bumblepaws

2004-05-18T01:59:00.000+08:00

"WHAT ARE THE MOST IMPORTANT LESSONS YOU LEARNED FROM YOUR MOTHER?"

Note: This piece is the unedited version of an e-mail i sent as an answer, just for fun. :) And, to my (delighted) surprise, they e-mailed me back to inform me that it actually WON for us a pair of GC's to California Nails & Day Spa. Cool, huh? ;)

As I was growing up, a few of the most important lessons my mom taught me which I've kept in mind were:

1) Never talk to strangers. (Unless you're with Mom/Dad/Sister/Lola/or any nosy relative. ) - Which explains why they're mostly around whenever "some guy" goes to our house to visit. ;)

2) Always do your BEST. It doesnt matter whether you win or lose, as long as you know that you gave it all you've got. - Although, it doesnt hurt to add a "beam of pride" to my mom's loving face, whenever she comes onstage to share in my glory.

3) Always look your best. (Even if you're just going out for groceries.) -Though I'm often tempted to go outside with barely a glance at the mirror, I remember being a bit more attentive with the way I look since mom has better luck charming vendors into giving her bigger discounts because she looks "pretty & decent". :)

4) We are NOT the weaker sex. - Muscles aside, I've learned through my mom how to be strong on the INSIDE, where it counts, when it counts the most. And I learned how one should be "tactful & persuasive" when a guy's ideas or decisions are not-so-good after all. ;)

5) A SMILE is the second best thing you can give out for FREE. (LOVE being the first one, of course.) - My mom is the friendliest, "smiliest" person I know. And people just adore her for it. :) We love the way she lights up our day, seeing her with her eyes crinkled up and her perfect smile greeting us as we trudged to the breakfast table. With that, we realized just how POWERFUL a single act of love can be, and promised ourselves to share as much of it as we can to our loved ones, every single day. :)

Actually, our mom taught us even more life-saving lessons in the past, from which we've survived most of the crisis (real and imagined) in our lives. We're really blessed to have such a beautiful, smart, understanding and supportive mom! :)

And now that I'm a mother myself, my only wish is that I'd be able to love, care for, and teach MY children the way she did. And become the SUPERMOM that she is. :)

2004-05-18T01:21:00.000+08:00

"A CALL TO SERVE"

Below is an edited version of a letter I wrote out to somebody near and dear. :)

"Right now, i'm somewhat waiting for a sign or a way to start DOING something, kasi i really dont know the best way to go about it. :(
Anyways, i "felt" the call to serve nung high school pa nga, though i dismissed it as maybe a "brainwash effect" of Canossa. :P
Tapos, i "felt/heard" it again around college (can't exactly remember when though), and i thought back "saka na lang po sana, dami ko pa po kasing dapat gawin (for my family, for others, etc),pag natapos ko na po yon, i'm all yours na, promise!" Tapos, i tried putting it out of my head na. Pero it still enters my mind everytime i reflect (religiously) alone, either in Church, or wherever, pero esp.when i'm specifically on "one-on-one quiet time" with Him. Tapos, since i was a bit busy the past few years, i didnt get to do those quiet times anymore, kaya i forgot all about it na and thought maybe He found another one to help Him and forgot about my "promise" too. I should've known better. ;P
Last sunday, when ate malou went with me to hear jay's lecture in a protestant church that morning (muntik pa nga that i wasnt able to attend because i woke up late, mga 830am, e usapan sana is they will daanan me at 9am, so i told them to go ahead na lang and wished jay goodluck na lang) Later that morning, ate malou texted me and told me to text her whenever im ready to go na lang, kasi she wont be able to make it on time din naman kasi she had to help her bro-in-law who's getting discharged from the hospital at that time. In short, sabay na lang daw kami when we go to church kasi kakahiya din daw to go there by herself esp. since she's late na, di ba?
Anyways, the lecture was really okay, even ate malou couldnt believe her cousin was that good na pala raw. Pero we all know naman that it's the Spirit who guides him (and us whenever we are inspired) to say the right words, to be able to touch other people's lives. Tapos, bandang huli of his lecture, he asked us to close our eyes and pray and reflect. And i couldnt understand nor remember much of what he's said right after i closed my eyes, kasi instantly, upon clearing my head of any thoughts, i heard a voice in my head saying, "He's calling you... He's calling you." And it hit me so hard (bukod kasi na familiar ang lines, it made me remember INSTANTLY of what it was I was trying to avoid for such a long time na), that i couldnt help but cry right there and then. Buti na lang most of the people had their eyes closed din. :) And some might think that i was deeply touched by the prayers/lectures, but the truth was, the voices in my head (the one calling and my own voice in my head, replying to that voice) are already taking up most of my concentration then. I answered finally, "Sige na nga! Sige na, do to me what you will. I'll do my best to serve you and make you proud of me too. Tutal i know naman that you have always been with me all this time." And when I've thought about that later that day, it really is TRUE, He has been blessing me and helping me (not only me, but our family and love ones too, di ba?) all these times, tapos, that ONE single thing he's been asking me na for matagal na, i couldnt give Him pa? I dont think it's fair to make him wait any longer pa, di ba? I now doubt if our duties for each other would EVER be finished naman talaga, kasi you really NEVER STOP loving, and when you LOVE, you CARE for them. But we should never put God aside just to be able to do these things. Kasi our LOVE comes from Him in the first place naman, di ba? Ignoring His call would be like ignoring the One who Loves us the Most. And i dont think i can do that any more. So i prayed that He would show me how to start, where to start. For now, i could only think of my poems, and my letters. But i hope to be able to touch more lives in the near future rin. :) The world needs more "Light" nowadays, dont you think? So ideally, we should do our share in spreading His Love and Inspiration to as many "hungry"(for His Love) souls as we possibly can,kahit in small ways man lang, it could "snowball" din naman into something BIGGER than what we imagined it to be. :)

Well, I dont know what else to say. Just pray not only for me, but for us ALL, that He'd always stay with us and guide us to His Purpose. :)"

2004-05-11T06:48:00.000+08:00

WANT AD

Recent turn of events have made me thankful that I'm a SINGLE mom. :) A friend recommended me this site and THIS is my "recommended" want ad :

"Energetic, spontaneous, separated Italian opera buff. 5ft 8in, 29 year old toy inventor. Expert in yoga, sleeping in and spontaneous getaways. Hopes to find a dark-skinned, hot, upbeat professional who appreciates working out and music. If you beat me at arm wrestling, I'm yours."

So, do you have anybody you can recommend? ;)

2004-04-06T21:59:00.000+08:00

A SLIGHT CHANGE IN PLANS...
My Lola (mother side) passed away last night. :(
We saw it coming, but we didnt really expect it to be so soon. The only thing that gives us consolation is the dream I had a few weeks back...
There was a reunion of sorts in our house, but most of the people were wearing dark clothes, except for my lolo (who passed away even before Mikko was born) and lola was standing behind him, wearing a dark-colored dress. My lolo was wearing this horizontally striped red and white sando and he smiled and said, "Wala man lang bang yakap dyan?" So i hugged him... and cried my eyes out, as in, my body was shaking because of the sudden release of emotions. He hugged me back and patted me, saying "Tama na yan, maaayos din lahat ng 'yan." When we pulled apart, lola led the way towards the door na with lolo.
Somehow, after that dream, I've really left lola's life in God's hands na lang, kasi either way, she'd be okay, di ba? I just hope she's happy na with lolo.
...On the other hand, I know she will be, if not already. :)

2004-03-10T17:26:00.000+08:00

Another Happy Thought!!!

Mikko is Baby of the Week at momsworld !!! Cool!!! :)

And just wait for GH Philippines' May-June ish! You'll definitely be in for a surprise. Even I myself would be. ;) I have LOTS to tell you guys, just gotta find more time for it. :( But I'll try within the week to catch up on 3 months' news. :) Later!

2004-03-10T17:21:00.000+08:00

Just As I Suspected...

Heart of Crystal

What is Your Heart REALLY Made of?
brought to you by Quizilla

...almost like ICE!!! ;)

2004-01-13T12:13:00.000+08:00

HAPPY (CHINESE) NEW YEAR!!! ;D

Complete sincerity: You believe in being
straightforward with others, and you expect the
same from them. People would consider you a
good listener, and one who is calm and mostly
serious.

...It's been almost a month since my last post. And boy, a LOT has happened since then! :D

First up, I won a pair of tickets to Disney on Ice's "Beauty and the Beast" show at Araneta Coliseum for Dec.30. :D My mom, sis jac, bro & mikko all got to watch, since we'd only have to pay for only 2 more tickets anyways. :) I checked out www.disneychannel-asia.com one fine day, and saw they had a contest going on and so i thought, "What have i got to lose,right?" :) And just as I was about to forget I entered their contest, what should arrive at our house? A JRS Express envelope containing, yup, a voucher for 2 FREE TICKETS!!! :D
Then I won in a raffle draw held by the local water district, P500 worth of Groceries! Cool! It really helped with our Noche Buena & Media Noche feasts. :D

2003-12-18T06:08:00.000+08:00

MIKKO'S FIRST PAYCHECK

Hey! It seems Mikko got "compensated" for his modeling gig last August after all! :D

His pictorial with SmartParenting Magazine at SummitMedia's Office in Galleria, appeared in SP's Nov-Dec. issue with this cover:

Anyways, I got a text message from their Sales Dept. informing me to call them last Saturday for further details regarding the Gift Cheque and when we got to talk, they made me choose on Richwell, Bench, Orange, Speedo, etc. My mind stopped on Richwell though, since I thought that I'd be able to buy Mikko one of those Fisher-Price toys he's been drooling over everytime we go to the mall. :P
Many thanks to Ninang Ting for picking up the GC! :D Now we can buy our very own BRATZ dolls! Er, I mean, MIKKO's very own OVER-PRICED TOY!!! :D

2003-12-18T05:20:00.000+08:00

CHRISTMAS WISHES AND GIFT-GIVING

I have just about finished decorating the mugs that would contain the "surprise gift" we will be distributing our cousins this Christmas. :D Though it usually left me sleeping at around 3am, and drying them overnight, I'm really very happy with the outcome of the "project"! ;)
Now if I'd only be able to find time to wrap the OTHER gifts we'll be giving away... :P

2003-12-18T05:14:00.000+08:00

You are Form 0, Phoenix: The Eternal.

"And The Phoenix's cycle had reached
zenith, so he consumed himself in fire. He
emerged from his own ashes, to be forever
immortal."

Some examples of the Phoenix Form are Quetzalcoatl
(Aztec), Shiva (Indian), and Ra-Atum
(Egyptian).
The Phoenix is associated with the concept of life,
the number 0, and the element of fire.
His sign is the eclipsed sun.

As a member of Form 0, you are a determined
individual. You tend to keep your sense of
optomism, even through tough times and have a
positive outlook on most situations. You have
a way of looking at going through life as a
journey that you can constantly learn from.
Phoenixes are the best friends to have because
they cheer people up easily.

Which Mythological Form Are You?
brought to you by Quizilla

Hmm...It seems me and tingtong have even THIS in common. Soulmates nga yata lan, 'tong! :D

2003-12-08T06:32:00.000+08:00

SAN PABLO COMICS FESTIVAL

Thank God it didn't rain!!! :)
And it had a successful turnout. Kuya Gerry and Co. really did their jobs well. They made up the place so that it would still have that "nature-y" feel to it, yet it looks better than those snobby exhibits some people have at the malls. :)
And the food aint bad either. (And I'm not saying this just because my mom was the one who did the food service there. Honest!) I wish you guys got to taste the macaroons me and tingtong baked(we stayed up til 3am just to finish the whole batch!), I got to taste it much later, at the festival na. It turns out mas masarap pala pag malamig-lamig na. We tasted the "rejects" (not so pretty-looking ones) kasi about a few minutes after they came from the oven, so it stuck to the paper a bit pa.
Anyways, I dint get to do the facepainting since Mikko always insisted on "assisting" me and ended up wanting to "paint" the walls instead. :)
Will post pics soon...

2003-12-01T12:28:00.000+08:00

BLUE FAIRY

You're the Spring Fairy
You are beautiful, happy and cheerful, the PERFECT friend or soulmate.
Anyone would love to be in your pretty Springfields!!
Which Beautiful Amy Brown Fairy Are You? (with pretty pics)
brought to you by Quizilla

Cool!!! ;P

2003-12-01T03:35:00.000+08:00

NEW LOOK!!!

Finally worked out the glitch in the new template! Like it? :) I know, I know. You've seen enough pink bloggies to last you a lifetime... But I guess another one won't hurt, right? :) Besides, I even made a matching tag board! Cute, di ba? ;)

COCO'S FIRST BIRTHDAY PARTY

Went to Tiaong, Quezon (me, mikko, marwin and nonoy) for my kumare's son's(and mikko's playmate's) birthday party. It was a big one, and as expected, a LOT of kids came. Even if the houses there are few and far between, the kids walked all the way to grina's house, just to attend the party. That's why when we arrived, mikko didnt have any other balloon left for him(thanks to those "greedy" grownups who took home 5 balloons and food, too!grrr!) :( But anyways, we got a loot bag, and even a fingerboard too, if only it wasn't taken by somebody else too, while we weren't looking. *sigh* I guess it can't be helped, especially with a large crowd around the house.
One of the good things that happened there though, was that me and my college friends got to catch up again on each other's lives. :) How I missed them so! We mostly talked and talked even during the ride home (they came with us to san pablo, all 7 of us squished into the car, including nonoy!), and mikko just slept after eating his bread stix. Grown-up chat lang daw kasi. :) I got to show them mikko's magazine pictures for the latest SmartParenting Magazine. If you still don't have a copy, I suggest you get one NOW, especially if you have/like/care for kids. He's the one in the "AgeByAge" feature for ages 1-2, the "Finicky(?) Eater". :)

2003-11-28T11:53:00.000+08:00

TAG! ;)

Helped tingtong out with her tagboard! She saw my tagboard and wanted a colored-customized board too. You can see her blog here.
And I have another blog, for "serious(?)" stuff. I'm still thinking of something worthwhile to post, though. ;P Stay tuned!

2003-11-25T02:09:00.000+08:00

AT LAST!!!

Yehey!!! I got to change my BLOG Template!!! Cool!!! :)
Actually, it's not exactly what I intended to do, but it's still okay to me. At least, it's different from the default ones. :) And I added a Tag Board, too. Please help me test this thing out, ok? Thanks! :)

2003-11-25T00:54:00.000+08:00

BLOG MAKEOVER

I am currently in the process of giving my blog a makeover, just to see if I could. :) Some of the pics don't work though, so I'd have to check into it asap. It's my first time working with HTML Codes/Templates, so excuse the "amateurish" effort. But I really, really, REALLY HOPE this would work. It would be sooo cool! Don't you think so? :)

2003-11-24T02:19:00.000+08:00

Dusting Off the Cobwebs in my Brain

I read about It Pays To Learn in a friend's blog, and I'd have to agree that the quickest way to earn points is through the Spelling category. :) If you think of giving it a try, please put me as your referror, ok? :) My ID number's "ALE141". Goodluck!!!

2003-11-24T01:37:00.000+08:00

Broken

It's a bit "weird" how you can "feel" what your son feels sometimes. And along with all the joy and mischief you see in his eyes, as he alternately sits on your tummy and kisses you on the lips to wake you up (Hmm...I'm not sure whether he's been watching too many fairytale movies, or trying to "resuscitate" me back to reality?), you feel your heart break as well whenever you see him sad or disappointed.
Just yesterday, as we were sitting on the living room floor and watching TV, waiting for Tiny Planets to come on, Mikko approached me and handed me something I didnt recognize immediately. It turned out to be the front wheel of a toy motorcycle (I bought about 2 saturdays ago) that he REALLY LOVED to play with, which got broken off while he was "zooming" it along the floor. He wants me to fix it--NOW. And it's not like my saliva has the consistency of glue (though I wished then that it were, seeing how he looked at me and expected me to create "magic", right then and there!), so I mentally raced through my available resources:
Glue? Too weak.
Mighty Bond? None at the moment.
Scotch Tape? Just ran out of them.
Masking Tape? Hmm...A bit obvious, but it'll have to do. For the moment, at least. ;)
So there I was, putting masking tape in and around the front wheel's joint, while mikko was curiously looking on, probably wondering why his mom's putting tape on his motorbike instead of REALLY fixing it. *sigh* I swore I'd buy him another, sturdier, wheeled-thingie (he really likes them nowadays) next time.

To The TIANGGE We Go...

So last Saturday, the first thing I looked for was the bigger, sturdier-looking scooter at the toy section. Even if, just 2 days ago, I bought him a big, blue plastic toy truck from South Supermarket (Los Baños) which he also loved to fling, i mean "zoom" around the living room, that is. Unfortunately, they already ran out of it, and so I had to settle for 2 medium-sized toy cars, just so he could have something new to zoom around with. :)

SWEET TEETH

Speaking of...

discover what candy you are @ quiz me

I think Mikko got me and my dad's "sweet tooth", instantly recognizing and gobbling up Chocolate Coins, Hershey's Kisses and even Choki-Choki Sticks! ;P So in order for us BOTH to avoid having early diabetes, I try to regulate the amount WE eat in a week. Usually around 5 times a week... or so. Heheheh. :)

2003-11-12T01:58:00.000+08:00

Shopping Alone...

Decided to go out and do some of the things I've been meaning to do for a long time now. Was planning to bring Mikko to McDo to play, but the poor kid fell asleep after his afternoon snack. :( And since I'm already dressed up, I just went ahead and asked Ting to keep an eye and an ear out for him. :)
Caught a jeep, got off at the SPMall, dropped by Mommy Plus to talk to Tita Linda a bit, went to Odyssey and bought a pair of microphones (to foster Mikko's budding entertainment career, so that he wouldnt have to grab the folding umbrella and gnaw at the handle while trying to sing a few verses of that F4 song he loves- Oh baby, baby, baby! My baby,baby!.."), a few VCDs on sale (The Tigger Movie, Recess All Growed Down & Elmo's World:Babies, Dogs & More), and a lens cleaner for the DVD.

Afterwards, thought of buying Wanwan that "Hey Arnold:The Movie" DVD I saw last week. Turned out somebody already bought it. :(
Bought other DVD's from the other stall instead : Sinbad:Legend of the 7 seas animated movie, Hero (Jet Li), Stitch!The Movie (sequel to Lilo&Stitch) and Shallow Hal, since I didn't get to watch it before. The vendor gave me a discount. (Dapat lang 'no!Dami kaagad ng nabili ko ha.) :D

Never knew LOVE...

Watched Shallow Hal with mom and Wan, even if they've already watched it on the big screen before. Towards the end of the movie, I thought of how lucky I was to have somebody like Mikko who loves me unconditionally (well, as far as I know, at least) and is so generous with his love and how he expresses it so often to me.
I then wonder if I've shut myself up and stopped myself from being "in too deep" any relationship, to not be able to enjoy the same feelings my little boy has. What with all the hurt, rejection, desertion, lies and what have you that comes with the "L-word", it sometimes comes automatically to some people, right?
...But then, I didn't realize that I was missing so much na pala. Freedom and pure joy, for starters. That's why I decided to OPENLY LOVE my little boy from now on. I think he's the only one "safe" enough to give my heart and soul to. At least, for now. Until that hope within me comes true and I find that SPECIAL ONE who'll make me want to make room for one more...
here.

2003-11-10T05:30:00.000+08:00

Facepainting Nemo

Just finished a hectic week. Helped Ting prepare for a facepainting gig for Nov.8. It even got to a point where we got stressed out because we were only given a few days notice(four, to be exact!) and it seemed that ting was a bit wishy-washy about it pa rin even if it was already friday evening! After "forcing" her to practice though, I think she got a bit more excited about the whole thing, maybe because she was more confident with the medium she'll be using. Anyways, it turned out to be a success. We may not have made that much, but at least we made a few kids happy, and we got to network with the parents. :)
Anyway...

What Finding Nemo Character are You?
brought to you by Quizilla

I KNEW IT!!!
...no wonder Mikko's equally fascinated with me as well. ;)

2003-10-29T00:38:00.000+08:00

White Baby Minotaur???
..never saw THAT one coming. ;P

Your Dream Pet by seylamoon
Name your Pet
Age	Baby
Color	White
Animal	Minotaur

Created with quill18's MemeGen!

2003-10-29T00:13:00.000+08:00

SuperBebe!!!
I came across this from my Ringo Community. :)

Life as a Superhero by seylamoon
Your Alias
Your Power	Ice Elemental
Your Costume	Purple body suit
Your Sidekick	Turtle
Your Day Job	Telephone Operator

Created with quill18's MemeGen!

2003-10-17T23:49:00.000+08:00

Cleaning Up The House
(Finally, I got enough time to post something else on my blog. ;) )
Since Thursday afternoon until tomorrow, we have a Garage Sale at our little Fastfood (until stocks last, which is soon, i hope!). Otherwise, we'll pack them all up for next year's sale instead. Heheh. :)
Things I'm selling (read:trying to get rid of, usually to make way for NEW things!):
a) My old office/work clothes (which don't fit me as well nowadays anyway) from only 70 bux and below,
b) My old magazines (mostly my collection of Cosmopolitan mags) for only 25 bux and below,

c) My old cassette tapes (they're a bit difficult to let go of since, even if I've only listened to some of them for only once or twice, most are from my favorite artists) - all original for as low as 50 bux each,
d) A couple of baby shoes Mikko has outgrown,
e) Antibacterial Hand Sanitizers (they're REALLY cute!!!) - and cheap too! I'm selling them for only 25 and 40 bux each for the 30ml and 60ml sized bottles, respectively. You can even have them personalized, for birthdays, giveaways, etc. :) You can email me (at vivi_lim888@hotmail.com) for more details.

One thing I found out while cleaning up and re-arranging the stuff we have is, it's really MUCH harder to let go of Mikko's stuff, than it is to let go of mine. Just as I'm about to put a pair of polo and shorts for re-selling, I get all mushy and sentimental and think, "Aww, this was the clothes he wore when he had his picture taken last year! I can't sell these! Hmm, I'll save these so he could see them when he's older instead." :)
Or something like:
"These are his first sneakers!"
"These are his first formal shoes!"
"These are his first socks!"
"This is his first fisherman's hat, baseball cap, red/blue/white/(any color)polo shirt. I can't let these go!"
*sigh* I never knew I would become so attached to pieces of clothing, nor to seemingly insignificant and neglected-for-the-moment things that I don't even own!
J&J was right. "Having a Baby changes EVERYTHING." And even THAT is an understatement. ;)

Anyways, I "googled" my name (vivi) and this is what I stumbled on. Cool!

2003-10-12T06:33:00.000+08:00

Welcome to my blog! :)
Here you will find the thoughts of a 20-something single mom who loves:
a)her little Mikko,
b)her family(mom, dad, bro and sisters),
c)the Saturday tiangge,
d)reading 'til her eyes hurt,
e)writing stories and songs and little poems,
f)the movie Finding Nemo(together with all the items and toys those marketing people could ever think of!)

and
g)anything and everything that brings a smile to her angelic son's face

...not necessarily in that order. :)
Be prepared for anything.