awesome!

we finally got to see the movie that everyone is talking about...the KUNG FU PANDA (oh well...aside from sex & the city) if sex and the city's tagline is "get carried away"... kung fu panda's is "prepare for awesomeness!"

and yes, it truly is awesome! kids and adults alike love it! all i heard from raphael while watching the movie were "cool" and "how did they do that?" and of course his infectious laughter.

but the movie goes beyond just the entertainment value! it's also very rich in positive message and lessons...the following lines are just some of those:

"yesterday is history, tomorrow is mystery, TODAY is a gift. that's why it's called present."
...if only we'll all learn not to dwell in the past and live for today...

"a true warrior never gives up"
...life, like love, is a battlefield, as the song goes, that's why we should not give up on it or on our dreams despite of and inspite of...

"there are no accidents"
...i believe everything happens for a reason

"there is no secret ingredient...(it's what you put into it yourself)"
...everything that we want to attract and achieve already exists in possibility, we just have to believe in ourselves.

awesome!!!

happy baby's day!

today, june 21 is the official "baby's day" in the padriga home as declared by hubby...here's the story behind it.

days after father's day, raphael insisted that there should also be "baby's day" since there's father's day and mother's day...(although hindi na siya baby hehe but that's the exact term he used) he was kinda upset why there's no baby's day. in fairness, sabi nga ng kanyang ninang carmina, may point si bagets! oo nga naman, may grandparents day nga eh, so why not have a day for the babies or kids di ba?

when he bugged us about it, my response was..."mother's day just like father's day is also your day because i wouldn't be a mommy and dad wouldn't be a father if not for you!"

but that didn't give him much consolation. buti na lang dadu was quick to say "you know what, this saturday is baby's day and we're gonna watch kung fu panda!" that really made raph so excited! he was anticipating that for days. so this morning we greeted him happy baby's day...at si dadu pinanindigan talaga ang dineclare niyang occasion. he woke up early to cook raph's favorite breakfast. at nakaka-aliw, raph even asked yaya and ate josie to greet him. for lunch, he requested for barbecue so we prepared him spare ribs barbecue. while watching tv, when i tried to grab the remote control from him, he said, "it's baby's day mom! my turn!"

and the highlight of our celebration? simple lang naman, we went to the mall, bought him kung fu panda figures from mcdo and of course we watched the movie which he soo loved!

happy baby's day son! i wonder if we'd have a yearly celebration, why not di ba?

father's day blues

first father's day without my father...

but it must be the tagaytay breeze that kind of eased my aching heart. my heart is longing for the two wonderful dads in my life: my father, whom i miss soo much every single day, not just on father's day.

and dadu, who is in bacolod working on father's day! his text message to raphael last night was to take care of me and celebrate even without him...awww!

good thing, my sis picked us up this morning and brought us here to tagaytay.

i miss both my dad and dadu especially on this occasion...but seeing raphael having fun while horseback riding and kite-flying this afternoon kind of cheered me up. and raph and i had the most interesting and enjoyable conversation earlier while we're soaked in the bathtub...(and he looks forward to swimming tomorrow morning at the pool here in taal vista hotel).

my dad must be smiling from above...happy father's day to you! hope you had fun up there too! please continue to watch over us with mudra of course.

next next weekend is his 1st death anniversary and my 6th wedding anniversary...same date!
and on that same day, hubby will be out of town for work...so for the 2nd time, no wedding anniversary celebration for us dahil tatay ko lang ang bida sa araw na yan!

and so goes the cycle, after father's day blues...anniversary blues naman.

certified artist

in the eyes of a parent, every child's achievement is a trophy in itself...it's doubly magnified...BIG DEAL ika nga!

this holds true for me...seeing raphael's paintings on exhibit last saturday really brought me so much joy and pride!

i was overwhelmed...pleasantly surprised...and immensely happy!

it was his first time to try out painting and little did i know that he has the talent. so apart from his singing, may creative hands din pala siya.

i'm just so proud of my little boy! he's a certified artist!
and this is not an overstatement!

take a look at some of his works...












bravo anak! you're a real superboy! dadu and mom are super proud of you!



For more photos, please check out htttp://rrrpadriga.multiply.com

proud mommy moment...and dadu's too

i'm excited! tomorrow is a BIG day!

hmm...what's happening over the weekend? (late) summer outing ng buong Game Unit sa Club Morocco sa Subic, first time mangyayari to, but i'm not excited over that! in fact, i'm not attending hehe!

why? simply because it's Raphael's first painting exhibit tomorrow and on sunday! Whoaah! my 5 year-old son is an artist! we'll finally get to see all his artworks from his summer painting class at the Art Camp Bezalel.

proud mommy moment indeed! and yes of course, dad is excited too! he also made sure he's available and free from work this weekend. thank God!

so ninongs and ninangs, friends and relatives...hehe stage mom ruth here is inviting you all! see you Saturday/Sunday at Art Camp Bezalel, Hemady New Manila. QC, 2 to 6 pm.

Naks! Totoo ba to? hehe!

Your Dominant Intelligence is Linguistic Intelligence

You are excellent with words and language. You explain yourself well. An elegant speaker, you can converse well with anyone on the fly. You are also good at remembering information and convincing someone of your point of view. A master of creative phrasing and unique words, you enjoy expanding your vocabulary. You would make a fantastic poet, journalist, writer, teacher, lawyer, politician, or translator.

What Kind of Intelligence Do You Have?

my dream girl

you're the angel in my dreams
i want you...i need you
i want to smell your breath
feed you with my own blood
hear the throbbing of your heart

'cause you're the girl i never had
how can i bring you back to life?
i had you for a moment
but lost you in an instant
i'm pleading now, can i have you back?

i've been longing for your smile
i can't be whole without you in my life
God give me another chance...
a chance to make it right
for my cherished little one.

my baby...you're all i really want,
i know you can see me from above
you're the angel i'll forever long for
will i ever have you...
or can i have another you?

Lord this is what i ask of you...
please give me another little hero.

Dadu & Dacki

It's been 2 months since we first had Dacki, he was my birthday gift for hubby. They bonded quickly...and Dacki is also extra "malambing" to his Dadu. He has his way of catching Dadu's attention when he goes home from work.


aawww...so cuddly and sweet




Every other Saturday, Dadu would wake up earlier than normal to bring Dadu to the Vet for his routine check-up and other supplementary vaccination, with Raph of course. Raph loves Dacki and treats him as his younger brother. He's like our "bunso."



Though he's kulit most of the time especially when he wants to be cuddled, parang baby...

he has certainly brought joy to our home...

...and made my boys happier!

hey dacki! who are you talking with? hehe



....they even talk on the fone even though they're just inches apart...that's how bonded they are. :)

these photos were taken last march...now dacki has grown a bit bigger and heavier.

ano ba feeling ng pahinga???

i shouldn't be blogging now...i have a script to finish, i missed my deadline yesterday and so i should be cramming now.

but i'm convincing myself to take a little break pero blogging lang ang allowed.

since friday, i haven't had a decent sleep...having had to pilot the new game knb! soo stressful and tiring!

i found myself crying in the bathroom last night when i got home, oops not last night, this morning is more appropriate, that was almost 5am when i got home from taping.

i was crying because i was feeling soo tired, i mean physically! we've been really busy since friday. and i was crying too because i was frustrated...

frustrated with a lot of things....frustrated period. but i had to let it pass.

i should be in bed now embracing my boys but i have to stay here in the dining table with my laptop and not in the bedroom, so i won't succumb to what i was deprived of for days now.

...sleep. i really can't afford to sleep now. not yet when i have work to do. when i have to stay focused with my goals.

naalala ko tuloy si friend TP, her boyfriend broke up with her last week kasi wala daw siyang time. she's been busy with work. sabi nga ni edu, konti lang yung mga guys who can put up with busy girlfriends or wives...he specifically mentioned ronald. but of course it has a lot to do with us being in the same workplace that's why we basically understand the demands of our job. BUT i must admit it's really difficult! and as what i've written in my previous post, time management is the key. kasi mas mahirap harapin yung sobrang pagod ka na nga sa trabaho tapos heartbroken ka pa or problematic sa lovelife! haay i've been through that and thank god we've weathered the storm.

ano nga ba feeling ng pahinga o ng walang ginagawa? kasi nakalimutan ko na ata but come to think of it... sige na nga, okay lang if i'm feeling tired these days, mas madaling masolusyunan ang "pagod", pahinga lang okay ka na ulit...pero ang "sakit sa puso", mahirap gamutin.

Busy as a Bee

I love my new show...The Singing Bee.

Yeah it got me as busy as a bee the past weeks, but I'm having fun!
We we're No.1 on Primetime TV during our pilot episode last April 21...and still rating well!
The show went through a lot before it became what it is today...
but it's all worth it!

Ang saya ng show! From our regular brainstormings to tapings...
and i'm certainly amused everytime i get a chance to watch it.
See why everyone's talking about it! Catch The Singing Bee on Kapamilya Network right after TV Patrol.

And of course...watch out for the new Pilipinas, Game KNB?
New set, new mechanics! And truly more challenging!
I'm getting nervous and i feel so pressured...BIGTIME!
Tomorrow is a big day! A day of many firsts for me and for the show!

Yes I am busy as a bee. But I still manage to find time to bond with my kiddo. We watched the Iron Man at Eastwood late this afternoon, had pizza & pasta at Fazoli's before the movie and then dinner after at Heaven & Eggs. He is starting to eat eggs now unlike before he couldn't take its taste.

Most days I'm able to bring him to his summer art class though I got him a driver for the meantime because his sked conflicts with my meetings and tapings.
His teacher says he is doing well in painting and is a fast learner. I adore his artworks.


before... and after (he did it by himself)

He took home his first painting which I will surely frame. The others are kept in school for an exhibit this June. As a reward, I brough him to Time Zone at Trinoma one day that I was free.

Speaking of managing my time, good thing I found time to bring Raph to the dentist last week. He needed a procedure in his upper molar tooth. He was really brave and cooperative the whole time. After injecting anesthesia, his dentist asked "Does your face feel big now?" He said, "It's popping!" naaliw si Dra....she said no other kid ever gave her that description, but yeah that was a better term.


with ninang kris & baby james

The weekend prior, we were able to go to Baby James' 1st Birthday Pary.
Our first time to go to his Ninang Kris' new house. Nice place!
And Raph surely had fun with Barney, Baby Bop and BJ...and with the sosyal loot toys he got. Hehe! It was actually a hectic day for him that Saturday because after Baby James' party, we headed to another birthday party, that of his classmate Jonathan.


(L)at friend jonathan's party (R) photo op with dora & diego after the show

And for the past 2 Sundays, he's been watching Dora the Explorer Show at the Aliw Theatre.
The first time we were with Dadu Ronald, Raph's friends and mine, and his visiting cousins from
Cebu. We even got the chance to meet and have a picture with Dora & Diego courtesy of Dadu.
And last Sunday, he watched again with his cousins and tita Carol.

I am looking forward to tomorrow, part of Raph's Art Camp is baking session every Friday am.
Buti na lang my work tomorrow begins at 2pm pa. Last week he had me taste the tiny but yummy pizza he made, he ate one slice in the car, the other one he gave to Tita Ninang who's a chef because he so wanted her to validate his baking skills. Hehe! Naubusan si Dadu. Maybe tomorrow they'll bake cookies. I will definitely find time to have a taste of whatever baked goodie he'll surprise me with and will eagerly listen to his stories. At sana matikman na ng Dad niya.

Time is truly a gift. Thank God for the time.
And thank God for giving me the talent- talent to manage my time well...and the talent i use in fulfilling the job that i most enjoy.

Thank God for the time well-spent.
Time for work and most especially time for family and other things that matter.

let it go...

There are people who can walk away from you. And hear me when I tell you this!

When people can walk away from you: let them walk.

I don't want you to try to talk another person into staying with you, loving you, calling you,

caring about you, coming to see you, staying attached to you.

I mean hang up the phone. When people can walk away from you, let them walk.

Your destiny is never tied to anybody that left. The Bible said that, they came out from us

that it might be made manifest that they were not for us. For had they been of us,

no doubt they would have continued with us. [1 John 2:19]

People leave you because they are not joined to you. And if they are not joined to you,

you can't make them stay. Let them go. And it doesn't mean that they are a bad person

it just means that their part in the story is over. And you've got to know when people's part in your

story is over so that you don't keep trying to raise the dead.

You've got to know when it's dead. You've got to know when it's over.

Let me tell you something. I've got the gift of good-bye. It's the tenth spiritual gift,

I believe in good-bye. It's not that I'm hateful, it's that I'm faithful, and I know whatever God

means for me to have He'll give it to me. And if it takes too much sweat I don't need it. Stop begging people to

stay. Let them go!!!

If you are holding on to something that doesn't belong to you

and was never intended for your life, then you need to... LET IT GO!!!

If you are holding on to past hurts and pains...LET IT GO!!!

If someone can't treat you right, love you back, and see your worth...LET IT GO!!!

If someone has angered you...LET IT GO!!!

If you are holding on to some thoughts of evil and revenge... LET IT GO!!!

If you are involved in a wrong relationship or addiction... LET IT GO!!!

If you are holding on to a job that no longer meets your needs or talents...LET IT GO!!!

If you have a bad attitude...LET IT GO!!!

If you keep judging others to make yourself feel better... LET IT GO!!!

If you're stuck in the past and God is trying to take you to

a new level in Him...LET IT GO!!!

If you are struggling with the healing of a broken relationship...LET IT GO!

If you keep trying to help someone who won't even try to help themselves...LET IT GO!!!

If you're feeling depressed and stressed...LET IT GO!!!

If there is a particular situation that you are so used to handling yourself and God is saying

"take your hands off of it," then you need to...LET IT GO!!!

Let the past be the past. Forget the former things. GOD is doing a new thing for 2008!!!

LET IT GO!!! Get Right or Get Left...think about it, and then LET IT GO!!!

"The Battle is the Lord's!"

"Yes, I love my God. He is my fountain of Life and My Savior.

He Keeps me going day and night. Without Him, I am no one.

But with Him, I can do everything, Christ is my strength."

God loves you and watches over you every day .

(i got this article on email and thought of posting it. just a reminder that some things we hold on to are meant to be let go of)

just counting our blessings...

God thank you...

...for a good weekend spent with the family

...for something big that transpired today

...for BIGGER things about to come our way

... for giving us the courage and the means to welcome these new and bigger things for our family...we're excited and keeping our faith. we claim abundance through your help.

above all...

...thank you for all the blessings! and the love that keeps us together!

More Beach Moments

it's getting hotter each day...kaka-miss ang beach!

away from the crowd...relaxing talaga!


he soo loves the beach...


... and the tub (we made sure our room has one) (R) dacki's first beach experience


(L) raph took this photo (R) raph with yaya jessa, couzn joyce & ate josie


tanned mommy...


gimik time !!!


memories for keeps...

Batangas Beach

We were supposed to go to Bohol for the Holy Week but decided to go somewhere near instead. Surfed the net and discovered a lot of nice beaches in San Juan, Batangas. Then saw an ad of a resort owned by a co-parent in Raphael's Preschool. Searched their website and pretty much liked the photos...fully-booked though, but got to book the suite overlooking the beach front for Sat-Sun. So early morning of Black Saturday we headed to Laiya, San Juan, Batangas...Just 3 hour-drive from Manila. It wasn't like Boracay though, but at least not as crowded. Semi-white beach and the water is crystal clear.

Look how much fun we had...



(L) practicing his balance (R) the view from our room




more Surf's Up moments...


Raph: time for me to do a stunt... weeeeh! look i can balance!



Saya! Bitin ang overnight! We missed Bora though and talked about going back there this year.

NOT AGAIN...arrgh!

I’m in my worst mood swing attack these days…not again, arrgh!!! But why? Two weeks na kasi akong puyat at may bad backache! I’ve been really busy, but God You know that I’m not complaining of too much work…it’s just that it’s taking its toll on me! Nakaka-drain- emotionally and physically! When at work, I’m okay…I can manage not to let it affect my work performance. But when I get home, I become cranky!!! I refuse to talk to anyone except to my little boy of course.

I hated my “angels” for not allowing me to have a good rest at home when I most needed it…when only 30 minutes was all I needed and could afford to waste. They did it twice…How inconsiderate?

Over breakfast the other day, hubby started talking about something gross, and I was eating!!! Hello! He knew I’m squeamish. Of course he knew that BUT when I told him “sana hindi natin yan pinaguusapan ngayon kasi kumakain ako” he even had the nerve to react negatively! And said something like “baguhin mo nga ugali mong yan!” I don’t get it! Ako ba mali? Di ba some things are just not appropriate to be talked about during meal time? At the same time wala pa kong tulog! Call it bad timing! I only forced myself to get out of bed just to have breakfast with him and Raph….I never talked to him after that…until now.

Also the other day, I got out of work early which meant I could take a rest and catch some sleep. But a friend of mine was rushed to the hospital via their company ambulance and no one could attend to her. I soo hate the guy for not even being there for her. Of course I came to her rescue. Kahit na di ko kayang mag-drive sa sobrang groggy sa antok! Got home after midnight instead…it’s okay… for a friend, I could lose a hundred sleeping hours. My dilemma is way too simpler compared to hers.

Dami pang nangyari na nakaka-upset…pero tinulog ko na lang kagabi, yes finally nakatulog nako by 1am without thinking of waking up early for work!

So rest day today. Thank God! Saraap ng feeling!!! Pero parang cranky pa rin ako! Running on my mind were the things I wanna do today. I need a massage, I wanna see a movie…or do DVD marathon of my fave tv series. I wanna go to a salon and have my nails done. I want to have a quiet time in the church and pray. I want to just be with a friend, chikahan time at Starbucks or Coffee Bean…But I’m too exhausted to even go to the bathroom. At patapos na ang araw, wala pako nagagawa sa "To do wish-list" ko. My back aches. It seems i can’t do anything. Not even reading Brian Gorrell’s blog can amuse me. A call from Piper was the only thing that kinda perked me up today. Agreed to go jogging with her today. But sorry Piper I realized I can’t do jogging, NOT NOW, when my body isn’t prepared to do anything physical! My back hurts so bad, and my shoulders ang bigat! I might go to therapy later instead.

Post ko na lang kaya our photos during our beach getaway last Holy Week. Just to remind me of our good times…it might just be all I need to get me back on track…and to put the smile back on my face. But wait, parang tinatamad ako mag-upload ng pics...my backache and stiff shoulders are killing me arrgh!

Papaya Dance on Good Morning America

Watch the hosts of Good Morning America dance to Papaya, including the very respected Diane Sawyer...with the same dance steps popularized by Edu Manzano on Game KNB? They even acknowledged that the papaya dance craze started in a game show in the Philippines. Wow! Nakaka-proud! Sikat na talaga ang papaya worldwide! The original singer from Poland Urszula Dudziak was just as amazed how her song 30 years ago could be such a huge hit all over the world. She said she has seen video clips of people dancing to Papaya on YouTube. How about seeing her dance to Papaya with Edu Manzano...haha that would be a blast!



Check YouTube for more videos.

my Rockstars

my superboys rock!


found this photo in my file...i think this was taken inside Eastwood mall last november. will have to add this in the "dad & son series" album that i am compiling for my boys.

rock on guys! i'm your biggest fan and stagemom! by the way, raphael wants to take music lessons this summer, he wants to learn how to play the musical instruments. haha! a singing idol in the making, right dad?
he wouldn't be best in music for nothing...:)

i'm giving my laptop a rest to enjoy our short beach getaway...will post pics soon! happy easter!

A LIFE OF VIRTUE

I attended a parents' recollection in Raphael's Pre-School a few weeks back officiated by Rev. Msgr. Claro Matt Garcia.

And i would share with you what he imparted to us- Yes i took notes...He said he posted this in his room so he's always reminded. I think it can also be our guiding principle in life.

A Life Of Virtue

1. Live a good and honorable life.

2. When you lose something, please do not lose the lesson.

3. Follow the 3Rs: Respect for Self, Respect for Others & Responsibility for all your actions.

4. Not getting what you want is sometimes a strike of God's grace. (I've proven this a lot of times, i swear! which coincides with what I've always believed in that there's always a REASON for everything)

5. Learn the rules of life but never break it.

6. Don't let a little dispute injure a great friendship. (Sometimes you have to swallow your pride and take the first move...or allow time to do the healing.)

7. When you realize your mistake, take immediate action to correct it. (It's never too late to make up for our mistakes.)

Have a meaningful and blessed Holy Week everyone!

food for the season (Lenten Season that is)

This is that time of year when we don't feast on food but fast instead. No meat, and less eating talaga.

Here's what we had on a Maundy Thursday!

Ginataan Halo-halo

Pako Salad : fresh pako or ferns (from Baler)

blanched in boiled water, tomatoes, onions, itlog na maalat,
tinapa or fish, and fish sauce.