Crime

Last Monday, February 7 at the office while working overtime, I was duped and robbed of cash, hubby's mobile 3G phone, and important identification, passbooks, and passports. First things first during crimes like this in the Philippines, the victim reports to the police, not so much to obtain justice (asa ka pa?), but to hasten issuance of bank requirements for lost passbooks: police report, Affidavit of Loss, etc.

Imagine my chagrined when the documenting officer asked me to return for the police report after 3 days. He had to thank his lady fate I was not the one licensed to use a firearm... otherwise, it could have been a bloodier day... Anyway, I was built to have my way (hah!) and with a little wit, had my Affidavit issued in several hours...

After about a week, a good natured truck driver returned the robbed clutch bag with its important document contents, sans, of course, the cash and the gadget.

My kids discussed about the act for quite a few times and one discussion went something like this:

Ivong: Di ba Mamang, ibinalik ng pulis yong bag mo ano? (Isn't it Mom that a police returned your bag?)
Jezreel: Neee, saan. Saan nga pulis daydiay! Tao! Tao 'niya Mang? (Oh no! It's not a police. It's a human! It's human Mom, right?)

p.s.
My kids speak Ilocano, Tagalog and English in mixed format. They're al'right.

Christmas Party 2007

Jezreel and classmates at Villasis Central School, Grade 2-B...

Kayang-kaya

Playing with their semi-Lego blocks, Jezreel tackles a new design/pattern saying, "Kayang-kaya with Modess!"

Haven't clicked on them playing. Gives me migraine seeing scattered 3 brands, very tiny objects all over the house! One was even sniffed by Ivang once. Good thing their nurse-father was around at that time!

Ivang in her school... playroom and classroom...

Ivong Strikes Again III.

Believe me, she's just being natural.

Effects

Working on my photo effects... been like more than 2 decades, lol! I first tinkered with Adobe Photoshop way back in 1992! Cut to --- today...

I love old photos, and sepia...

But it's just effect. I like the power of turning new photos into old one... BTW, am not using Adobe Photoshop... It's PhotoStudio 5. Comes with the Canon scanner bundle...

Early Greetings

The Big Three are ready to greet Happy Holidays! Keep it long, keep it going!

Batista & Growing Needs

My kids Jezreel, Nalchael & Ulivia Joan are growing... I hate to be away from them, but it seems I cannot fight the tide this time as their needs also grow. Anyway, if we could, Jezreel might end up as a futures market (derivatives) trader.

One time while they were having waffle snacks, they had been talking about their dream house. Jezreel said he'll have a swimming pool, then finished his waffle in no time.

Still halfway with hers, Nalchael was given a very tempting offer. "Ingga, I'd let you swim in my pool," Jezreel said. "Just give me a couple of bites with your waffle."

Nice try.

Cousin Genie and the Beach Life

Cousin Genie or Genevieve Tano is the eldest daughter of uncle town councilor Eugene Tadeja. She's now living in an island in the US. Posted here is cousin Genie and her mom Arlyn... She's been very active at school and earning good grades...

Other photos: Jezreel & Mom...
Ivang, Mom & Tatang... at Boating World.

More Photos

Iviang & Ingga

This is Ingga & Iviang... Iviang imitates the dressing style (and choose of color) of older sis Ingga. When Ingga was told about it, she blurted out "Feeling maganda si Iviang?"

Lola Mercy

Lola Mercy is a teacher, nearing retirement. She loves teaching, and serving at the parish. And going places. She visits us very often. Her favorite apo is Iviang, but it used to be Jezreel.

Jezreel

Jezreel is the eldest of the three, born September 21, 1999... I do not like it but Jezreel has fascination for everything about soldiers (guns, etc). It must be the machine. Anyway, he likes to to go to Chinese school. And at one time, he actually believed the children's park near our municipal hall is actually the best place on earth (well, next to the river near our kalapaw back in Ilocos)...

One time when we (Jun & I) fetch him at school, of which he was not aware, we saw him leap like a kung fu artist (or warrior?) amidst school children, then, stopped by two stranger schoolmates playing with a handy helicopter toy. He discussed with them what had been going on (with the toy), then, he climbed the wire fench separating the parking space from the children's park.

After finding a vacant concrete bench to land his bag, he leaped to the nearest slide, and from one bar to another, sampling the see-saw, swing, and slide and mignling children older or younger.

The complete joy of childhood personified.

One afternoon, he came home with smooth pebbles, saying, "Ingga, adda pasalubong ko kenka," (I have something for you.) And that's it for Jezreel's innocence...

Charlie

Have a great weekend!

In today's excerpt, Charles Schulz, with the meteoric success of his comic strip Peanuts, becomes one of America 's most influential commentators on life in this country through his clear and original insights into the nature and behavior of his own children:"Linus's beloved Miss Othmar, his teacher, is a rather strange person, and I tried to do much with her through the conversation of Linus.

I have experimented with a two-level story line at times. I have tried to show Linus's view of what is happening at school, but then show what actually was occurring. I have done this to bring out a truth that I have observed, and this is that children see more than we think they do, but at the same time almost never seem to know what is going on. ..."

Charlie Brown defined security as being able to sleep in the back seat of your parents' car. This, again, is a childhood memory, one supported by many readers who have told me that they also recall the wonderful joy of doing this with a feeling of complete security when returning home late at night. The shattering blow comes in later years when one realizes that this can never happen again. Adults are doomed to ride in the front seat forever. ...

"Children do not converse. They say things. They ask, they tell, and they talk, but they know nothing of one of the great joys in life, conversation. Then, along about twelve, give or take a year on either side, two young people sitting on their bicycles near a front porch on a summer evening begin to talk about others that they know, and conversation is discovered. Some confuse conversation with talking, of course, and go on for the rest of their lives, never stopping, boring others with meaningless chatter and complaints. But real conversation includes asking questions, and asking the right ones before it's too late. ...

(And then Schulz inserts this gem) "One evening, the entire family was around the dinner table and, for some reason, my daughter Amy seemed particularly noisy. After putting up with this for about ten minutes, I turned to her and said, 'Amy, couldn't you be quiet for just a little while!' She said nothing, but picked up a piece of bread and began to butter it with a knife and asked, 'Am I buttering too loud for you?'

Charles Schulz, edited by David Larkin, Peanuts: A Golden Celebration, HarperResource, 1999, pp. 39, 41, 91, 120.

The Family

Finally, it's US!!! Me, my kids (the stars) and my bandit of a husband!!! (drum beats, please....)

That's father & daughter... me & the ...

Big happy

More photos of the clan...

Bedz & Auntie Eny (Sasuman, with Juliet Rivada on background)
Auntie Eny's Husband Uncle Alex Sasuman (& Iviang again!)
Their eldest Xander (one portion of 'Goin Bananas')

4 posts

See Iviang love the cam. See Iviang smile. See Iviang, naturally!

Iviang Strikes Again (& Auntie Bedz)

Iviang making faces. When she's at it, there's nothing to do but laugh and enjoy. Auntie Bedz is looking for a rich husband to be. Those who want to apply may send me an e-mail. Qualification: Rich, filthy rich, or rich and famous. Any of the three will do.

Jezreel

Jezreel and Ingga are almost of the same size. He's anticipating for his seventh birthday (September 21...martial law) ... don't know if to throw a kiddie party or just eat Chinese food at Tsaptiks (Urdaneta along Maharlika Highway). Jezreel has a special affinity for everything Chinese. It could not be Jet Li or Jacky Chan... He wants to learn how to speak and write Chinese, but never mentioned about learning kung fu...

Who's the boss?

I don't know how but kids now are the boss. Take a look at Iviang!

Ingga and her cam

I have promised to buy Ingga a camera as long as she saves her stars. Finally, I was able to get a webcam, as she already have a lot of stars on her daily quizzes and monthly exams. Ingga's hair has slowly grown. Last summer, all of them have skinheads (Jezreel, Ingga and Iviang). They expermineted on a scissors using their hair, and Jun have no choice but shave off their hair... Ingga used to complain that some of her classsmates call her "bakla" at kinder garten. I informed her teacher about it, but it seems the teacher is "deadma".
Anyway, here's Ingga again!

Viang again on the loose!!!

Viang

This is Viang and Jun. Viang will be two years old by August 9, 2006 but she's soo small she's like a midget. She can only say choice phrases like "Kaya m'paah?" and will not say words she don't like. Anyway, she took after her Tatang Jun's eyes, low flabby cheeks and nose. She took after her great grandpa's Apo Pitas' "tammi chin.

Kulit Kids

Here are the Kulit Kids of an Ulaw Family --- The Jun & Marge Cruz tandem: Jezreel, Nalchael... Ulivia Joan will be posted soon. You don't have to like them, we already do.