Pashmina Love

It's been raining for almost 2 weeks straight. Although I don't like getting wet in the rain, I love the cooler weather it brings. And so out comes the jackets and to me personally, pashminas!:)

I adore pashminas since the first time I tried one in HongKong, I believe around 2001. And that's when I bought my first pashmina, a black one, which also converts into a scarf. Then I got a brown one here in Manila after a few months. I use pashmina in the office, instead of the usual jacket. It's quite comfy and goes with either slacks, jeans or skirts. Perfect for me :)

I have more than a dozen pashminas. I only bought 2 for myself, the rest are gifts. A friend went to Nepal once and came home bearing 4 pashminas for me. Made of the softest and lightest silk, I only use them for special occasions, like parties or events. The hubs was assigned in India around 2007 and when he came home, got me the nicest pashminas in different colors and material, a total of 6!

And on Christmases, friends give me pashmina. One Christmas, I got 3 pashminas :D

So far in Manila, the best pashminas are from Anna Pashmina. I believe they have stalls in Powerplant and Shangri-La Mall.

Would you believe, I have 3 pashminas currently in the office with me? The picture is proof. I really heart pashminas. And I heart the people who give me pashminas :)

Should life be perfect?

I was chatting with my college best bud over YM the other day... talking about relationships, marriage and life in general. We're never usually that deep, but that day, pending the Holy Week, we were unusually speaking our hearts and minds.

We were wishing new things, new beginnings to have a perfect life. We were wishing for problems, issues, baggage and generally unpleasant things to go away. For life to begin perfect. Then I thought maybe life would be too boring if we had it easy. As the prayer goes, life shouldn't be perfect coz perfection makes people dull...

As I reflected on that today, won't it be wonderful if we had all the answers to our questions? Won't it be less painful to know what to say and do in awkward situations? Won't it be just joyous to be able to just continue loving, without hurting at all? I honestly don't know for sure.

All I know is that when I used to just walk away without looking back, I now stay put. When I used to end the pain by quitting, I now feel the pain more by holding on. When I could so easily stop loving and end the hurting by not looking back, I keep looking so I don't end the loving and the hurt disappears through time. When could just I get mad and then get even, I get mad and pray to be forgiven.

Is this how life should be? Is that what I have committed myself forever to? Maybe it is. Maybe it's not. But is the decision that changes me. It's the decision that keeps me grounded. Enough to pain me at times. But in general, more than enough to keep me the happiest.

So yes, it gets tough. And it's really far from being perfect. But was I aiming for perfection in the first place? I surely am not and will never. I just want a life where I could be me, loving my loved ones, happily snug in my own little corner.

Unexpedtedly nice Saturday

It’s 10:40pm on Saturday night. Here I am typing away beside my sleeping little bugoy. He has been sleeping since 7pm, as a result of refusing his afternoon nap. We were invited to a first birthday party of the hub’s office friend. The party was to start at 3pm so we planned to have the boy take his nap first, to avoid tantrums. But when the hubs and I are home, the little tyke isn’t too keen on sleeping. So ended up not going, and I had the gift ready, bought and wrapped at Rustan’s yesterday. The hubs will just hand it over on Monday.

The whole week, I was so looking forward to getting a haircut. I don’t really know how to care for my hair, to be honest. I just shampoo, sometimes I also condition. Comb the hair after taking a shower. And hardly, hardly ever comb or brush it throughout the day. I swear. I just don’t care of my hair is out of place, which it usually is. I end up putting it up in a ponytail much of the time, but it gives me really bad headaches afterwards. The solution? Short, easy to manage hair. The hubs however, doesn’t like short hair. On me. I finally got his agreement for my haircut a couple of weeks back. I planned today as haircut day as soon as he said yes. Hubs and I had a little tiff before I drove to my favorite salon, but I had to get a haircut. A haircut or else. Guess what happened? The salon was closed :( Bummer. I got a foot spa and a pedicure from another parlor instead. The haircut will just have to wait.

I invited my sister to go with me to the salon. She badly needed a pedicure. I cringe every time I look at her toes! Super hideous to say the least LOL I told her it would be the best P120 investment she can ever spend. Anyway, she got nipped too close to the skin and got a wound. The blood wouldn’t clot, so we just went home and washed it and put on Teramycin. She’s not too traumatized, I hope. As long as her toes are clean :)

Finally able to buy a two-burner gas stove! Hurray for us! J We only have a one burner and we’ve always planned on getting a two-burner. We always forget or some other pressing matters come up. Excuses excuses, I know :) Oh, the grand plans we have! I should remember to ask the hubs (nicely of course!), to set it up tomorrow. Wish me luck! LOL

With the little one asleep early, I had a lot of time in my hands after dinner. I decided to be nice and gave the hubs my version of a foot spa with semi-pedicure. He’s a really lucky husband :) My friends gave me this foot spa foot soak thingy and haven’t used it yet. Tonight was a test run, with hubs as the willing guinea pig. Turned out to be a really good foot spa, as I got a kiss when I was done :)

I also was able to catch a bit of American Idol reruns on StarWorld (thanks so much for the re-runs!). Still loving it. And I watched Maalala Mo Kaya too. Eugene Domingo has never failed. She’s one great actress, funny and true.

Before deciding to go to bed beside the little boy, I just had to do something for my hair. And I had the perfect idea. I got a Pantene 3-minute intense conditioner free with the Oil of Olay moisturizer. I got to say, I’m loving Pantene 3-minute conditioner!!! I’m imagining great hair days from this day forward :)

Although 2 plans didn’t pan out: no party, no haircut. But I got a lot more of my day instead. Time with my hubs, my son, my sister. Time to do things I always planned to do but just never got around to doing it. Again I realized, God really has the perfect plan for you. Even when you think and feel things are not going your way, you’d be surprised at how things turn out. Case in point: today for me, was unexpedtly nice :)

Couple Tag

Got the below from Kaith's blog http://kaithuninterrupted.blogspot.com/ I liked it so I'm self-tagging hehe!
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It's about you and your significant other, call it wife, husband, boyfriend, girlfriend, domestic partner, your dog (if it makes you feel that warm and fuzzy feeling inside.).We want to know part of your story! So read mine and answer yours as well!

***What are your middle names?
His is Pahuyo, mine is Causon

***How long have you been together?
4 years this April

***How long did you know each other before you started dating?
Since we were 3 feet tall. He was neighbors with my cousins and grandparents. So every summer, I'm there. We saw each other in the playground, in church. When he graduated in college, he came to Manila to work and looked for me hahaha! That was 1999... and the rest as they say is history :)

***Who asked whom out?
He did, to watch a PBA game. I had no clue about PBA, I was an NBA fan.

***How old are each of you?
He's a year older, 32 now. And I'm 31 (eeeeeps!!! We're freakin' old! LOL)

***Whose siblings do you see the most?
Mine coz my younger sister lives with us.

***Which situation is the hardest on you as a couple?
oh, a lot. But seeing him lose his Mom though was the hardest coz I couldn't do anything about his grief. I could only support him through it.

***Did you go to the same school?
Nope. He went to Xavier University, Ateneo de Cagayan from high school to college. I went to Corpus Christi and then UP.

***Are you from the same home town?
Nope. He's a city boy. I'm a provincial lass.

***Who is smarter?
:) IQ-wise, he is. He's top 11 of the Mechanical Eng'g board exams. EQ-wise, I am :) I think hehe

***Who is the most sensitive?
He is. But he's no cry baby. I'm more insensitive about things that I say...but I cry a lot! LOL

***Where do you eat out most as a couple?
We like sugba and ihaw a lot. Mostly Filipino food.

***Where is the farthest you two have traveled together as a couple?
Singapore

***Who has the worst temper?
I'm pikon, he's not. But when he get angry, he is very scary.

***Who does the cooking?
The yaya mostly. On weekends, when we like to have good food, the hubs does. He does a mean sisig! I'm still trying to learn how to cook hehe So girls, don't believe when they say that you can't get married until you learn how to cook! LOL

***Who is the neat-freak?
I am. When I saw his room for the first time, I wanted to clean it up before we got down to business hehe

***Who hogs the bed?
He does. I only get a teeny weeny bit of sleeping space lol

***Who wakes up earlier?
Me mostly.

***Where was your first date?
At the Ultra, to watch PBA

***Who is more jealous?
I'm not sure. Maybe he is. I'm not jealous type...I think

***How long did it take to get serious?
Pretty quick when we decided to be together.

***Who eats more?
He does on the whole. But I like eating little snacks :)


***Who does the laundry?
The Yaya. But on days when we don't have a yaya, it's me. Hey, we have to share chores. He cooks, while I wash

***Who's better with the computer?
Him. But I type waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay faster than he does.

***Who drives when you are together?
Mostly he does. But when I work from home and we pick him up from work, I do.

My boy's 3 and happy

This little one turned 3 last Feb 4th. It was a Wednesday and he had classes that day, so we trooped to his class bringing Filipino spaghetti (the sweet one), chicken lollipops, Lightning McQueen birthday cake, party hats and favors. He enjoyed it a bit, but wasn't feeling too well. He did muster enough air to blow out his birthday candle.

Isn't he sweet? Sometimes I still get delightfully shocked of the things he does and says. One time I asked him to throw a paper to the garbage bin while we were both watching TV. He said "Sorry Mom, I'm watching TV". Wadda say to that? :D He's grown so fast!

Being a Mommy, I used to sing to him to lull him to sleep. He doesn't need my singing anymore, but likes me to read him a story at bed time. Recently, I was suffering from migraine and was resting inside the bedroom. He came in looking for me, and told him I was "yayay" (meaning I'm sick) and so I asked that he sing to me and sang "Happy Birthday, Dumbo" to me :)

He answers "Mahal kita" when I tell him I love him. When hubs and I go out without him, he tells us "Kyan cried" when we get home. He refuses to talk to me when I'm away travelling. He sings "ABC" and "Twinkle twinkle" in a heart beat. He hugs a lot when he's happy, but still likes to box or kick when angry.

He's always going to be my little boy. I still pray the same prayer when I was pregnant with him. Every morning I pray that God bless and keep him safe at all times. Every night I pray that he grow up to be a good person, loving, caring, respectful, smart, kind and helpful. Today at lunch, I told him that he should eat on his own since he's already 3, he reminded me that "Kyan is a small boy Mommy". And I glance at him and indeed, he's still a small boy.

Happy 3rd birthday little bugoy! Mommy will love you always, always.

The good, the great and the trying

Marriage is certainly not a bed of roses. I’ve been married almost 4 years now and everyday is still a new beginning. There are good days, great days & trying days.

Good days are when you are happily contented with each other. Good days mean just sitting beside each other, minding your own way, loving each other, giving each other back rubs, foot massages and exchanging ideas. Good days make you feel good about your husband, and just by looking at him, you instantly remember why you feel in love. Good days are understanding each other faults, accepting them, nourishing each other’s thoughts. Good days are laughing about silly things, enjoying each other’s sense of humor, embracing each other’s differences.

Great days are when you make love any chance you can get :) Great days are spent enveloped in love, when nothing you say or do can dampen the mood. Great days are when you love his family and he loves yours too. Great days are when you are both in agreement. Great days are when you don’t need to say anything to be heard. Great days are days of endless laughter, crying from too much laughing. Great days are making your own traditions, or inheriting great traditions. Great days make you fall in love all over again. Great days give you more reasons why you love him.

And then there are trying days. You try to put yourself in his shoes, and see things from his side. You try to remember that anger will not get your point across. You try to remember what the point was. You try to keep your patience when it too difficult to hear him. You try to say that it’s not the battle, it’s the war. You try to think that you love this man, and you try to make it work.

Take marriage a day at a time. Not everyday is the same. There are moods and emotions involved. There are highs and lows. So you just go with the flow, as they say when the going gets tough, the tough gets going. Right.