Hmmmm….

My son and wife have a million ways of easily making me cry. Updating me of Johann’s progress in his schooling is one of them.. =)

6/25/2008
- he likes playing with box puzzles, he was thrilled to find the match of the other side just like when he found the tail end of the cow and when the parts don’t match he’d say "oh no! not this one"!

- today at sign-in he removed his slippers before going in the mat then proceeded to get his name card and all other activities related to signing-in with little prompting from teachers.  this is a routine he is already familiar with.

- at snack time, teacher forgot to lead the children in prayer and before eating his snacks johann said "Teacher Tei we did not pray!"

6/30/2008
-johann saw a V-form of a shadow at the playground, he said "look it’s a triangle"

undated
- nga pala, one time may activity cla it involves beans. he got three pieces tapos kinuha nya yung moon and wavy na cut out.  na-form nya face complete with hair using yung wavy cut outs.

Anybody who loves cooking want to check this out!

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I’m going back home ….

It’s because I got the saddest news of my life last night when I found out that Tatay just passed away. Still worrying about Cheska’s fight, and now this comes along!

Just a couple of weeks ago, I cheerfully talked to him on the phone asking about how Lolay was doing in the province. He informed me he was actually going there the next day. So I told him to take care of himself and Lolay before he returned the phone to Nanay, and Nanay was even joking that Tatay was teary-eyed everytime we talk!

I have no clue whatsoever that it would be my last conversation with him….

I’m missing him right now….

I just love baseball! Even if I do not play this game, I’ve come to understand and enjoy watching it.

This weekend is the second set of Interleague scheds, wherein one team from American League plays against another team from National League. One of those scheds is the game between the Boston Red Sox and the Arizona Diamondbacks. I’ve been a fan of both teams eversince the Snakes beat the Yanks in World Series 2001 and the Idiots overcame an 0-3 deficit to defeat the Yanks and eventually buried The Curse three years ago.

This season, both teams have superb starters, effecient bullpen, powerful bats, above-average defense and they are off to an amazing first half.

Tonight, it’s the second game of their three-game set. Play ball!

Where Grossman failed, the Spark dominantly delivered and succeeded…

Even if I was assigned abroad, I never failed to browse on what’s happening to my favorite basketball team. I’m talking about Barangay Ginebra who were crowned All-Filipino Champions yet again! This time, vengence is sweet when the hyper energetic Gin Kings clobbered the mighty San Miguel Beermen in six games.

I knew even before the season started that it will just be a matter of time that they will be champions again but I didn’t expect it to be that fast! Imagine acquisitions like Hatfield, Abarrientos, Mamaril, Reavis and Tubid added to the already potent gang of Menk, Caguioa, Helterbrand, Salvacion and Macapagal. For me, with that kind of a powerhouse lineup, reaching just the Semi-finals is considered a failed campaign.

As I was watching some of the video clips online, I can’t help but be envious to all those legions of fans who witnessed the games. How I wish I was there!!

Congrats to all Ka-Barangay!!

One common, very noticeable thing about this State is that they love sports. They adore their sports teams. You look at your surroundings and you could see everyone has its own Illini jackets, Bulls jerseys, Cubs or White Sox caps, and Bears shirts.

Here in Illinois, it’s very obvious why. Be it in college or professional basketball, baseball or football, Chicago teams always have competitive, talented and awesome lineups. You need proof?  Coach Weber and his young guns reached the Final Four last year. The greatest Bull played and still lives here while the new Bulls show great potential. White Sox just ended their title drought a couple of years ago and Alfonso Soriano joined the Cubs this offseason to hopefully end another. And now, Urlacher, Grossman and the rest of the Bears are going to play Super Bowl tomorrow! 

That’s right! The Chicago Bears are Super Bowl participants, and just as expected, everyone is anticipating the big game, including me! I bought myself a pair of Grossman jerseys and a winter jacket to show my moral support (besides the fact that my son’s birthdate is 8!! hehehe!).

Follow my lead when I sing… "I’ve paid my dues, Time after time, I’ve done my sentence, But committed no crime…."

Got my point?

For the past several days, I’ve been setting some goals of what I will do this year, and one of them is having Mommy Taweng and Johann come here in Illinois for a vacation tentatively by November. Ever the optimist, I am hopeful that they will be with me for at least two weeks  here before we all fly back home to spend another two weeks, or possibly three weeks together.

Then last night I had this dream. It was about our big boy Johann. He was at my side while I was lying on the bed and he was trying to get my  attention. When I looked at him, I saw him smiling. From that moment on, he was constantly smiling at Daddy! Not a word, no hand gestures, just pure sweet smile emanating from his innocent, angelic face was all I could remember.

I then woke up wearing the same smile as my son’s. Because I believe that my son just gave me a very positive sign and approval that my plans for them will come true!

Simbang Gabi is one of my favorite practices during this time of the year. It is a Catholic custom of attending dawn masses for nine consecutive days until the eve of Christmas Day. This is usually an expression of thanksgiving and deep devotion to Him!

Here in Illinois, we celebrated it awhile ago at around 430PM. What’s cool about today’s mass was that it was sponsored by Filipinos, that’s why most of the hymns were in Tagalog.

From start till its end, I felt goosebumps all over me during the mass. I missed the Tagalog hymns so much that I actually joined in the singing at the top of my voice! But what struck me most was that I, for the first time since I came back home, felt homesick!!

Yep, I was literally sobbing and couldn’t stop myself from crying while singing Ama Namin. It was so weird that I kept on glancing by my side wishing to see my mag-ina, my family and my lola, but they were all not there…

Now, it is hitting me … I ‘ll be spending my first Christmas without all of them beside me…  huhuhu!!!

Dreams do come true! One of mine became reality last night.

Together with my 4 kuyas and Nish, we hit the road and went to downtown Chicago to watch an NBA basketball game between the Bulls and the Timberwolves!

I couldn’t believe that I was able to go inside the United Center where Michael Jordan used to play and dominate the game. I saw the six championship banners hanging at the rooftop. I got to see some of the big stars warm up and play ball. I witnessed how people from all walks of life gathered to fill the arena. I cheered and moaned with those same people during the game, at the point where I got my throat hurting and almost lost my voice from shouting! hehehe.. At last, I finally experienced what it means to be an NBA fan!

And so, as a lasting remembrance to that wonderful moment, I bought my son a Chicago Bulls mascot stuffed toy. It’s a good thing Johann immediately liked Benny the few times he saw his new stuffed toy awhile ago while we were talking online…

So, want to join me and watch the White Sox play baseball come Spring?

I slept last Thursday with the thin snow starting to fall down, so i was expecting a 6-inch thick layer of ice lying everywhere the next day . . .

Well, my expectation, as always, has exceeded me! I woke up early yesterday morning, and the first thing I did was look by the glass door and check out the snow. I couldn’t help myself but be amazed of what Mother Nature could do! Heavy snow was pouring down, visilibity was poor, it’s like ghost town out there! There was significant accumulation of ice already, and the weather network was screaming that the snowstorm would be nasty, lasting up until noon and indicating a 3-6 inch of snow per hour!

Wow! …and to think I still needed to go to office… So I forced myself to keep moving, scraped most of the ice off our car, sipped a hot coffee and got straight to the shower!

As expected, traffic was terrible! On our way to office, you could see cars either by the roadside or at the middle of it stuck because of swarming thick ice. Car movement was so slow I still got plenty of time to take my breakfast inside the car while I was driving! It took us over an hour to reach office, considering it usually takes 20 minutes on a regular day.

Now I know why I’ve been hearing comments from almost everyone that I will never like it when it snows!