Semi-Hiatus

It’s been a whole lot of fun - the beach vacation. We spent 4 days and 3 nights by the beach and we have the tan to prove it. The Fisherman had a great time fishing whenever he felt like it. He was rewarded with 25 pieces of blue fish that are now comfortably encased in gallon ziploc bags, waiting to be devoured by the family.
We went with another family which made it more fun and cost effective. We brought pre-cooked meals that we can just microwave whenever needed. I baked enough cupcakes, bread and pastries enough to food an army. Soda, juice and milk and some wine and beer washed ‘em all down and we were content and happy. At least we didn’t have to think about what to cook for the next meal, nor did we spend time making them. Instead it was all a walk to the beach, the kids catching the waves and me and my Mommy friend soaking up the sun underneath a beach umbrella. The sand in our toes, me and my straw hat and a bottle of ice cold water. We took in the scene - young men and women parading in their bikinis and surf shorts, all tan and buff. My friend and I looked at them and reminisced about the days when we were just as fit and trim. Ahhh, youth.

Going back home, we were bombarded with the reality of life once again - SOLs, housework, office work and what-have-yous. We once again fell in the routine of our daily lives. And looked forward to another vacation in the distant future.

TheFisherman and I decided to forgo with our home improvement projects. We opted to build memories instead. And so yes, the money that would have gone to the projects will now go to vacations and spending time with the family. It’s a better investment that a beautiful patio or a flagstoned stoop.

School will be out for the Tweens in just a few days, June 12th to be exact. And they are counting down the days while I am still reeling from the fact that school lets out early this year.

The MIL’s visit has been postponed due to a health related cause. And now it looks like my BIL might come with her too.

Overall, it has been crazy in our household lately. I wish I can crunch more hours in a day. But for now I will survive. And brace myself for what is to come.

I might not be able to blog a lot, if at all, for a while. I will try my best. I miss “visiting” my blogger friends and reading about their lives and stories. I will do so one day once the craziness has died down. For now I will be on semi-hiatus. Hope y’all have a great summer!

Off to the Beach

It’s the Memorial Day weekend- the unofficial start of summer and we are celebrating! We are off to the beach where we rented a quaint cottage. No internet, nothing fancy schmanzy, just good old summer fun. We will awake to the sounds of the waves and soak in the sun. TheFisherman will be so happy again and the boys will build sandcastles or sand sculptures or whatever it is they can mold with their hands. I will be along the sidelines, taking in the scene, book in hand and getting a tan.

For a while we will forget the home improvement projects, the Verizon people who digged and bore holes in our front yard. Yes, the same front yard we painstakingly tried to revive by dumping with a truckful of dirt. Where we spent about 5 weeknights shovelling and dumping and leveling everything off. The front yard that delivered - as evidenced by the green soft grass that finally grew and thrived. The green green grass that TheFisherman coveted for a long time now. The same spot the Verizon people decided they will bore holes in and install wires under.

But we will forget about that.

For now the truck is packed with the fishing gear and a 3 days worth of clothes and food. We will savor this vacation as much as we can.

Hope you all have a great weekend as well!

 

picture is of a cross stitch piece I made. It says:

Remember summer at the beach
feeding gulls just out of reach
clouds of animals drifting by
changing places in the sky
It borders on a shameful crime
to leave our childhood summertime

~~~~D. Morgan~~~~~

Scenes from a Florida Vacation

St. Augustine, FL - the oldest city in the US

A tree we saw by the road. Love the spanish moss!

Boats at St. Augustine

At the lake

A fishing scene

A circle of slippers at the beach

Jacksonville beach

At the beach

Going Away for a Va-cay!

I will be away on a va-cay! The boys and I will be visiting my sister and my nieces in Florida. Yup,  sunshine state here we come! And while we’re excited to be swimming every day and playing with the babies, we are saddened by the fact that DH will be left behind. Only for 2 weeks though. And then he’ll follow us there where he’ll stay for one week with the rest of the family. This is the first time that we’ll be apart for this long. The longest time we’ve been apart has been 3 days. boohoohoo

It’s bittersweet really, this vacation. We’re so excited to see the babies but at the same time we feel sad that Daddy will come home to an empty house. But it is only for 2 weeks. So wish us luck!

Proudly Philippine Made

Here are some things I have that are made in the Philippines. These products are really well made and perfect for summer.

The big bag has wooden handles and is being used to hold magazines and newspapers. I bought a lot of the wine bags which comes in handy for gifts. I just buy wine and put it in there. The gift-receiver loves it!

Clay Earrings
These were sent to me by my Mom. I have about 6 of these I think, some are orchids. I wished they made necklace/bracelets combo instead because I don’t wear the earrings. I’ve gotten lots of compliments on these. Unfortunately, my Mom cannot find the people who make these anymore.

This is my most favorite sandals. Made of handwoven grass/hemp and accented with wooden beads, nothing can be more natural than this. I wear it everywhere and goes with my summer wardrobe of shorts/skirt and t-shirt/blouse.

I wish that more products from the Philippines are exported. The quality is up to par, if not better than the ones made in China. When I see items that were made in China, I cringe. I know the Philippines can make it better. Such a shame that we are passed on for cheap labor than better quality. Hopefully one day, exporters can see the light and create more jobs for Filipinos.

Life Lessons Courtesy of A Camping Trip

picture taken of a barn on the way to the campsite

1. You can never have too many bottles of Off insect/mosquito repellent
2. Bring a jacket, the weather gets crazy sometimes. The sunny horizon does not necessarily mean sun. It just might be the polluted air from the nearby city.
3. Exposing your legs to get a tan works better in beaches, not camping trips. You run the risk of getting mosquito bites the size of Texas or as plentiful as the 7100 islands of the Philippines.
4. Load up on water. For brushing your teeth, drinking, washing, you name it.
5. Check if your tent really is waterproof. Just because it came from Sears doesn’t mean it is.
6. Kids will run around and behave like kids running amok. Even the most well behaved ones turn into cavemen when they’re in nature.
7. The mere sight of a body of water inspires kids to soak up all their body parts. Make sure you bring lots of change in clothes.
8. You will discover certain species of insects and animals you never encountered before in your life.
9. That small black piece of something might not be charcoal.  
10. Despite all the mosquito bites, dirty kids, long drive and yucky insects they caught, the sight of your kids happy and content makes it all worthwhile.

Our First Camping Trip

We just got back from our very first camping trip. Exhausted but happy and content, my kids ask for the Caladryl to rub on their mosquito bites. They don’t complain how itchy, red and bumpy the ugly marks are. For them I think it is more or less a testament to the fun they had.

This trip was our very first. We’ve planned so many times to go camping but decided against it for a number of reasons:
1. the kids were much too young
2. we didn’t want to go alone
3. have you heard and read all those horror stories about camping trips??? one child was snatched from his tent by a bear!

But we decided to throw caution to the wind and went ahead with our plans. We went with 4 other families. There is still  safety in numbers so we thought we’d be fine. And we’re glad we did. It was such a great experience! The campsite was built like a cul-de-sac so the individual campsites were almost facing each other and the bathroom was centrally located. Okay, so there was a bathroom. And electricity. We cannot live without those two. Let’s break it gently, shall we? Let’s not be harsh here. We are about a few more weeks shy of roughing it.

The camping trip was planned and paid for months in advance. Friday went on without a hitch, the boys enjoyed themselves! And by boys, I mean the 2 sons and the DH! For once, we were in a place where the boys can roam free without the fear of strangers lurking in the shadows or being run over by a speeding car. Okay, so I might be exaggerating just a teeny, tiny bit.

It was really liberating for them. They played with all the other kids we went with. Food was plentiful, as if we were preparing for the great famine or feeding an army. The boys went fishing, crabbing and swimming. I took pictures and ate and talked to the other Moms and ate and  just relaxed. I think I just gained 5 pounds. But, oh well, so what?

Summer Mornings

It’s the second week of summer and so far, it’s been okay.
I try my best to keep the boys occupied.
The first few days after school was out- was bliss!
We didn’t have to wake up early and my 10 year old loved sleeping until 9-9:30 a.m.,
DS2 would wake up earlier but will just crawl in bed with me and fall asleep again.
That right there was a great moment.
When you just settle under the covers in soft, smooth blankets 
with your child in your arms.
We wake up and lazily decide what to eat for breakfast. 
They settle on cereal or pandesal (Philippine roll) and milk.
We all read while eating breakfast.
The newspaper gets automatically divided in sections -
the funnies for DS1,
the kid’s post (the kid’s version of the Washington Post) for DS2
and the Metro section for me.
We silently flip through the pages, chomping in between.
For a while, time is suspended and we think of nothing.
We finish off our breakfast and the kids dart to their respective places-
DS1 in the basement
and DS2 in the playroom.
I stay at the kitchen table.
And take in the moment.

Scenes of the First Day of Summer

Summer officially started on June 21st here in North America. We decided to go biking and walk along the Huntley Meadows Park. What best way to spend it than to commune with nature. Here are some pictures:

(Pardon the quality as I have yet to figure out how to do the alignment without messing up the pic.)