busy april

April is coming and i can't stop it!

my calendar's almost tagged for this month.

1 - 11 : school is closed for holy week vacation for my son

5 : holiday here. we still have no concrete plans for the holy week. i'm still courting my hub. =)

7 : got an appointment at 12:30 @ACLI to fill up for ISEE. (certificate needed in school for enrollment)

11 : we'll watch a pinoy concert @ Palalido (Milano) featuring Rey Valera, Jessa Zaragosa and Renz Verano.

22 : encircled in pink - it's my birthday! turning 39! people around me are getting old (not me, hahaha)

25 : supposed to be a holiday but falls on sunday. it's italy's liberation day. we got tour invitations for Montecarlo & Nice. not sure if we're going.

this is where we are supposed to go. wow!

28 : my ATM travel card will expire. need to renew.

29 : hospital appointment fo my daughter (allergologist) @ 12:30

if i were to encircle the deadline of bills and friends' birthday reminders, the whole calendar will look like a tic tac toe puzzle. hahaha.

Cheers to April!

deadline met!

after the change of birthday location, additional names on the invitation, and my printer moods, i finally finished these 150 pieces! i only do invitations strictly for friends and some acquaintances. i won't make a career out of printing. it would probably steal more of my time. so, net surfing would only be the rival of my domestic chores & motherhoood. krafts will stay as hobbies.

domestic disasters

Bummer no. 1

i'm not used wearing wrist watch at home. a lot of times i put it inside my pocket when i'm dressed up. it's one of my "memory gap"days. i forgot to check it inside my jeans pocket and there it was...helplessly soaked in the washing machine!

still steamy inside. tic..toc..tic..toc. breathing...she'll survived.

Bummer no. 2

"Hurricane Zendra" was on the loose while i'm busy at the kitchen. this happened to be her brother's fave books when he was a toddler. his brother is too keen in keeping his books alive and well. he will be quite devastated to see this book torn into pieces by her little sister. i'm ready for my son's preach. sigh.

Bummer no. 3

"Typhoon Zendra" hit again! she pulled my printer's cover! there was nothing else i can do.

when you have a one-year old at home and a mother with memory gaps, chances are domestic disasters are inevitable. just get ready with scotch tapes, glue and whatever, to fix the tragic consequences.

palm sunday

it's a very sunny sunday. lots of tourists flocked the center of milan. church was crowded and palms are all over. we had fun strolling, shopping & eating. the pictures said it all.

as usual, in front of the castello sforzesco. zendra kept pointing the fountain, so we sat around for a while. my son, jaki's not feeling that well (stomach ache). later on, he's been ok.

i always call my mom to go with us. served as "baby-sitter". =)

first stop: shop for jaki's new shoes. his leather shoes doesn't fit anymore, while his rubber shoes is yelling for a new one. first choice is black adidas: no more size for him. second choice: new balance, light brown: he didn't like it.

was zendra suggesting a shoes for his kuya or she's choosing for herself?

winner: white nike for jaki!

hub said, "ikaw? ano gusto mo?" (what do you want?) without a blink i got this purple sweat shirt. baka magbago isip mister ko eh. (before he changed his mind)

while roaming around the decathlon sport store, zendra's busy biking around. she doesn't want to get up. mom ended up buying one for her. thanks mom!

strolled around. and starved.

next stop: spizzico. what else? pizza fever!!!

zendra's fries!

hurray! it's the new eco-bus...cool! going home...

i don't know why, but my daughter won't let go of the paper glass and the straw. literally slept with it until we got home.

words

disclaimer: long! don't complain. i warned you, right?

i would have entitled this: silent pondering thoughts. but, if talking to a 1 year old could give me responses, i would have said it aloud. =) my baby girl is just watching me type here. she's playing (making a disaster) on her pen with his big brother's card collection. jaki will kill me later. =)

it's 14:53 here, and i should really be facing my invitation card deadlines or ironing clothes. i don't know which was really less stressful. my printer's killing me a bit. sometimes, it stucks..and sometimes it says "please insert a paper" even there's plenty of papers inside. i need to print 150 birthday invitations and i only printed 10 as of now!

ten? omg! i have to finish these cards for next week. i still need to design each card with a ribbon and borders. dah? instead, here i am blogging. is this a relief?

my brain is not stopping for ideas right now. i guess i need this blog break from printing. i got a mountful clothes to iron, but i'll postpone it for tomorrow.

i haven't taken my lunch yet at this time. i'm not even on a diet, but i'm starvingly waiting for my hub. he'll be home soon.

words, words...? somehow we talk about words.

words are never just words. even when they seem just words. for the hand that writes there, is the mind that reads, a soul that deciphers.

HAPPY - i am happy to see my kids healthy. i brought them both at the park today and let them be free. my daughter was sick last week and i'm so happy for her quick recovery. my second son had swollen eyes this morning, but i said, "dont worry, it will pass". he trusted me. his eyes were ok now. my eldest son back in the philippines is ok too. i won't ask for anything else, but their health.

i'm happy with my husband. 13 years of being together! deadline of bills, school payments, small food menu debates, "forgot-to-buy" supplies, etc. i'm just happy we always pass thru these things without arguments, without rants. patience endures.

REACTION - i happened to see a blog with a "quick reaction" theme. i grabbed it when she's not around. hahaha! words = 1 word reaction: that's the rule. she got 35 numbers. i copied only 10.

1. Power Rangers: kids

2. Best vacation: venice

3. Santa Claus: gifts

4. Bon Jovi: rock

5. Facebook: fun

6. Paris Hilton: hah?

7. Neverland: johnny depp

8. High School: unforgettable

9. Alcohol: pass

10. Love: perfect

FACEBOOK - yeah i have been quite a fan right now. i literally left my multiply site and just concentrate on it. i found relatives i haven't seen nor heard for 20 years or so. cool! i've been into farming (farmville), cooking (cafe world), architecting (my city life), fishing (fishville) careers! i have no salary though. lot of times, they stole almost half of your day. so, i just decided to be easy on them from now on. i can't stay all day playing. what just annoys me sometimes are the other applications. why are some people fond of commenting like that? it's better to say "hi" than to send "accept this and that". if you blocked the applications, they might think, i don't care, so i'll just continue to rant here.

LUNCH - i'm crazily starving now. still no sign of my hub. i crave for kebap. should i call my hub and order take outs? hmmm? maybe, i'll just make carbonara. it's almost snack hours. kids had their choco biscuits and juices.

too much for words right now... stomach is complaining.

me and my 2 kids

the wheather's perfect for a nice walk in the park. my two kids were excited!

nobody's there to click the cam for us. i'm not good at self-shots.

finally

finally! our residence cards were released.

hurray! i have been waiting for these since last october, 2009.

Residence cards are for foreigners only. While Carta D'identita are for all! Be a stranger or an italian. It's more important here than a passport.

Residence cards: (Carta di Soggiorno)

*Illimitata - Unlimited (NO expiration date) for the workers (regardless of what kind of work), as long as they have the annual income of more than 7,000 euro

*5 Anni Periodo - 5 years validity (can be renewed). those who have at least 7,000 euro annual income

*2 Anni Periodo - 2 years validity (can be renewed), those below 7,000 euro annual income.

----> this is where i belong, for i have 4,200eu annual income for now as part timer. (3.5 hrs a day)

* 6 mesi Periodo - 6 month validity only for unemployed or seasonal jobs

the 6 month validity cannot be renewed for the unemployed. if you got a job already, they'll give you 2 yrs validity. seasonal jobs are allowed for another 6 month renewal. after that, you have to get a non-seasonal job.

freeze

i was walking towards the bank and saw this "freezed" guy and i immediately took my fone to capture his moment. lot of tourists were curious how many minutes can he freeze himself. cool! seems like the strong wind is going around him. it isn't windy though. it just the props he had. paging passers-by, "hey, put some coins in his hat" -see?

---

Sometimes I look at the watch

And wish I could stop time, but I can't

Cause time is God's tool, to determine.

Every thing grows, and also dies

Can time suffer and also die?

Is time flat? Or is time round?

Where is time? Can time be found?

Is time there with each beat of my heart?

Was time there from the very start?

Is time bound? Or is time free?

Is time that, what is meant to be?

I can't say yes or no cause god

Is only the one who, know…

I wish i could freeze time

book for the week: 206 ossa

i love books! whenever i have time, i wander myself inside the italian or american bookstores. i read books of love, humor, intrigues and thrills. sure i can read italian books. practice makes one perfect, right? since my daughter's birth, i haven't been much to bookstores. fortunately, i am a member of euroclub here which offers discounts for books (only italian) and dvd films, so every now and then i get to order what's new or what i'm curious about. this is my latest acquisition: Duecentosei Ossa (206 Bones) by Kathy Reichs. i'm almost on the half part. so thrilling! I have been watching "Bones" series here, but i guess reading the book is more detailed and more thrilling, because it gives you freedom to imagine what's been going on.

i have watched the film "The Firm" by John Grisham starring Tom Cruise. but, having read the book itself, it's more thrilling than the film.

so, i'll just tell you next time when i'm done learning more italian words and what's my verdict of the book.

Almost Three Years!

three years ago, we're just renting before at the next building on the 7th floor. of course, what i missed on our rented place is the top view when you're out of the balcony. this is one of my fave hub's shots during those times. he actually caught a rainbow.

when you said "house" in milan, it's actually condo type homes. we are on the fourth floor now (in another building).

here in our owned place, there's no real view at all. neighboring buildings and garage (when you look outside our balcony. see the pix up)

this is the main corridor. this is what it looks like when we bought the place. the former owner left some stuffs.

this is it now. sort of gallery with framed pix & my son's drawings.

the shelf behind that flower vase is for jaki's gormiti & bionicle collection. "parang museum"

anyone who notices the big framed pix of my hub and former president FVRamos asked, "si Ramos talaga 'yan?"of course he is. we met him at frankfurt, germany, on the same flight."

(then)

(now)

nothing much have changed here, except we painted the walls mint green.

when we bought this house, it wasn't new..so it was offered to us with a humble price (i guess). it costed us 167,000euro! too much fortune on that, right?

the nice italian lady will be getting married, that's why she's selling her (inherited) house. looking at the paperwalls, i can sense that she lived her life here since she was a baby. the wallpaper's design had said it all (baby mint green with baby designs). i haven't had the chance of really talking to her. just saw her twice.

the empty chair stole my attention. for me, she left this chair maybe because it symbolizes her--being part of this house. good memories are hard to forget. and remind us that everywhere we go, we always tend to leave a memory behind, good or bad.

well, we still have this chair down in our basement. don't know why we're still keeping it?

this is where that chair stands before. now it's my pc corner.

time just flies too fast. it's been three years!

...and still paying the bank

Italian Language 1

word for today: Goniometro

my son's assignment: "comprare un goniometro a meta"

i have to confess in all my years here, this is the first time i see this word.

i searched for it right away. i don't want myself to be embarassed when i'm at the school supply store.

goniometro - il goniometro o disco goniometrico è uno strumento per la misurazione di angoli.

the goniometer or goniometric disc is a tool for measuring angles.

in geometry, a protractor is a circular or semicircular tool for measuring an angle or a circle.

oh, i see.

i used this thing during my junior high school in geometry. and my son's using in third grade!

i'm still learning...

One Minute Blog

things i just wanted to say or just silly stuffs.

1. it's the first day of spring today. the sun should be shining, yet it's raining.

2. had a "diet strike" breakfast. with the "daing" (dried fish), eggs and hotdog, whew! i won't be able to get hungry til the next 10 hours!

3. mom will miss one sunday with zendra and jaki. she's attending a baptismal party. i'm not invited. (sigh)

4. the kids are driving me (happy) crazy as usual. My daughter has recovered from her flu & infection, thanks God. My son's memorizing (he's getting restless) a poem as an assignment. I wish I had a magic wand to poof them to be lifetime free from growing up stress.

5. I wish i can go online longer everyday. my laptop's been unkind to me. shutting down when you're in the verge of blogging instinct. need a new pc. argh! still no budget for that.

that's it! bath time for kids...

tags

why do i keep these cloth tags when these were already considered as trash?

i cannot bear to throw away anything memorable. whenever somebody give gifts, i usually keep the tags. it's not that i always remember who and which gifts they have given, but when these tags are already pasted in the foto albums, it always remind me on what occasions i have received these important gifts. it won't break my heart if one will call me "trash keeper". i would justify myself as a sentimental and creative mom.

restless

last sunday she was already better. monday she's still ok, but the night of tuesday she got a high fever again. 39°c. i didn't slept at all and silently been agonized by my daughter's sigh and cries. she wasn't really feeling well. she can't breath well due to her colds and i can imagine her being restless too. i gave her tacchipirina syrup (paracetamol) for kids. wednesday morning she was still ill. the medicine didn't work well. her fever is 38°c and she vomitted. i decided to take her to the hospital. it's almost 11am. we had waited for the doctor for hours. fortunately, my hub's cousin was available and came with me. 1pm we were called and the assistant doctor checked zendra. she said she already got infections due to phlegm that doesn't go out. that explained her swollen eyes. poor baby. she said to wait again for the other doctor for prescriptions. we will be called again. i haven't eaten anything since breakfast, so i was already starving. how long will we still wait? zendra and i were both restless. at about 2:30pm the other doctor came. thanks God. she gave antibiotic prescription and we were released. finally home about 3pm! hope she gets better...

godmother again

i got this picture/message this morning, and i proudly said "YES!". i would love to be a part of this significant event. my childhood friend's (Ted) daughter, Rania will be baptized and i'm one of the "ninangs" (godmother). ted's wife, dewie and i haven't physically met, but thru facebook we're developing a good friendship.

being a godmother is not just for the sake of being a "kumare". it's another responsibility one has to accept. honestly, i can't exactly count how many godchildren i have right now. i only attended 6 of them back in the philippines because of my availability. i can't fly from milan to phil. everytime there's a baptism going on. would had cost me millions of pesos for the airfare if i was present in all the events.

but being far away from home, i'm easy to reach. a simple email, text message, call or invitation will do. i'm always proud of myself being a second mother to a child that's not my own. i never say no.

anyway, my congratulations to ted and dewie for having a cute daughter. wishing rania good health and all the happiness that life could bring.

children's party!

my son and i attended a children's party today. didn't bring zendra with me 'coz she's still weak and not totally better. my mom's not feeling well too, and my mother-in-law is in france, so hub decided to stay with our daughter. my cousins are catering for the occasion and my brother's there too for some help. it's a double celebration actually: my friend son's baptism and 1st birthday.

the sweets are tempting. i have lost count how many marshmallows and sweet peanuts i grabbed. diet strike!

jaki with the kids, singing happy birthday.

the celebrant, gianbradley with his mom, gianelli.

who wants lechon? i didn't eat this one ok. i'm just trying to help :)

the party's a blast...guests had fun dancing..."nobody, nobody, nobody". i guess the adults had more fun than kids. everyone had fun singing and dancing. when they sing "we are the world", they turned off the lights and some italian guests waves their lighters. cool!

my son playing upstairs. he's too shy to dance downstairs.

the give away for the guests: a cute fish stuffed toy.