OUR KIDS HAVEN

Andrew the builder




Presenting our the kids newest swing set....

The very first swing set we got for the kids was old. Ralph bought from his friend for $150. It did work for the kids but the swing set would sway back and forth when the kids get on the swing. It made us all nervous and worried about the kids safety. Three weeks ago Ralph nephew Andrew came down for the weekend to put up the fence we were going to buy. As it turned out the fence had to be ordered and would not come in another 2 weeks. Since Andrew didn't have any thing to do Ralph decided to get the swing set at BJ's. It had to be installed and Andrew is very good at these kinds of stuff. The swing set is only $899. It is a great price considering how big and nice it it. Before we decided about getting a new swing set of the kiddos we shopped around and by golly swing sets are just so darn expensive. The cheapest we saw with just the most basic accessory was about $1700. But anyway, we are so pleased with the bargain we got with this swing set. Andrew had to put it all together and took him about 15 hrs. to finally put it all together. If everything was all labeled it would have taken him just 5 hours but nothing was labeled at all. I was very very impressed by his dedication and he did a great job.

Sing set:

• 2 swings
• glider
• monkey bar
• rock climb
• club house
• slide
• and a picnic table

Now our backyard is a complete haven for our kids. We have the swing set, sand box , swimming pool and more than enough room to run around or even add on to the swing set. What more can a kid want?

4 OUT OF 6

When we switched from Comcast to Verizon Fios we had to answer a few questions like what kind of package we wanted, the premium channels we prefer and how many TV's we have in the house. When the agent said that both Ralph and I just laughed and told him we have 6 television in the house. He said that one family had 12 working television in their house when he was doing his canvass. Out of 6 we only have a total of 4 HDTV, one in our room, MIL sitting area, kids room and the family room. Having a lot of television reduces the fight over cartoons to watch or movies,the bad side is electricity, lol. The next time we buy a television will either be to replace the one in the playroom or for the guest room upstairs.

TO HARD TO RESIST

Doesn't it feel good when people tell you that your not as big as you think? Most of the time people get surprised when I say I am fat. Like today at the bus stop I said something to Kaitlyn not to touch my belly fat and all of the parents that were there said " what fat? we only wish we were as small as you?". With those words it made me feel that I should not worry about how I look so much. I promised that I was going to start my strict diet and exercise this month but its all out of the window. Food is just not something I can deny myself, food runs through my veins. With that said I am really looking into trying any fat burning products in the market. I know that a lot of fat burners are out there like the apidexin, I still have to do my research if it is the right one for me. I should try taking some fat burners soon before my upcoming trip.

FLOWER FOR MOM

We all know on Mother's day our kids make something special just for us moms. Last week, Kayla came home from school with this fake potted flower. I didn't see it right away since Ralph was the one who picked up Kayla at the bus stop. She just came over to me, gave me a big hug and gave me the flowers. I got teary eyed when I saw what the message was, It said " I LOVE YOU MOM!".

Before Ralph let Kayla give me the flowers he asked her who is she giving the flowers to, is it for her mommy of for me. Then she replied its for "mama" daddy. For those who don't know, Kayla is my stepdaughter. Every time she comes home from school and brings something that is for a mother Ralph makes sure to ask her if its for me or for her real mom. She is always very clear on what she makes for me and what she makes for her mom. It makes me smile that Kayla thinks of me also as a mom and not just a stepmother. I am not trying to replace her mom and I will never be able to replace her mom. To my oldest daughter Kayla:

Thank you manang for loving me and appreciating what I do for you and your sister. I love Manang!

READY TO GO

It is such a relief that Kaitlyn finally got the shots she needs for our upcoming vacation to the Philippines. Not only was I relieved because of that but I got the chance to show her pediatrician a few lumps I had found on her thighs. I have worrying about what it could be for more than a month. She has eczema so at first I thought she would only need a treatment of eczema, I hoped it would cure those little lumps on her legs. So when her eczema medication didn't work that was when I started to worry. Yesterday, we finally know what it is. I started putting the cream and It seems to be working. She was so good at the doctors and did not even cry when she was given her shots. I guess she was way to distracted by her daddy playing with her to notice the shot being administered. She did say "ouchy mama" but only for a split second. Such a brave young thing.

WORKED FOR ME

Food has always been my passion. If you put food beside a cute dress, cellphone or anything else I would make a bee line for the food right away. Its a no brainer picking the food. I just get a whole sense of fulfillment when I take that first bite, followed by more. I grew up skinny as a twig, I ate like a horse but I was still a bean pole. They could not understand why I was so skinny. It eventually caught up on me when I matured. Those times that I was gaining weight I thought I looked more fuller and curvier. Thoughts of taking fat burning product never crossed my mind. Back then all I had to do was cut down on one thing, my rice intake. The first time I cut down on my rice I lost weight in less than a month. My cousin was so shocked to see how much I lost and how fast I did it. I didn't have to be hungry but I did have to stay away from the table as soon as I was done eating so to avoid temptation. Have to tried cutting down on a certain food you like?

TO THE MALL WE WENT

A couple of weeks ago Kaitlyn and I braved Christiana Mall by ourselves. I admit I was pretty nervous since I was my first time ever to with just the two of us. With a toddler in tow you will never know what kind of mood they are in. Before we left the house I had a little talk with Kaitlyn and told her that it was just her and me and that she has to behave really really good and listen to mama. To set the mood I dressed her in clothes she liked and even brought the stroller at her request. MIL had to drive Ralph to his doctor's appointment and we just hitched a ride with them.

This was the moment of truth I said to myself, no going back and calling them right away to pick me up. Kaitlyn wanted to sit in her stroller which was perfect so I could just walk and head on to where I wanted. First stop was JCPENNEY. I browsed around and found a couple of clothes I wanted to try on. So off we went to find a fitting room, most of the clothes didn't fit right but Kaitlyn kept saying I looked beautiful, lol. I finally got a cute summer outfit cheap. Next we went to the kids department and got a few outfits for my friends children back home. The photos above was taken beside Piercing Pagoda Jewelry. I had to return the necklace we bought for her last year and had it replaced. Luckily we had it insured.

I was so impressed with my little girl, she was so behaved and good at the Mall. We did a lot of detour to the bathroom since she had to go potty from drinking that soda and the slushy I got for us. After eating I gave her a reward and took her to a part of the mall where they had those kiddie ride stuff that you have to put quarters in. She had a blast with that motorcycle. All in all it was a great mother and daughter outing for the both of us.

HOT WEEKEND

It has been such a wonderful hot hot weekend! A lot of traffic on our way to pick up Kayla in Baltimore. Again, it was mostly people coming home from the beach. We were beside this big fancy RV that was just huge and looked so spacious. Ralph promptly said " hun, how would you feel about owning one of those?". I really wouldn't object since it will make traveling more convenient and smoother specially since we have kids. We could even take our dog with us and just stay in camping grounds. Traveling to other state and just seeing the wonderful sites as we drive by would be a great experience for the kids. I will be of no help on the wheel though with me not knowing how to drive just yet. The only drawback I see about getting an RV is the maintenance and the gasoline. Those huge recreational vehicle looks like they are gas guzzlers and what about the rv repair, it must cost a lot of money for that alone. Our neighbor has one but we are not friendly with them after they got prissy about our backyard and the loose branches we have yet to get rid of a year and a half ago. After that incident, we avoid talking to him or even saying hello. But anyway, our prissy neighbor has been getting friendly with Ralph again and who knows, hubby might one day ask about his RV.

WHAT I DO

One of the many things I do when I am online is to check out the Entertainment news. I love a little bit of gossip from Hollywood every now and then. I also love reading and checking out photos of what stars do when they are not filming. One interesting article I read was about photo shoot covers on magazines and air brushing. Honestly I find it reassuring to know that women who are on the covers of the magazines that look perfect and sexy and what not are not really that perfect looking. One photo that was released with the before and after airbrushing was done was Britney Spears photo. Air brushing really works wonders and can make you look slimmer,curvier and smoother. Now, every time I look at those women in the magazines I will always think that these women are not perfect as they appear on the covers.

Aside from reading articles I also enjoy surfing online about anything and everything. Lately I have been searching more on women's interest that range from make-up, plastic surgery, beauty products, clothes, shoes and etc. Its an interesting fact that the beauty industry is always striving in spite of economic struggle. Lots of women still buy branded make-ups, and facial products like eye cream, youth creams and acne products. Nowadays its much easier to choose products by reading reviews online like the pronexin review that gives an in depth idea of what the product is all about and how beneficial it is. I admit I was never the kind to read reviews before buying products but I have learned from my husband that reading and finding out what others have to say about a certain product is very useful in helping make the right decision. With that said I have better get back on surfing and looking at some videos on how to put on make up,, lol. See yah around foks!

BIG "A" AND HIS LATE CELEBRATION

Spending time with family is always fun and never dull. The man in the picture is my dear BIL Angelo, he had a belated birthday celebration last Saturday. All his kids were there and he was back to his old lovable self with his grandson making him smile. The candle is the cake is a big "?" because his daughter forgot how old he was, lol. I was happy to see that Angelo was back to his old smiling and jolly self. He has been depressed lately and misses his kids a lot. So It was really refreshing seeing him smile and joke around and not be in a grumpy mood at all. I feel bad though that Ralph was not able to join us in the celebration. He could not take 50 minute ride going to his brothers house, he still can't sit for a long period of time. On the other hand Ralph has been healing quiet well and he says he feels good. After he is done with all his medication and his off his antibiotics I am planning on getting him some hgh supplements to help increase his metabolism and just give him energy when he goes back to work. As for now, I am just making him take things slow and not let him do any heavy lifting or strenuous work and let him rest a lot. I bet in less than a month from now he will be almost 100% back to his normal self.

GET ON TRACK

Getting back on track to exercising and eating smaller portions is not going to be as easy as I thought. I had been eating healthy and exercising but that all went out the window when my husband had his cyst drained, surgery and another surgery to close the wound. I got so swamped with everything that I had no time, nor did I have the energy to try. Even my MIL had no time to go to the gym and I know she missed it a lot specially using and getting on the treadmills at her new gym. She has been our chauffeur since Ralph has to be driven to all his appointments and all the errands we have to do. I told Ralph that next month I am going to get on track again and go on a diet. I really don't have to go on a diet but I just want to loose a little weight before my vacation and have more energy. It is not going to be easy breezy but if I keep my mind focus on my goal I will eventually survive!

LET IT BE OVER

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, True or False? My answer is true, we all see beauty in different ways. The important thing is that we look at our selves in the mirror and like what we see. I admit there are times that I don't even want to look at myself let alone say I am beautiful. One days that I do feel great I say to myself " you are one gorgeous mama!". This days I have been feeling blah due to my Spring allergies that got my nose all raw and red. I had to stop using my facial scrub with the bigger beads as I didn't want to irritate my nose even more. Even though I stopped I haven't seen any more blackhead on the side of my nose and forehead. I think my skin looks better for some reason, lol. I just want my allergies to all go away so I can breathe easy again and go back to my beauty routine..

24/7 NURSE

For the past couple of weeks I have been my husband's personal nurse 24/7. He finally had his wound closed last April 13, 2010 and had to stay in the hospital. For all those not in the loop my husband had a cyst removed from his derriere We thought he was just staying overnight but that all changed when his temperature went sky high up to 102.4. I felt helpless knowing he was in the hospital by himself. My husband is a grown man but I wanted to be there for him but nobody can take care of my kids. I was nervous as a hen when he called me that night and told him he has a high fever. I didn't let him on that I was worried, I could not sleep that night and was just tossing and turning waiting for him to call me again. Thankfully the next day we went to visit him and he was fine. They had to take a lot of blood test, culture and other test to find out why he had that fever. Yes, it is common for patient that just had surgery to have a fever but he should have gotten the fever the night he had surgery and not the following day. They could not find anything wrong with him but just in case had to let him stay in the hospital again. He was there for a total of 5 days.

He was happy as a peach when his doctor told him that he could come home. He got on the phone right away to let me know that he was coming home and that he wants to be picked up right away. My husband was so happy to leave the hospital not because he wasn't treated right but he missed his kids and me so much. He just wanted to see his kids and maybe spend a little time with them. Even though he can't stay on his feet to long nor sit down he was just glad to be home. He said he was so tired of having people see his naked behind all the time, lol.

DECK,DRINKS AND CHILLING OUT

Its already Spring, time to break out all the outdoor cushions that we stored in the basement for the winter. The other week the weather was just perfect with temperature hovering in the 70's. When the weather is nice we usually spend almost all of our time outside watching the kids play. We had a deck built in our backyard a year and a half ago. It was the perfect place to lay out the new inflatable pool I got for the kids. We have a swimming pool but the liner needs to be replaced and I just got the small pool so the kids can play in it. The inflatable pool didn't last that long though coz our dog bit into the side of the swimming pool and just chewed on it. This summer it's going to be so nice just sitting on the deck watching my kids play on the swing set while I sip a cold drink under the shade of the umbrella and just chill out.

CLOSING UP

Today Ralph had his second surgery. This time it is to close the wound that was left open from the removal of the cyst near his tailbone. It has been left open for more than a week to allow the wound to drain. Everyday last week a visiting nurse came to our house to clean his wound and pack it. The first time his wound was cleaned after surgery was pain inducing for me. Ralph felt nothing as all the nerve ending where they cut him were all dead. I was horrified when the nurse pulled out the packing bandage strip from his wound. I could tell that it was really deep, the hair on the back of my nape and on my arms stood up on ends. I was not disgusted but I felt pain for him every time I see his wound. I took pictures and even a video of the male nurse as he was packing his wound. Ralph saw how the wound was packed my shoving the bandage strip into his wound with a sterilized q tip. I have new found respect for people who work in the medical profession. Since I didn't think I could do the packing myself the nurse had to come everyday until last Thursday. Ralph had another appointment with both of his doctors, Dr. Clayton the specialist and Dr. Cheng the plastic surgeon. It was suggested my his plastic surgeon that his wound be cleaned and packed twice a day instead of once. The specialist agreed with the suggestion of the plastic surgeon. Since Ralph's insurance will never cover for two visits from a visiting nurse in one day I had to step up and do it on my own. Dr. Clayton showed me exactly how its to be done and how to pack it. The first time I changed his wound I was a nervous wreck. I did not want to hurt my husband, to cut the long story short I did a pretty good job and even the visiting nurse who came by that day for the last time said that I was doing great.

With his wound closed I hope that changing his bandage will be easier. I just feel bad for my husband with him all alone in the hospital. When I called him he told me his in pain not only from his surgery but his belly hurts as well and he has been throwing up. Hopefully tomorrow if the doctor gives him the all clear he will be out. Thank you Lord for watching over my husband.