Is It Christmas Yet?

Every year, mi esposo and I prepares a 3-item wish list. We then grant 1 item from the opposing list which will turn as our gift for the other. This year was a bit different, we had an unplanned Christmas shopping and brought each other gifts even before the list was jotted. We also bought a shared gift for the kiddos, which I really, really like. Super early as it is, it is expected that someone will be itchy to open his present, guess who he was.. 

 

 

No other than, the youngest (at heart), mi esposo himself. Every day he peeks at his present and tells me how excited he is to finally opening it. After 2 weeks of abstinence, he really cannot control it and finally gave-in to his hunger and begged me to let him open his unwrapped present. He wore it on the same day.

 

Hay, kids are really impatient with things like this, they can’t wait.         

His' is the Best

There are times when I feel God doesn’t hear my prayer. There’s this typical afternoon.. okay, let me first define what's typical afternoon for me is – it is the time of the day wherein my kiddos are having their mid-day nap and I am free to do the not-taking-care-of-kids-related things like washing of feeding bottles, cooking, washing baby’s cloths, ironing and cleaning (we’re maid-less remember?) within the timeframe of their naptime.

 

So, on to my story, there’s this typical afternoon where my mind was bombarded with piled-up chores, I incessantly prayed to have it all done and have the luxury of at least 10 minutes rest before 1 of the kiddos wakes up. I was on the middle of the last task when suddenly Dos awakes. I took him and proceeded to the same corner of the bed, our usual feeding spot, only now with cloths ready to be ironed on it. Feeling upset knowing that I will not be able to finish the ironing and will have no time to stretch a bit, I knew I had an unanswered prayer. Staring at the cloths in front of me, I realized I was so relaxed. It was the most comforting feeding time ever. Dos immediately went back to sleep after he finished his milk and I was able to finish my work plus a bonus of 30 minutes break before Uno wakes up.

 

Sure God did not answer my prayer but He gave me better – an in-between break plus a culminating rest. How could I? Of course, His plan is always better than mine.   

Stress-Free December

I learned that the company I previously worked for had their Christmas party already. As I was browsing their uploaded photos over Facebook, I can’t help but be nostalgic of my days as an accountant. Yes, I am an accountant before I served the government and be the President’s typist. lol Going back, I know December is a busy month for us in the Finance Department, this is the time where the Book of Accounts are closed and the start of preparation of year-end financial reports for its submission to BIR. We almost always talk about taxes and irs form and other accounting "technical" terms. Hah, so tiring and stressful, I’m glad they already had their party and had fun before their 24-hour shift kicks-in. I’m also glad I won’t need to spend overnights in the office as well just to beat a deadline. Well, I guess being a typist has its perks too. Hehe

As to my present employer, I was touched to receive an sms invite for our Yuletide Party. It was so nice of them to remember me and asks my presence even though I’m on leave. They said I am welcome to tag my kiddos along which made me more excited. I just hope we could attend.

Reward System

December is the most rewarding month of the year, money wise. It is where the bonus and extra bonuses are expected to be received. My employer (who happened to be the Philippine Government) is about to implement a new basis in giving extra bonus next year. It will be a performance-based bonuses which can range from P5000-P35,000 per employee. I am not sure of how the new productivity assessment will work but I am sure it would be a cause of arguments between co-employees once it is implemented. I mean, can you really say that there’s good, better, best office in 1 organization? I still believe that every office must be working together to achieve the mandate of the agency as a whole and should not compete with each other for the sake of getting the “best” reward. Oh, but it was carefully deliberated by genius minds, I am sure my judgement is wrong and the plan would turn out to be beneficial to all ends.

 

Well, that’s for 2013, for the meantime I think I must collect all the TimothySkykes updates I can get and be able to put my best penny stocks online so that I don’t need to rely on whatever monetary assessment my employer will give me.

10 Days After...

My birthday and my surgery I was able to go out by force again. Although it is not advisable for my condition to travel far, I took a chance and gave mi esposo a nod knowing he was planning for it the whole time. It was so sweet of him to prepare some sort of a reward for my successful delivery (and my birthday as well) and who am I to refuse such offer. But going out means being away from my newborn which gave me a mixed feeling of excitement and the lack of it. But if there’s one good thing from the said time out, well aside from the sumptuous Corniche Lunch Buffet experience, was that it led us to individual insights and newer prospective, pretty petty but yes beneficial for us.

After our lunch, we headed to scout for a 7-seater vehicle, finally. The one we have right now is a 5-seater sedan which can only accommodate the 4 of us (think of a 2 spacious car seats) and no room for any other passengers like the nannies. I was telling mi esposo the need to replace it since time immemorial but it’s only now that he figured it out and became eager to meet his growing family’s demand. We are actually selling our present car (2009 Honda Civic 1.8s) to meet this need, if interested and for complete specification you can leave a comment.

As for me, I just realized I need to start losing my pregnancy belly. They say it will not lose until you wear a binder which I am refusing until that day. But since I figured none of my clothes fit my tummy still, I need to do something about it or else I’ll need to spend the precious family income to buy new set. 

I hope everything materializes in no time, hopefully lesser than 10 days after this posting.

Domesticated Gods

I gave birth a week ago (October 26 to be exact, a day before my birthday) to a bouncing baby boy (ultrasounds are accurate after all.lol). Mi esposo, myself and so as bebe uno cannot be more blissful with this new addition to our family. I am so glad with the reception uno is giving dos, she does not show jealousy or whatever. She’s so loving and attentive with his needs and provides him affection that she can give. I am also thankful that I am recovering faster as compared to my 1st surgery. I didn’t endure the pain longer than the usual and can perform my normal routine just few days after. Unfortunately, mi esposo cannot enjoy his 2 weeks paternity leave as planned. Our househelp left us unexpectedly a week before my delivery which left him with no choice but to be the domesticated gods.

Having mi esposo during these times is like having a stock simulator. You can entrust him with everything yet you’ll still get a service with a smile. I especially admire him during this trying time because he gets the full load and still has the guts to be enduring and uncomplaining. He’s even more patient now with uno’s tantrums and is very sensitive to her feelings.

 

His paternity leave is about to expire and it will be my time to be the goddess, I can do it of course, it’s all about WallStreetSurvivor if you’d ask me. The only problem is the kids and I are going to miss him and I cannot help but be emotional every time I think of that.

 

I just hope he’s not excited to report for work just so he can avoid the chores.lol

Oh, How to Do? What to Do?

I’m back! Not literally though, I was never gone (yet) anyway, it’s just that I made some reconsiderations yesterday and now back to my old cramming style. I have decided since last year that I will not throw a party for mi bebe’s 2nd birthday but with a little sun kiss from mi esposo’s lunch blowout, I changed my mind and in a snap wanted to give her one now. In less than 2 weeks of preparation and with my present condition (about to give birth next week), I feel so positively helpless. Positive because my mind is still in proper order to instruct and decide while helpless because I need a dummy to do things for me. This is obtainable I still believe, the only problem I am seeing is that nobody matches my good taste (ehem), I’ll just have to remind myself to be forgiving and be lesser OC. Hehe

Warning to all possible attendees: this would not be as grand-fabulous as her 1st birthday because 1) budget constraints – I am giving birth remember?, and it’s by CS session which is more costly; 2) I do not have my hands on it; and 3) limited preparation time. Good thing mi esposo okayed my proposal but with the condition of: it must entail lesser work for me (being in the recovery stage) and for him (being the doting caregiver). That leads me to 4) expect a generic fast food chain party, when I say generic it means everything is fast food chain bought items (from food, prizes, loot bag, mascot and decors) and 5) it would be near our house which is in Bulacan.   

So tomorrow we are to scout on nearby fast food chains and inquire about their party packages then we’ll decide on what theme we’ll have for her, so far her current fascinations are Spongebob, Dora and Hello Kitty we will be sticking to one of those. Since me and esposo already agreed, I just hope to get a thumbs up from our dear budget as well (that one would be the hardest to convince).