Mom and Daughter Duet

Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas is one Christmas song that probably would be remembered in the family for years to come.

Yesterday, Jane and Ashrie sang this song as a duet to the delight of the audience who attended the Pinoy Connection Christmas Party at Evangel Family Church. It was the song the organizers requested them to sing but they were free to pick the version or their own "minus one". They chose an upbeat piano version and the song lasted only more than a couple of minutes.

After the event we had our family photo taken by friends who came to watch them sing. (On the left: Me&MyGirls at the church lobby. The pine tree smells so fresh. It's a joy to see a tall Christmas tree right there on that same spot year after year. And yes, Evangel is undergoing a revamp of their main lobby as you can see far beyond; On the right: Ate Ashrie smiling ever so daintily so as not to show her new two front teeth.)

Ashrie The Brave

We had a very stressful start of the week but we are now very thankful to God, grateful, and relieved that it's finally over.

The doctors have long advised that her tonsils be removed because it was really in bad shape, blocking her throat and affecting her sleep and day to day activities. Finally, after much deliberation, Jane finally convinced me to approve Ashrie's operation and have her scheduled for surgery.

I was the one who accompanied her last Monday (taking leave from work for three days) while Jane stayed at home with Lia. Ashrie woke up for a light breakfast of a slice of white bread and a small glass of Milo. She needs to fast before her surgery and can only drink water until before 9am.

We arrived at KK Women's and Children's Hospital proceeded immediately to the Admission Office, registered, waited for the porter and then sent to her room. This would be her room for two days and mine as well, as the caregiver.

She was happy the whole time, enjoyed her hospital bed and her personal TV. She still had a few hours to rest before her operation in the afternoon.

And then, the time has come for her to go down the operating theater. It was a little after 1pm. She was in high spirit. I don't know what she was thinking but I felt she was rather excited and that was very good for her, for the hospital staff and for me.

The short distance traveling from the 8th-floor ward to the 2nd floor Operating Rooms seemed to be a very long walk mainly because I don't know how to feel. It's difficult to be in a situation where you are helpless, where all you can do is to entrust your daughter's life  to "strangers" and hope that everything will be better.

She dressed up for the surgery and then we proceeded to the waiting room. The waiting room was filled with armchairs, a TV, walls were adorned with framed puzzles and there was even a computer to play games. It was also the pit stop for last minute checks and queries.

I am grateful that she was in high spirit up to this point. As her companion. I made sure to not show any hint of doubt or uneasiness but remained (not calm but) super hyper as well. I made a lot of jokes and always kid around. I know if I will be calm I might show a worried face, and I don't want to do that.

The operating area was bright but filled with a staff of probably a minimum of five. All were busy and all worked fast. It was a controlled chaos, an organized mess.

As she lay down on the table, I know I will be kicked out soon but made sure she knew I'm there until she yawns and fell to her medically-induced sleep. The last thing she felt was the prick on the back of her hand, an injection. 

True enough, I was led outside the room immediately. Her tonsillectomy and Adenoidectomy lasted for more than an hour. The doctor personally called me right after but I still need to wait at the waiting room as they monitor her condition in the recovery room.

When I saw her, She was still very drowsy, We had a small chat and I know she has a bit of discomfort. After that, she fell back to sleep until she was transferred back to her room.

It was a long, snoreless sleep. I think she was more tired than hungry. When she woke up, she asked for the promised "post-surgery" ice cream. She had fish porridge right after and a small glass of apple juice.

She was discharged from the hospital the next day. 

Right now, we are just thankful that she has gone through this successfully. She still can't go back to school but after her recovery, we believe that she will be healthier, and stronger. 

Well done, Ashrie! 

Jane's First Run

When we were first starting, Jane doesn't know how to cook but now she really can cook (and very good at that) and she even make her own recipes. She can lose weight if she wants to. And I believe she's one of those people who can fulfill their bucket lists because she can do anything she puts her mind and heart into.

A few months back she said she would like to join a marathon. She signed up, trained before the event, and finished her run.

She participated in Shape Run 2016, an all-women run held at the Marina Bay area in the early morning of July 24, 2016.

Well done, Mahal! 

I pray that our daughters would look up to her for inspiration, to grow up strong and decisive, to be hardworking, to be lofty dreamers and great achievers, just like their mom.

My Birthday 2016

Three days after Father's Day was my birthday. Being born on the third week of June, the two celebrations will always be one after the other and when my birthday falls on a Sunday, it will most probably be Father's Day as well.

MyGirls were so busy that day because it was the kids' checkup with the doctor in the morning. And all this time Jane has been, for days, planning a menu, crafting banners and labels and doing grocery shopping. She had three of our closest friends as accomplices and had me came home a little late that night to have ample prep time.

Funny how it all connects like a puzzle right now and how I can see all the reasons of what she said and asked me to do that day. Now, we can tell for sure that women are better liars. :)

The night of my birthday, after delivering a package to a friend (Accomplice No. 1), she still asked to run errands. And when I came home, the mantel was decorated. There was a spread on the dining table and our daughter's dressed to the nines. It was a surprise birthday celebration! The other two accomplices were also present.

Jane, inspired with my current obsession which is cacti (and succulents) did a Mexican-themed party from the banner to the dining table to her presents. We had savory beef and spicy chicken tacos with mouth-watering dips and sauces, fried chicken, and a very fluffy chiffon cake.

It was indeed a pleasant surprise! Thank you Jane. You did it yet again.

I can't help but think of my next birthday because next year, my life begins.

Father's Day 2016

It was Father's Day yesterday and I got some nice surprises from MyGirls. Aside from Ashrie's little somethings the day before, I woke up with a bunch of goodies with the most adorable tags. See the tags below:

And Ashrie gave me a handcrafted key chain together with the most heart-warming notes. I love it!

And to cap the night, I booked 3 tickets (because Lia enters for free) to watch Finding Dory. It was Lia's first time to be in the cinema but she slept more than 75% of the film, actually even before we entered. But it's a good start as we can now watch more movies as a family.

Ashrie on the other hand has lots of LOL moments. We loved Piper, the short film feature before the movie starts. And both Jane and I agreed that Finding Dory can end on a more cheerful note. Nevertheless, it's a must-see. 

Here are the trailers for both Piper and Finding Dory.

All in all, I had an "unforgettable" day yesterday. Thank you MyGirls for making it more special. 

Lia Ahryn's Second Birthday

Lia's birthday is exactly one month away from her Ate's. And we had a little celebration at the casa last weekend. It was a dinner with her Ninangs and Jane prepared a simple spread of baked dishes and desserts. Here's the menu that evening:

And here's Lia with her lovely white dress and signature pearl necklace on her second birthday. I am really pleased that she can now compose sentences ranging from two to four-worded phrases. She loves to sing, knows the alphabet and can now count 1 to 10.

She is still very active, loves to run, and enjoys riding cars (or in our case, the cab). She is now sweeter, hugs us a lot and wants hugs more often than when she was younger.

We pray that God will bless her with better health, watch over her and keep her safe from harm. We hope that she will continue to grow in beauty, love and grace.

We love you Lia and a happy, happy birthday!

Ashrie's 7th Birthday Party

Better late than never. The statement is true for Ashrie's 7th Birthday Party. We held it at the casa last weekend graced with a few invited friends.

We planned a simple menu this time ~ Spaghetti, Fried Chicken, and Fruit Salad and Leche Flan for dessert. We do not prepare cocktails this time but served ice-cold soda instead.

    

The activities were for kids but everybody was welcome to join in. There were temporary tattoos, a nail art station, and paint-by-numbers (most of which became abstract works because the little kids have just no regard whatsoever of the numbers and the lines and just painted with whatever they fancy.

   
 Ashrie's 2-tier vanilla cake was baked and fondant-wrapped by her Ninang Diane. We just decorated it in-situ with exquisite gumpaste flowers. The result was amazing.

We started at 5pm and the gathering goes well into the night. But to cap it all, it was what Ashrie said that makes it more special. She said it was her best birthday party ever.

As their birthdays are exactly one month apart, it's time to plan for Lia's 2nd Birthday Party.

See you soon!

A Surprise for Ate

Ashrie's Birthday Party will be in ten days time so she's not expecting anything to happen on her exact birth date. Little did she know that we have prepared a little something to surprise her.

Here's the birthday girl with her cake and presents with the little sister trying to help.

   

Again, Happy Birthday Ate!

Ashrie is 7!

Time flies!

Today, about the time of this posting, seven years ago, our first child was born. We named her Ashrie Jed. Ashrie evolved from our combined nicknames/names "AZ "and Ma-"ry". It means God is my help and Jed means God's beloved.

I remember wanting her to be born on the First of May, because first, It's "Labor" Day, and second, because it's always good and convenient that your birthday falls on a holiday - no work and all. But Jane was scheduled for her CS Operation on the 29th of April, 2009. Even so, Ashrie really wanted to be born on the 28th as Jane started labor as early as the night of the 27th. She really chose today to be her special day. It was a Tuesday afternoon where N1H1 was in the headlines of newspapers.

Here's our first family picture: Ashrie's ultimate #TBT.

And here was her Birth Announcement: Of course, I have prepared the template before her birth, leaving the birth details and the photo empty.

Seven Years.

What a journey! She's now in Primary 1, recently received a school star reader badge, has a younger sister whom she loves, started owning a few permanent teeth replacements, still thoughtful, still loves to sing to the top of her lungs, naughty at times, but all in all, an adorable, loving daughter.

Happy, happy birthday. We love you Ate Ashrie! 

By the way, are you ready for your party?