I know a scrapbooker whose favorite getaway is Branson“>Branson, Missouri. Her family goes there to unwind every vacation, twice or thrice a year. That’s how I got to know the Silver Dollar City and the Haygoods. I admit I am very intrigued with them and would want to watch them perform if given the chance.

What exactly do you at Branson, you ask? Well Branson, Missouri is considered to be the Live Entertainment Capital of the World so their shows is a must-see. I got a schedule here for the rest of the month:

MAY 10 - JUNE 1, 2008
Bluegrass & BBQ
Location: Silver Dollar City

MAY 16 - MAY 18, 2008
Plumb Nellie Days … 35th Annual Hillbilly Festival & Craft Show
Location: Downtown Branson

MAY 31 - JUNE 1, 2008
Annual Hydroplane Races
Location: Rockaway Beach

You can check out Museums (The Titanic, Hollywood Was Museum, Ripley’s etc.), outdoor rides such as water rides and go karts and of course, movies and shopping. I have gotten good feedback about the condos at the Thousand Hills Golf Resort and would like to stay there if I go to Branson!

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And things you can look forward to this week from my blogs
1. Weekend happenings.
2. Martha’s 2nd birthday.
3. Our house in the probinsya. LOL
4. SAHM - Day 13 (or 14, depending on what day I will post it).
5. Layout Share. (I hope I can scrap soon, Thea!).
6. A post similar to Joy’s

I also intend to change my WP theme (for the longest time).
All these posts will go up within the week.

And leave me a message if you want link exchanges. Im going to update my links soon - Ive been gaining a lot of friends

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I got this great idea from Yen, and ever since the Men Hunt tag, Ive been wanting to do another crazy round of tags that will entertain everyone :). I think this is it (I advertised this on Twitter, and found a lot of great blog posts already).

{Begin Copy}
Aggie wants to see pictures of YOU through the years!!

The Rule:
Post a picture of YOU through the years. You can post as far back as you can and as far back as what you can dig with your pictures. Finish your post and tag three people Link up the BLOG post you had your entry on (let’s keep this real and not a viral link exchange, people, kies? Thanks! :D)

Blogs who participated:
1. Aggie - Mommy Talks. Wife Stories. 2. Yen 3. Glo 4. Jacq 5. Buge

{End Copy}

Now, onto the comedy hour, este, memory lane

Let’s start the show with me at my very first birthday. I was cute - but you can see I had no traces of being a (big) girl.

You wouldnt even know I was born with curls if I didnt post this picture!

When I went to my Wawa for a vacation, she cut off my Goldilocks curls. My mom was livid. My curls didnt grow back. I dont know if I should be thankful for Wawa for that

As you can see, I was kikay back then. That red lingerie was my fave dress, and it was bought at the SM Dept. Store - I actually wore it as often as I see it my cabinet. My mom told me I told her that I am sexy when I wear that. (Me landi na talaga, bata pa lang :))
Continue Reading »

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It seems I went POOF since Friday. I have a LOT of things to talk about, and I have designated today to do everything I need to do.

Happy week!

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I have a lot of stories to share about the princess but for now Ill just keep this post stickied on top so you can greet her royal highness!!!

The plan for today: Well, we are just going to have a small get together at home. Ill be cooking spaghetti, chicken with cake and a few balloons. No birthday invitations even. We are just going to keep this simple, but we will be doing some picture-taking, of course. After all, she is the daughter of a scrapbooker

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Along with owning a Technomarine watch, a tag heuer watch comes in a close second with the “watches I need to own before I hit 35″. For me, it serves a status brand, I can even consider it like a jewelry because of its price!! I definitely will get one when I can afford to - it will be a nice (and wise) investment.

Tag Heuer watches has always been in the avant-garde of watchmaking, whether in terms of technology, the choice of materials or design. For 142 years, the company has confirmed its initial vocation: producing watches that constantly push back the frontiers of precision, reliability and aesthetics.

Look at this classic Chronowatch. This Tag Heuer 2000 Exclusive Aquagraph watch in stainless steel features a 42mm case, black dial with luminescent indexes, autolock turning bezel, and a steel bracelet.

And yes, this one is a classic. I can envision using this anywhere - in jeans or even Sunday brunch dresses!

I love the site Im viewing right now - ViaLuxe. It is a site for luxury watches and I love how once you become a member, you can add items to your favorites. You even have a page for your recently viewed items so you can review items! That is a shopping must-have in an online store!

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Just jotting down things Matthew has been saying these days.

While watching Rod Schneider in HotChick, he heard the word ’sex’, without batting an eyelash, he turned to me and said, “Mommy, what is sex?” I told him, “Too much kissing.” He reacted, “Yuck! Who wants to kiss too much? Madaming laway!”

He often would come to me during my quiet time with random observations like:

“Mommy, alam mo ba sa Lilliput people celebrate New Year by lighting candles all over the city?”

“Mommy, what is gravity?”

“Mommy, bakit di umuuwi si Daddy?” I told him Edil cant come home because of work. And then he rebutted, “Bakit ikaw umuuwi kahit me work ka?”

“Mommy, bakit di pwede makita ng tao ang mermaids?”

“Mommy, One-Two-Three is Isinisha in Chinese.” Edited: Matthew read this while I was away from the PC and told me, “Mommy - ICHINISA! And Japanese, hindi Chinese!” OK, I stand corrected.

“Mommy what does sanctity mean? Subtle?” — and a dozen more words I cant give meanings to. Good thing he understands the concept when I use it in a sentence.

He is also obsessed with music ALL over the world. We had a discussion for close to an hour about “artists” and how artists outside the country are called “foreign artisits”. He asked us if we know artists from Italy, Portuguese (he doesnt know Portugal), and Jamaica.

He then asked if we knew Jamaican songs. To which Edil belted out this song,

“You’re way too beautiful girl…”

I couldnt stop laughing.

**For scrapping***

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Here.

Do you have routines for your kids? Care to share? Does it really help?

I think I need to read the answers of mommies here because I still need to establish a very good schedule for the two kids (different age groups).

Let’s see:

5AM - 7AM: Mommy Wake Up Time. Me Time. Surf Time. Blog Time. If you want to chikka me, chikka me now :).

9AM: The kids wake up. I usually let them linger in bed for a couple of minutes, giving Martha a new dede. This is also the time usually assignments pour in so Im a bad Mommy I let them watch DVDs first

10AM: Breakfast. I let them eat rice.

Break - usually play. I take out clothes I will be letting them use for the day. Mato gets to pick his. I also discuss lunch with the maid.

12NN Lunch.

After lunch, I give Martha a bath. We dont have a tub yet but when get a house of our own, that would be a requirement. They like to walk in tubs!) Matthew follows. Then a round of DVD fest begins again. Because this is prelude to sleeping time.

1PM - 4PM Nap time. This is hard for me. I have weaned Martha for her chotchot ever since I resigned and I find it hard to lull her to sleep without a mega crying “AYAW” fest ensuing.

5PM Snack time. I let Matthew pick what he wants.

Random play. I usually let them watch Coffee Prince with me.

7PM Dinner Time.

After dinner, wash up time, put them into jammies. Watch Dyesebel.

9:30PM We try to sleep. But this becomes art time. Matthew practices his writing, reads, sings. Martha doodles, reads books. This extends until sleep time.

11PM - 12MN Sleep time. Im still trying to enforce a rule to lights out but the kids throw tantrums - very LOUD, nakakahiya sa kapitbahay tantrums - so I let them be. As Ive said, Im still trying to find a lulling way to replace the chot chot.

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FiftyFlowers.com makes getting wholesale flowers easy and very afforable. They provide wedding events, functions and balls with top of the line flowers from premium roses, calla lilies, rose petals, gerbera daisies, hydrangeas, peonies and many other flowers and greens. The flowers are delivered at a cost below the wholesale price. They use overnight express shipping to the customer - which reduces over-all cost as they remove the wholesalers and retailers from the flower supply chain. I personally like their process as it will guarantee that whatever I order are fresh and straight from their contact flower farms. Whatever additional cost they incur with overnight shipping is still less with the added profits from wholesalers and retailers so everybody gets happy and satisfied!

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I do not know what day of the week it is.
Im not even sure of the date.
I still need to check for time.

All I know is that the sun rises at 5AM like it’s 7AM.
And by 8PM the road is eerily quiet.
And by 9PM I miss Edil so badly :(.

I also get overwhelmed by sheer number of things I need to do, which compete with the a couple of things I WANT to do.

I have a lot of projects I want to do with the kids but lack of resources prevent me from doing it.

And I realize Im not really Superwoman.
And that I need to get satisfied with “This will do for now.”

The little big things the Man Up There teaches me.

And no, Im not really into drugs nor alchol LOL Im just having withdrawals with Edil not being here. (I dont need to be in a drug treatment center, thank you very much!)

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Read here.

Finally a blog carnival solely for Pinoy parents!

If you are a mommy, please share your experiences regarding pregnancy and childbirth. Guide questions:

• Did you have a normal vaginal delivery? Or a Ceasarian section? If you underwent CS, what was the reason for that?
• What kind of anesthesia did you have during the delivery? Or did you go through a drug-less birth?
• Was your husband present with you when you delivered your child?
• Were you able to room in your baby immediately?
• Here in the Philippines, the usual birth attendant is the Obstetrician-Gynecologist. Did you have one when you gave birth? Or did you have somebody else attend to you? For example, a midwife, a nurse, another doctor (not OB), a traditional hilot?
• How was your labor? Can you describe the course?
• How was your post partum recovery?

If you’re a daddy, you may share your wife’s birth story. Or you may just blog about your experience while awaiting your child’s arrival.

Remember, the following are just guide questions. Please don’t feel limited by them and exercise your writing creativity. You may write a poem, post pictures or whatever.

You may post the link to your entries in the comments section of this article or email me at ethanmama[at]gmail[dot]com with PPBC submission as the subject .

The deadline for entries is on May 10, 2008, 12 midnight. I will post the PPBC 1st Edition on May 14, 2008. Please watch out for it!

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Ever tried engaging in a game of paintball? It is recognized as one of the world’s most exciting outdoor participation sports ever since its conception 15 years ago. Enjoyed by people in over 40 countries, this competitive game which to me resembles a war game has kept men and women alike busy with the sport. For example, the invert mini paint guns are selling like hotcakes these days. The company ZephyrPaintball has never experienced such growth in sales, being a leader in supplying paintball supplies, equipments and accessories like Paintball guns, Paintball goggles, Airsoft equipment. They have low prices and provide FREE shipping!

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I decided to focus on my country, the Philippines. I linked the places to an awesome blog by Anton.

1. Boracay.
2. Bohol
3. Coron, Palawan
4. Batanes
5. Cebu
6. All the nice places Glo went to. Chatham and Cape Cod.
7. I want to experience an African Safari.
8. Go experience culture and history all over Europe.
9. Experience fall on the East Coast in the US.
10. Explore my hubby’s hometown, Bicol.

Naturally Ill be splurging on food so I need to take safe diet pills with me to guarantee I wont put on 20lbs!

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First time to join
WW

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Being in a province somehow made me miss Becerra with Dangwa and instant access to flowers, stores and almost everything else (including the malls). Here, everything needs to planned and you need to organized. It is hard if you dont own any mode of transportation, and harder if you dont know how to drive even if you have a mode of transportation (ehem ehem). Anyhow, with Martha’s birthday and Mother’s Day coming up, we need to plan the weekend carefully. We are expecting guests, so I will be busy. I can get flowers from Silang, but I still dont know how to get there using public transportation, if there is anything available. If only I can order online. Beyond Blossoms offer quality but very affordable flowers.

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Matthew is the (only) man of the house we have these days. Edil works in Manila Monday to Friday so it’s just me and the kids with the househelp (more on that later).

Well, he has been adjusting to living here more than I am. He doesnt crave Jollibee anymore. He doesnt even complain that we still dont have cable TV nor antenna to get local stations! (Hindi ko napapanood ang Dyesebel!!! WAAAH!)

With me monitoring him, he eats rice three times a day, gets his dose of milk and brushes his teeth twice a day. He doesnt complain and eats quite heartily. This was because of a story I told him that he wont grow tall. He needs milk and sleep to get the milk into bones. He even sleeps during afternoons.

He still has his tantrums. But generally, he is better than his sister, the Monster. We had him reserved at a school we were suprised to find (It is near Tagaytay already). Nakakatawa talaga dito, ang malapit sa kanila malayo pa din kahit para sa amin.

We try to speak English for at least two hours when we talk, provided that the Monster doesnt butt in and speak in her Martha bulol language. He still needs to adjust to being flexible when it comes to his baby sister, but like I said in my earlier post, we are making progress.

Our quiet time happens when Martha sleeps at night. We bond over watching DVDs. We have watched Hot Chick, Shaolin Soccer and Taxi a lot of times already. Im sure he misses Edil, but I guess I will do for now. He also reads, even when the lights are out (and the TV is on). It’s a bad habit I know - hed be needing reading magnifiers once he reached his thirties

The Big Brother, he gets really more handsome each day.

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First things first, you can get updates (real, believe me, 98% true, LOL, like what Kelly said) here at my Winding Circle blog. I wish I was more organized in detailing the move but I dont even have pictures to post. That’s how strapped for time and everything else I am.

So, I have been working another job since May 1. It entails 24 hours, erratic lunch breaks and very very little personal time. But I have been loving it, and I have already seen the effect of having me around has been with the kids - they eat more and are more behaved. (Sa wakas, di na sila KSP). They still fight like cats and dogs, but at least we are slowly reducing it to meowing and barking - no biting and scratching na. Hehehe. Im actually putting aside any sharp objects and replacing them with safety cutters.

So, about the move. It went as smooth as we had hoped it to be, and much harder because it was just really me, Edil and the kids. My parents helped as much as they could but our move coincided with a big event with our organization so they were pretty much tied up. I think I can describe it as taking a glimpse into an American Life where it is no one but me, myself and I. Can you imagine us moving using varied types of transport (Owner, RevO, IPV), during early evenings to early mornings, with Edil doing the driving and hard work with me and the kids in tow. Yes, the kids. (We really didnt get a good yaya eh, Im resigned na that it will be Yaya Mommy for the next year). So we go to Manila, pack, drive to Cavite, stopping at BlueWave to get Jollibee drive-thru, and then the kids take catnaps at the car, wrecking their sleeping time. So by the time we get to Amadeo, Edil and I are deadbeat but the kids are refreshed so we stay up until 3AM to 4AM. (Edil has lost a lot of weight, kawawa nga eh). (Nevermind me, I have a lot of spare to lose, hahaha).

We just settled in 80% last week, enough to get a working kitchen, and a decent house to have guests over. We thought we had a lot of stuff, but we were wrong. We had a lot of JUNK - the kids’ toys can make up a whole room. My office stuff can occupy one cabinet and we have a LOT of clothes still, even with 3 boxes sold at ukay-ukay.

Things are very different now, but at least I have the normalcy of internet to keep my sanity. But even the world wide web fails to give what I have been looking for these days.

Let’s write posts in different categories.

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I think I have mentioned time and again how we need our own car these days. Ever since we moved, the dream/goal/mission of getting one has cropped up with my many talks with Edil. We discuss what car we will get, if it’s brand new or used, where would we get the money, down to the color. I want to say we are just wishfully thinking but Edil has been serious about it lately. We have the owner jeep that will do for now - the air here is fresh and cool so we really do not aircon in the vehicle. However, when the need arises that we go to Manila, he needs to borrow his dad’s Isuzu REVO so we can make sure the kids dont get asthma attacks. If only things were that easy as when you are in the US. With midwest auto recycling, you can have a guarantee for all the vehicles you check in with them and even get from them! All miles are CARFAX verified. All ENGINES come as a complete assembly. They are started ,inspected for compression, cylinder leak down tested, checked for oil pressure and cleaned. ALL TRANSMISSIONS are test driven, visually inspected and cleaned.

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Vannie tagged me and this was perfect way to start my week. I love to-do lists

This is a real list!
1. Finish accounting PayPal money March and April. (Done: Conclusion - Im actually earning more than I thought - Im just shopping too much online. LOL). Business valuation should be validated.
2. Back up kits to DVDs. (Done)
3. Rearrange room. Bed should be on the other side (Done).
4. Make estimated monthly budget list. Tally payables for the 15th (yikes).
5. Get all office stuff on the shelves.
6. Find High School Musical DVD. Im going crazy with Elmo and Barney on repeat.

It’s Monday! I need to see your list - Litzie, Mai, Buge, Diane, Jacq, Joy, Jane, Jody, Jacqui?

BUSY PEOPLE: 1.) my chopsuey 2.) mind bubbles 3.) vanity kit 4.) somethingpurple 5.) a detour 5.) Confessions of a Supermodel Wannabe 6.) 6) Mommy Talks. 7.) Aggie Shoots. Aggie Scraps 8.) Winding Creek Circle 9.) Pink and Brown Diaries.

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Ever been interested in stock options and trading? I used to have stock options as a benefit given to us by my previous employer (it feels so weird having to write that down - ack! Im unemployed!). But all I did was sell them every quarter - it was like having a cash bonus incentive every three months. I guess, looking back, I should have been wiser. The stock options are now selling 1 unit for $50! Can you believe that? And it was given to me at 25cents per unit! With the option screener from PowerOptions, I can manage stocks better. Along with a complete suite of educational materials and premium toll-free customer support, PowerOptions provides the essential data you need to invest with stock options.PowerOptions® is the only internet-based data provider that gives investors SmartSearchXL®, a patented decision support technology that identifies the highest return option trades.

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