which is the tropical hut bacoor at exactly 3:00pm. We waited for at least 15 minutes more. We ordered halo-halo, mais con yelo; while Adrian asked for french fries.

Adis and Mike

April 12, saturday, we are enjoying the day by watching TV and eating pasta, when Adis sent a text message that she and Mike were already on their way to our house. They had been in Ate Maricel's house which is less than kilometers away. They also visited the on-going house improvement in Imus that is why they are in Cavite. I told Adrian that his Ninang Adis is coming with his BF. He is very excited; he even helped us clearing his toys at the living room. At around 4 pm they arrived, after having some snack and short chat; they inform us that they have to go because they still have to buy some materials for the house.

Jelmar's Photography

Adis' House Inside Construction

Monday, April 7, the holiday was moved (araw ng kagitingan) from wednesday to monday. Adis is doing minor renovations on her house, she hired a contractor to put tiles on the floor. The work started yesterday, she is with Ate Maricel and Charlie - to supervised the work. Since we do not have a work on that day we volunteered to accompany her. We had our lunch at Greenwich and we take out pizza for the workers. My husband also went to his friend Kuya Larry who also owns the car shop that maintains his car, because a friend (fritz) texted him that he is also there, while me and Adrian do some window shopping and sight seeing in the mall.

Pamana Resort

Today we went to Pamana Resot at Bay Laguna. This is a joined celebration for the newly graduates Dennis (High School) and Karen (Elementary). They were the first and second born child of Tito Ed and Tita Dina. My husband is not familiar with the location of the resort so we decided to wait for them at Waltermat Calamba to follow them. The fartest part of Laguna that we had been was Pansol-which is well known for its hot springs and private pools. Bay Laguna is a lot farther, my husband and I wondered how come Tito Ed had known this place. When we arrived, we met the caretaker and a relative of the resort owner. She was the mother in law of Tita Dina's sister.

Move In

April 5, Saturday, the schedule of move in for the house and lot unit of Adis. As her SPA, I did the move in, because she cannot make it on Cavite. Upon submitting the authority to move in that was given to me by the main office, the site engineer gave the keys of the house to me. When we got to the house, we saw that there is already a water connection; however electrical connection is scheduled today. We enter the house, and Adrian thought his Ninang Adis is inside. My husband replaced the front door and back door locks; while Claire and I remove the grass outside. Adrian has found new friends, he is playing with them at the road area while we are all busy. Every moment we check for Adrian, actually it is not necessary because we can hear his voice from the rest of the kids; however when we did not hear his voice anymore, I found him inside the house of one neighbor. I told him that his Daddy is looking for him, so he came with me. After that whole busy and tiring day; we ate ta Max's at Dasmariñas, I told my husband that I cannot cook for the dinner so we better eat outside.

Analog Sports Fest

Analog opened its yearly outdoor sports fest. Employees from different groups form their own team for Basketball for men, Volleyball for men and women. In my ten years of service in the company, I have not join even once in any of this sports. It is because I am not really active in sports since chhildhood. My husband only joined basketball twice in his eight years in the company. Every year they have guests from the field of sports to give inspirational talk during the opening. In this years event, the guests were from the Air 21 basketball team of the PBA.

Macro Shots - Flowers