Bagyong Ondoy...

It’s now Wednesday,  two days after Bagyong Ondoy left. I am at my husband’s office somewhere in Eastwood. Here, life is normal. People are wearing nice clean clothes, plenty of moving vehicles are on the road, the buildings have electricity and internet, and most important of all there are plenty of food everywhere. (more…)

Too Many Surprises in One Day...

Last weekend was spent at Trinoma. It was the second time we went there. S has a voice workshop somewhere in QC so he dropped us off at the mall to pass the time.

Burger King

Lunch was at Burger King. We ordered hamburgers for us, the one that came with a  free sundae. Everything was great and even Z was in the mood to pose for some pictures.

Me and My Baby

Daddy

As you can see we were quite happy and enjoyed eating there well, until I saw a hair inside my burger. It’s gross, I know and we called their attention and they had it replaced sure but I lost my appetite after that. So now, Burger King is crossed out on our list whenever we ask, “Where are we going to eat for lunch?”

After lunch we wanted to go to SM North before S leaves us but it was such a long walk that we decided to go to Landmark instead which is conveniently inside Trinoma. As soon as S left we went to check out toys. Didn’t buy him any at first because he has so many toys already! I think we must have spent an hour and a half  just looking at the toys. Then realizing that I have to shop for my things I told Z it was his time to accompany me. Good boy Z didn’t whine that much as long as he found a chair to sit on while I try on shoes and clothes. Poor guy attendant, I had to send him back five times before I was able to decide what shoes I want.

Then it was time to meet S at our meeting place. We saw monsters walking around and teasing people which made Z’s eyes grow wide. But even my eyes grew big when I saw a 14 feet man walking on stilts. He must have been this tall and he was walking amongst a sea of people.

I think he was this tall

I was thinking maybe it wasn’t that safe to do that with that many people around him people. I should know I had some experience riding on a stilt myself when I was a little girl so I am an expert. The only difference was mine was this tall.

My version of stilts

Sure enough as if proving my point, a little girl ran after him and pushed him. My heart almost jumped out of my body and I was one of the people who shouted in shock. Fortunately for him (and for my heart) he was able to regain his balance just in time.

So that was the end of an “uneventful” day for us. S came back and declared we go back to the toy store to get his precious one the toy he deserved for being a good boy. We rode a taxi going home and its battery died on us on the way.

Another Meme...

What are your middle names?
Mine is Arenos and his is Montajes.

How long have you been together?
Seven years as a couple this September 21, 2009.

How long did you know each other before you started dating?
Just a week.

Who asked whom out?

He was so insistent that we go out that I wasn’t able to say no. Is that correct, dear?

How old are each of you?
We’re just one year apart – 28 and 29.

Whose siblings do you see the most?
His siblings but still not that often.

Which situation is the hardest on you as a couple?
What situation? Just the housework I think.

Did you go to the same school?
No.

Are you from the same home town?
No.

Who is smarter?
Definitely he’s a lot smarter although he couldn’t believe I was able to beat him on one of the interview exams we took together.

Who is the most sensitive?
We both are.

Where do you eat out most as a couple?
Anywhere with good pizza and cheeseburgers.

Who has the craziest exes?
He does!

Who has the worst temper?
Of course I have.

Who does the cooking?
Unfortunately, that would be me.

Who is the neat-freak?
I’m afraid to say no one!

Who is more stubborn?
I am stubborn and closed minded and I’m not proud of it. hehe

Who hogs the bed?
He does! grrr…

Who wakes up earlier?
I sleep at night while he sleeps during the day. On weekends that would be him sneaking out of bed at 3am to play his guitar.

Who is more jealous?
He doesn’t give me a reason to get jealous. He’s guarded 24/7. LOL

How long did it take to get serious?
Right away.

Who eats more?
That would be him.

Who does the laundry?
We both tried it but now thank goodness we have a little help.

Who’s better with the computer?
He’s the one who refused to sleep until the PC was running again.

Who drives when you are together?
That would be the driver because we commute.

First Ever Birthday Card...

Z attended the very first birthday party of his classmate in school last week. He was pretty excited last night after I told him it was going to be Mika’s birthday the following day. I suggested to him that we write her a birthday card. Z protested, “But I don’t know how.” True enough, Z was born in the digital age and I think he has never laid eyes on a birthday card. So after convincing him that I can teach him how he settled on his chair. I pulled out a bond paper and folded it in half. I then instructed him to draw his school and his classmates which he has done many times on the megasketcher before. He was insistent that he did everything – from the drawing to the coloring and finally to the note inside that simply read, “Dear Mika, Happy Birthday! Zyke” I’m kicking myself now for not taking a picture. My little baby’s really grown up now. sigh.

Defeating Insomnia...

S has been enjoying some months on the day shift when suddenly he was assigned again to the dreadful night shift. Most call center employees can attest that being on the night shift can be a nightmare. More so for those who have insomnia. If it’s hard for them to sleep at night it’s ten times harder for them to try to sleep in broad daylight when everyone around them is abuzz with activities. It has been my husband’s problem for years now.  The worst part was once he finally dozes off one small sound or movement and he’s up in a jiffy thinking he’s already had his full eight hours of sleep when in fact he just closed his eyes five minutes ago. It has been a source of frustration on his end and my heart ached for his suffering.

I have tried everything to make him sleep – from drawing the shades so he won’t be bothered by the bright sunlight to turning the airconditioning on so he won’t be bothered by the heat. I have even tried massages just to relax his body but whenever we tiptoe to the bedroom one tiny creak and  he’s awake and try as he may he couldn’t find his sleep after that.

Then one day, I decided to pull out our extra foam mattress and put it in the middle of our living room. I declared to my little boy that absolutely no one should ever enter daddy’s room while he was sleeping and I meant every word of it. One time, Z even cried buckets of tears just because he left his favorite toy car inside the room.  Still I refused to let him in. We camped in the living room for a couple of nights. It was a sacrifice we had to make.

So what’s the verdict? It was a great success! For the first time in what seemed like years he was able to sleep the full eight hours! It was unbelievable! In fact, I was so ecstatic I even proclaimed it a miracle. We did it again the next day and the next and with the same result. S would complain he would get lonely waking up finding himself alone in bed but I refused to melt. Z had some late nights after that because of he found it too tempting to stay awake with the TV on (we don’t have one in the bedroom) but it was well worth it.

Z's small sacrifice for his daddy

On hindsight, maybe S didn’t have insomnia after all. Maybe he was so used getting so little sleep that it became a habit.  It was a bad habit that went on for years, sadly. You might be wondering what happened next. Are we relegated to sleeping in the living room now? Fortunately, it just took a few days of him getting enough hours of sleep (6-8) that pretty soon his body refused to take anything less. My heart would still skip a beat every time he moves  while sleeping but thankfully, he doesn’t get up like a soldier ready for battle anymore. He dozes right back to dreamland.

So that’s how we defeated insomnia. It might be even too early to declare a victory after all we’re only into the second week but I’m positive we finally did it.