Life As I Know It

Happy 2nd Birthday Dearest Gia!!!

Gia's First Disney Visit

I feel so blessed.  I was not planning on taking Gia to Disneyland this trip, thinking that she would not be able to appreciate it yet.  Gia has not yet seen any Disney cartoon or movie, and instead is more familiar with Elmo (Sesame Street characters), Barney and Nicklelodeon.  Last Christmas, Gia received some plastic characters - Minnie Mouse, Donald Duck, Goofy and Pluto - this was her first and only Disney exposure.

So when Rowena invited us to spend the day at Disneyland with her family, I was excited (for myself) but really did not expect Gia to enjoy it as much.  I was wrong and I'm glad I was!  Gia was soooo happy to be at Disneyland.  She kept dancing to the music played in the park and pointed out the characters to me.

We rode the Dumbo Flying Elephant ride, the Carrousel and went on "It's a Small World."  We watched the Christmas Fantasy Parade and she was mesmerized and kept clapping her hands and laughing.

After the visit to Disneyland (we were there from 8:30 am to 6:30 pm), she was more alert and suddenly could answer questions fast...

Gia, what did you ride?  Gia ride Dumbo.

What is Dumbo?  Dumbo el-phant.

Did you ride a boat?  Gia ride boat.

Were there dolls?  Dolls. 

What were the dolls doing? Dolls dancing. 

What else were they doing?  Singing.

Who did you see? Santa.  What does Santa say? Hohoho.  Who else did you see?  Pluto.  Goofy.  Minnie Mouse.  Donald duck.

I am so proud of her!  I, on the other hand, have turned into a Disney Mom!  Gone (for now) are the days where I make a bee-line for the exciting thrill rides like Space Mountain or Splash Mountain.  I was not even able to go on my favorite - the very subdued, Pirates of the Carribean ride... Instead, I found myself in Story Book Land and in Toon Town... with the toddlers and babies. I now appreciate Disneyland in a different way and am so glad that I do.  I am also so grateful to the Lovely family, if it were not for them, I would not have discovered this this early.  Salamat Weng and John!

Click here to see Album of Gia's first Disneyland trip.

Lovely Day

We spent the day with the Lovely family - yes, that's their last name - Rowena, John and their two boys - Francis and Tristan at no less than Disneyland!  Visit their website - http://lovelyfamily.typepad.com/ Yay!  Rowena, my good friend since elementary and high school at U.P.,  works for Disney.  She generously invited us to spend the day there.  We got extra special treatment and started the day with the Character Breakfast Buffet in the park, where you get to dine with Minnie Mouse and her friends - who visited us at our table.  It was such a wonderful way to start the day. 

At first, Gia was afraid of the mascots and clung to me tightly.  I did not push her and just gave her time, pointing out the characters to her, "There's Pooh!  There's Captain Hook!"... "Say ba-bye to them."  She started by waving "hi" and "bye" to them, little by little warming up, allowing them to stand by us for some shots.  By the end of the day, Gia knew all of them and excitedly pointed them out to me herself as we saw them walking around the park.

Rowena's eldest, Francis, age 5,  was so friendly and kept chatting me up, making comments.  Tristan, age 3, was shy and sensitive.  I was grateful to spend time with them and to have met John.  Rowena and I caught up on the goings on in each other's lives and of course in other people's lives as well (uy, intriga) as Tristan and Gia slept in their strollers.  We commented on how as we grow older, we gravitate and become close again to our childhood friends.  Click here to meet my other high school friends - Cielo, Ay, Tanya and Grace.  It was really a Lovely Day!

Sightseeing with the Adrayans

Gilbert was so nice, he took a day off to show Gia and me around L.A.!  I was so touched.  The guy is a workaholic and even does double shifts often... so this really says a lot.  Thank you so much kumpare!  He took us girls to Ross' where we went crazy shopping.  What a good guy he is, he was so patient and just waited for us!  He even offered some advice on what looked good and picked out some outfits for Grace, and even chose a blouse for me - na talaga namang maganda!

Then we went to the Griffith Observatory - high above downtown L. A., where we took spectacular pictures.  Here, Gia surprised me when we saw a close up picture of the sun, she said, "init! hot!" - having a sense of what temperature it was.  She was also very insistent on seeing the exhibits - pulling me towards them, saying, "see mama! see mama!" -  very curious talaga.

We had a late lunch at a chinese buffet in Burbank, where nalugi nalang ang restaurant kasi puro crabs ang kinain namin - humingi pa kami ng suka! hahahaha. It was such a good day, spent with such good friends. Maraming salamat Gilbert and Grace! Sa uulitin.

Amazing Grace

From January 4 to 6, Gia and I spent time with my very good friends, Gilbert and Grace Adrayan and their kids - Panuel, age 9 (my inaanak), Paolo, age 6 and Patricia who is turning one on January 9.  Grace is the first cousin of my very best friends - Joybe and Kirlyn, who "adopted" me into their family almost sixteen years ago.  See my pics with Joybe, Kirlyn and Armie last May '06 by clicking this link. 

Grace and Gilbert moved their entire family to the States almost three years ago.  Grace has kept her house sooooooo well (They live in L.A., near Glendale).  I was inspired by her tasteful decor and furniture.  I was touched by the way she takes care of her kids and her husband, who have come to rely on her so much.  I was also so impressed at Gilbert and what a responsible and good father and husband he is.  Both of them have really done such a great job! 

Panuel and Paolo are both very responsible boys, who helped me take care of Gia.  They enjoyed being with each other and were so affectionate, always hugging and kissing.  Gia was so happy to have kuyas.  Gia was also so happy to dote on little Patricia, Gia kept pointing to herself, saying, "Ate Gia. Ate Gia."

The Adrayans' house sits on a hill and is sorrounded by trees.  I just loved it. They made Gia and me feel so at home... I came here to the States to visit family.  When I stayed with Gilbert and Grace, this is exactly how it felt like. Love you guys!  See you this June! 

   

Hotel Del Coronado

Gia loves the beach!  She loves everything about it - the sand, the wind, the view... She was so excited and happy yesterday as we went strolling along the grounds of the Hotel del Coronado.  She was so friendly and approached other children, saying hi to adults.  The adults also had a great time... we had different variations of ice cream sundaes and sat liesurely, just chatting, taking in the sights.  Afterwards, we went around San Diego's Gas Lamp Quarter.  It was a good day. 

Yummy Reunion

'Caught up with Vea and her boyfriend, Shane yesterday and instead of Jollibee, mommy (lola mel) treated us to a yummy gourmet chinese lunch at PF Chang's in La Jolla!  Yay!  It was sooooo good.  I especially loved the Shrimps with Candied Walnuts and Honeydew balls, the Mongolian Beef and the Salt and Pepper Spareribs.  Really hard to diet here  -- someone once told me that my idea of going on the South Beach Diet is eating like I were at a beach party. hahahahaha - hilarious (but true)!  But shouldn't life be a beach party of sorts?

Actually, with Gia squirming and fussing on my lap, I hardly got to eat anything.  Gia is so clingy these days.  She refuses to go with other people (except her Tita Gela, who she is positively in-love with), but who unfortunately had to go to work and could not join us for lunch.

 

See You Soon Tina!

January 3. Huhuhuhuhu.  Tina left very early this morning for Boston.  She has surgery scheduled on Friday and had to go back.  We will miss her sooooooooooo much.  I will miss her funny antics - her mimicking Gia, coming into the room saying, "Momeeeeeh! Momeeeeeh! Mama! Mama!" - poking fun at how makulit Gia is and how that stresses me out! hahahaha.  I will miss her trying to "be stern" and "acting strictly" with Gia, when all it does is make Gela and me laugh (really hard to take her seriously).  But most of all, I will miss her, our baby sister, my friend - who I now get to talk to about life and love and relationships - perhaps, I should call her, Ate Tina! Funny how we all grow up and time and experience make us equals. 

Gia and I hope to see you in Manila this June, Tita! Don't disappoint us! 

 

Happy New Year Everyone!

Wow.  It's 2007.  Time goes by so fast.  Even as I celebrated the new year yesterday (Three times: First, as it turned midnight in the Philippines.  Second, when the ball dropped in New York, recalling my two years in Boston and Third, as it finally became 2007 here in California), I looked back and thought of each past year in terms of milestones that have radically changed my life...

1999, the year I passed the bar.  2000, the year my mom married Tony. 2003, the year I got into Harvard, graduated and married. 2005, the year I had Gia.  Now, 2006, the year ... well... you know.

The past few weeks, I have been spending time with couples.  My sisters and their husbands.  My almost sister, Michelle and her husband, Francis.  My mom and Tony.  Being around them, I'm really tempted to feel down right freakin' sorry for myself.  -I admit I have had my moments.

But amidst this self-pitying I have observed and have had an epiphany of some sort:  Hey, Evie, this is what love is supposed to look like!  Yes, they argue (will omit details here for obvious reasons).  Yes, they are not always on their bestest of behaviors... but there is love.  There is selflessness.  There is compromise.  There is laughing and teasing.  There is friendship.  There is - or at least, there tries to be - kindness.  Wow.  I see it and I see how I settled and made excuses for not having it.

When I think about 2006, I could perceive it in one of two ways, either as deeply tragic or as wildly empowering.

I chose and am continually choosing how to see it.  I see it as a time when I learned what I am capable of surviving.  A time when friendships were deepened.  When self was discovered. A time when family and faith were valued. Despite obvious ups and downs - one thing to me is clear:  God is so Good.  He is wise and in control of every situation.  He has a plan.  2006 was good.  2007 will be even better.  This is Life as I Know It.

New Year's Eve Party

We celebrated New Year's Eve by having lunch with the California Lapus side of the family.  I must say that: First, my mom really knows how to cook now!  We were all impressed. Amongst other things, she made really good kare-kare and mechado.  Second, filipinos really know how to party!  We not only outnumbered the caucasian members of the family, but I think we overwhelmed them.  The party stretched out from lunch to early dinner, with Tita Tindeng commenting on how Tony probably would not want us to throw a party in their house again (nadala na daw!).  Third, our family is growing.  There were toddlers, toddlers and toddlers.  Teya had her two sons - Andrew and Ryan.  Bernie had handsome actual baby GAP model - Aidan (see pictures with Gia below) and a newborn - Emma (only three weeks old) - grandchildren of Sanse Luming and Kuya Noy.  Kitkat and Gia joined in the fray.  Marie and Scott brought, their "baby" - puppy Puff, who was the center of the kids' attention and a source of much competition between Gia and Aidan who are only a couple of months apart.  It was nice to see everyone again and to catch up.