tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5845283928712300292024-03-12T20:19:31.790-07:00FatherlandMarchttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09807700279409823579noreply@blogger.comBlogger67125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-584528392871230029.post-19609777480758250852015-09-22T18:14:00.000-07:002015-09-22T18:14:00.700-07:00Harbor<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">About a week ago I sent my son to kindergarten. It was his first day in a big school. His first time to meet school teachers and kids he doesn't know. To see playgrounds, gyms and libraries. To eat lunches and snacks all by himself. It was very overwhelming. The next day, I sent his teacher a letter. </span><br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ShJKUI7WNdY/VgH8JaZAT-I/AAAAAAAAEd8/Zkc6ufEmCEc/s1600/2015-09-11%2B08.55.18.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ShJKUI7WNdY/VgH8JaZAT-I/AAAAAAAAEd8/Zkc6ufEmCEc/s400/2015-09-11%2B08.55.18.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
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<a name='more'></a><span style="font-family: Helvetica;">Dear Ms. ...........,</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica;">I just wanted to write
you some things that might help you connect with Riley.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica;">Riley will surprise you.
Just like he surprised his teachers at pre-school. When you first met him, I
imagined it was like meeting a shadow. Voiceless and nearly invisible, like a dark
outline following his mama or papa around. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica;">It takes time to get to
know him, which I hope you will take the time to do. I’m sure he’s just as
curious about you as you are about him. And like any relationship, it just
takes time. And patience. He may not do everything you ask of him, but he is a
keen observer with the memory of an elephant. He would often remember something
that happened weeks ago while I can hardly remember what I had for lunch. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica;">He is a big fan of the
solar system. He has mastered it from the tips of the sun’s solar flares to the
edges of the milky way galaxy (and educating the rest of the family while doing
so) I think he loves it so much because it is constant. Unchanging. The same
eight planets revolving around the same sun in dozens of solar system books
scattered on the floor of his bedroom. That knowing gives him confidence and
also comfort. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica;">When Riley is at ease,
or more accurately, feels he is in a safe environment, he is a rambunctious
child often testing the limits of what he can do. Whether it’s seeing how far
he can jump or how many forward flips he can do, much to the chagrin of our
neighbor trying to have a quiet dinner below our apartment. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica;">You’ll find that he can
read and write and spell and add although he’s still working on going to the
bathroom by himself. He is voracious in his appetite to learn new things and is
currently trying to grasp the concept of multiplication tables. And to be
honest so am I. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica;">Perhaps because he is
very mental in some ways, you may think that he is less emotional. I find that
this isn’t the case. In fact, he feels as much emotion as any child, except
that because he thinks so much, he is constantly trying to reason with himself
or explain the whys and why nots internally that when the emotion gets too strong,
it just bursts out of him like a volcano. Sometimes, I am happy when he cries
because I feel he needs that release. To spiral uncontrollably to the bottom
and eventually plant his feet back down and stand up again. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica;">For whatever reason,
Riley doesn’t immediately give people his trust and as a child, he is still
learning what social behaviors are acceptable and not acceptable.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So please don’t be offended if he doesn’t
hold your hand or say your name. He is just a boat lost at sea looking for safe
harbor. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica;">Please be that safe
harbor for him. Maybe it won’t happen next week or the week after, but one day
he’ll tell you that the rings of Saturn are made of ice and rocks. And that one
side of Mercury gets really hot and the other side gets super cold.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica;">And when you know him,
he will shine bright as the sun and you will see no more shadow.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="blogger-post-footer">Just a dad trying to make it in a mom's world.</div>Marchttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09807700279409823579noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-584528392871230029.post-1477610579763392572015-05-03T17:18:00.004-07:002015-05-03T17:18:53.343-07:00I just want to be happy<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It's crazy how accurate a reflection this is of my life. Especially the zipper part. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/uFQfylQ2Jgg" width="420"></iframe><br />
</span><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span> <span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span> <span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Thanks Mario for the LOLZ.</span><div class="blogger-post-footer">Just a dad trying to make it in a mom's world.</div>Marchttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09807700279409823579noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-584528392871230029.post-25492839771275735012015-03-28T16:22:00.002-07:002015-03-29T22:54:17.751-07:00Beauty is in the arms<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">It's hard to write when you're constantly self-editing yourself. It can become crippling. And for the past few months, that's how I've felt. But you know, you forgive yourself and you move on. And I want to move on.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">So let's start with beauty.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<br />
<a name='more'></a><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">(Because I hear fashion bloggers get paid A LOT.) But damn I suck at fashion. My idea of fashion is comfortable. (oh man I can feel the ladies just rolling their eyes right now)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">I once dated this girl who... I guess you could say she was fashionable. She wore nice things and looked put together and such. And she thought about fashion a lot as well. She was into corporate fashion, if that's a thing.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">But the thing was, she wouldn't let me hug her because I would wrinkle her newly ironed outfit. I would understand if she was going to work or to a meeting. But we were going to the mall. THE MALL YO. Needless to say alarm bells started going off and the end wasn't much farther after that.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">What's the point of this story? I dunno. Fashion has its place. Of course it does. And people have their place too. It's whatever's important to you. Like rungs on a ladder, we place things and box things and categorize and dewey decimal the different subjects of our lives.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Sometimes in the whirlwind of daily life, we lose sight of what really matters. I certainly have. And losing touch with this blog also made me lose a part of myself. But I see now what it means to me.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Most likely this blog won't help me much with fashion, but it will give me a hug.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Hi. It's me again.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/PDZcqBgCS74/0.jpg" frameborder="0" height="266" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/PDZcqBgCS74?feature=player_embedded" width="320"></iframe></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Because Professor Richie is the bomb.</span><div class="blogger-post-footer">Just a dad trying to make it in a mom's world.</div>Marchttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09807700279409823579noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-584528392871230029.post-51619320731919782362014-12-01T01:06:00.000-08:002014-12-01T09:10:04.279-08:00This Christmas, dress appropriately.<div class="MsoNormal">
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Helvetica Neue Light"; mso-bidi-font-size: 16.0pt;">
</span><br />
<div class="p1">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Helvetica Neue Light"; mso-bidi-font-size: 16.0pt;">Welcome to the December #TrailingSpouseStories blog crawl!</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Helvetica Neue Light"; mso-bidi-font-size: 16.0pt;">
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<br /></div>
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This December, we talk about the much anticipated and somehow dreaded, ultra sentimental Christmas holidays. How were the Christmas holidays outside your home country? How is it similar and different? What did you enjoy most spending Christmas abroad?</div>
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<br /></div>
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Find out how we spend our holidays and how it feels to spend it in different corners of the globe, so don't forget to read more stories of fellow trailing spouses at the end of this blogpost.</div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Helvetica Neue Light"; mso-bidi-font-size: 16.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Helvetica Neue Light"; mso-bidi-font-size: 16.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This was the year we were supposed
to have a snowy white Christmas. This was the year we were supposed to be away
from family for the first time in our lives. Well, maybe not the first time. At
least for one of us.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Helvetica Neue Light"; mso-bidi-font-size: 16.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Helvetica Neue Light"; mso-bidi-font-size: 16.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I wasn’t excited at the prospect
of freezing my body’s extremities or being huddled around a decorative
non-functioning electric fireplace or having to shovel snow off the car. And
most definitely not excited to be the one to dress the kids everyday in 3 to 4
layers of clothing every time we need to step out the door. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Helvetica Neue Light"; mso-bidi-font-size: 16.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-gLDwsaD9wVE/VHeZyF_-zsI/AAAAAAAAEXU/rDE3cvq2yX0/s1600/_1380522new.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-gLDwsaD9wVE/VHeZyF_-zsI/AAAAAAAAEXU/rDE3cvq2yX0/s1600/_1380522new.jpg" height="233" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The fire is broken.</td></tr>
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</div>
<a name='more'></a><br />
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Helvetica Neue Light"; mso-bidi-font-size: 16.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I don’t know if it’s the same for
other parents but don’t you feel that dressing up the kids is like a death
match? <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pmRAiUPdRjk" target="_blank">Two men enter. One man leaves</a>. Round 1 is the first layer of clothing.
Layer 2 is the next round. And finally, the jackets gets you to the final
round. Sometimes I win. Usually I lose. Because children just naturally want to
freeze into popsicles. It’s their thing. Of course I can’t let them because
child services. And then jail. And then jail boyfriend. PASS.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Helvetica Neue Light"; mso-bidi-font-size: 16.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Helvetica Neue Light"; mso-bidi-font-size: 16.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I wasn’t excited but I was ready.
For Christmas. In a city where sundown happens at 4:30 P.M. By 5:30 the sky is
black as night and I keep thinking <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wh746f28p3I" target="_blank">30 Days of Night</a>.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Helvetica Neue Light"; mso-bidi-font-size: 16.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Helvetica Neue Light"; mso-bidi-font-size: 16.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">But life happens. And suddenly
we’re booking a flight back home to see people I haven’t spoken to in 15 years.
Maybe more. A real lifetime ago. And the thought of reconnecting with people I
never thought I’d see again is... it feels like my insides have turned to
quicksand and my soul just can’t get a grip. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Helvetica Neue Light"; mso-bidi-font-size: 16.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Helvetica Neue Light"; mso-bidi-font-size: 16.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">That’s what family can do.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Helvetica Neue Light"; mso-bidi-font-size: 16.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Helvetica Neue Light"; mso-bidi-font-size: 16.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Even before we left the country
and moved here, I was already away from family. Every year I lived with it and
that was ok. But as families got together and ate too much and laughed too much
and hopped from one dinner to the next, Christmas became a reminder to me of
what wasn’t there. So I put on layer after layer after year after year. Until I
could hardly feel the cold.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Helvetica Neue Light"; mso-bidi-font-size: 16.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Helvetica Neue Light"; mso-bidi-font-size: 16.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">But I guess nothing is forever. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Helvetica Neue Light"; mso-bidi-font-size: 16.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Helvetica Neue Light"; mso-bidi-font-size: 16.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So I’m peeling off my jackets and
scarves, shirts and sweaters, socks and shoes, skin and teeth, down to my
bones. And I don’t know how forgiving the weather will be, if at all. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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come home.</span><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Helvetica Neue Light"; mso-bidi-font-size: 16.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
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<br />
<div class="p1">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Read more about fellow #TrailingSpouseStories at:</span></div>
<div class="p2">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<ul class="ul1">
<li class="li1"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Didi's story on <a href="http://wp.me/p47nyv-15O"><span class="s1">D for Delicious</span></a> on how Christmas abroad start out tearful, but after some time, it turns tearless</span></li>
</ul>
<ul class="ul1">
<li class="li1"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Yuliya's story on <a href="http://wp.me/p5hKkM-4m"><span class="s1">Tiny Expats</span></a> on their journey and experience of winter holidays in 6 countries along the way.</span></li>
</ul>
<ul class="ul1">
<li class="li1"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Abigail's story on <a href="http://wp.me/p4DpBh-Ll"><span class="s1">Cuddles & Crumb</span></a>s on a look back on what we have been doing on Christmas and slowly working on our family traditions.</span></li>
</ul>
<ul class="ul1">
<li class="li1"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Tala's story on <a href="http://talaocampo.com/christmas-in-colombo-for-trailingspousestories"><span class="s1">Tala Ocampo</span></a> on how the Ocampo's spent their first Christmas abroad in Colombo, Sri Lanka celebrating not only Christ's birth but also the birth of their daughter Luna.</span></li>
</ul>
<ul class="ul1">
<li class="li1"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Marie's story on <a href="http://www.laughlovepractice.wordpress.com/"><span class="s1">laughlovepractive</span></a> on how times change, Christmas celebrations change. But one thing keeps it the same.</span></li>
</ul>
<ul class="ul1">
<li class="li1"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Glendale's story on <a href="http://mykandycrush.wordpress.com/2014/12/01/christmas-is-home/"><span class="s1">G's Kandy Krush</span></a> on how she is celebrating my first Christmas in Sri Lanka, where she resides with her husband and 2 sons.</span></li>
</ul>
<ul class="ul1">
<li class="li1"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Third's story on <a href="http://www.pinoyinamerica.com/?p=2055"><span class="s1">Pinoy in Americ</span></a>a on how Pinoys have successfully brought the Philippines' best-loved Christmas customs and traditions to America.</span></li>
</ul>
<ul class="ul1">
<li class="li1"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Jenny's story on <a href="http://mymommyology.com/2014/12/01/trailingspousestories-christmas-firsts/"><span class="s2">My Mommyology</span></a> on how Christmas in Manila or in the US is different every year with the kids. Or is it the same?"</span></li>
</ul>
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</span><br />
<ul class="ul1">
<li class="li1"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Kristine's story on <a href="http://talaocampo.com/christmas-at-home-away-from-home-guest-post-for-trailingspousestories"><span class="s2">Tala Ocampo</span></a> where Mac shares her reflections with Tala on spending Christmas away from home for a total of 15 years</span></li>
</ul>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Helvetica Neue Light"; mso-bidi-font-size: 16.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="blogger-post-footer">Just a dad trying to make it in a mom's world.</div>Marchttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09807700279409823579noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-584528392871230029.post-71597760020269599012014-11-07T03:28:00.000-08:002015-03-28T13:52:17.612-07:00Night owls don't dance.<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Every night I look at the clock and think I should be in bed right now sleeping. But of course I don't. There's something I'm refusing to let go of. I dunno. The dark. The silence. The void. The couch all to myself and whatever's left in the fridge. I dunno what it is. Some part of me.</span><br />
<div>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I wrote a whole paragraph trying to figure it out and deleted all the nonsense. Only one sentence remained. And I couldn't stop my eyes. Because I knew it was true.</span></div>
<div class="blogger-post-footer">Just a dad trying to make it in a mom's world.</div>Marchttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09807700279409823579noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-584528392871230029.post-63982440101555025092014-11-06T23:59:00.000-08:002014-11-06T23:59:26.099-08:00Good night little boys<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/FSemvzUDSn0?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://nathanreich.bandcamp.com/track/the-dream-song" target="_blank">Nathan Reich Sings, The Dream Song</a></span><div class="blogger-post-footer">Just a dad trying to make it in a mom's world.</div>Marchttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09807700279409823579noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-584528392871230029.post-62204865397304549632014-11-03T10:50:00.000-08:002014-11-03T22:40:09.526-08:00All we bring we leave behind.<div class="MsoNormal">
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><i>
</i></span><br />
<div class="p1">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><i>Welcome to the inaugural run of the #TrailingSpouseStories blog crawl hosted by Tala Ocampo and Didi of D for Delicious. </i></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><i>
</i></span>
<div class="p2">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><i><br /></i></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><i>
<div class="p1">
This November we talk about our First Voyage as trailing spouses and what we’ve brought with us, rather: what’s in your suitcase? </div>
<div class="p2">
<br /></div>
<div class="p1">
Please see the end of the post for other #TrailingSpouseStories.</div>
</i></span></blockquote>
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">When
we left the Philippines to start a new life in another country, we left many
things behind. Clothes were given away. Toys were given away. Furniture was
sold. Our car was sold. We said goodbye to Miyagi. Although I’m still
holding out hope he can join us here someday. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-MpXiiC9F0bY/VErrtwRX14I/AAAAAAAAEWw/5T6JTLFRvqA/s1600/P1100801-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-MpXiiC9F0bY/VErrtwRX14I/AAAAAAAAEWw/5T6JTLFRvqA/s1600/P1100801-1.jpg" height="400" width="266" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Miyagi, stealer of fried chicken.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<a name='more'></a><br />
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We
packed our bags and headed to the airport. One thing that we brought with us
though, which was the exact opposite of a blessing, was diarrhea. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Bam,
bam, bam, BAM! It hit all four of us. No one was spared. Thank you universe.
You made what was an already stressful, anxiety-filled,
never-done-this-before-we’re-just-gonna-wing-it, 13-hour journey trapped in a
confined space with two very young children, into a veritable sh*t storm of
soul-crushing proportions. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Maybe
it was all the holiday food we had ingested (like pigs) the night before. Maybe
it was the anxiety of moving home and hearth to a place you’ve never been
before. Maybe it was all the long goodbyes and false ‘see you soons’ at the
end. Maybe it was Miyagi’s revenge for leaving him. Maybe this was looking less
like a Goonies family adventure and more like a Saw III horror-fest, sprinkled
with what-the-F-just-happened bewilderment. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Let
me just say that <a href="http://www.narita-airport.jp/en/index.html" target="_blank">Narita</a> Airport has the best restrooms. Arigatou gozaimasu!<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Restrooms
on the plane – not so best. You know it. You’ve seen it. Just don’t breathe it.
Because there’s no way to scrub your lungs. And you know that moment when
you’re halfway through changing your baby’s diapers and you realize that you’re
not gonna’ make it all the way to the end on one breath? Right. Now imagine diapers + diarrhea.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Panic and then eyes
start to tear.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Days
later, as we settled into our newfound surroundings and cleaner clothes, we were able to reflect
back on our experience. It was in a way, a bizarre and super inconvenient
manifestation of us letting go. Figuratively. Emotionally. Mentally.
Physically. Spiritually? Bloody literally. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Letting
go of our friends, our family, our comforts, our routines, our home, our lives.
Everything. Gone and getting farther and farther away from life as we know it.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Starting
again. Blank slate. Square one in a round peg.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And
as the days pile up, taking me farther and farther from the cubicle at Narita
(I keep saying <a href="http://images.fanpop.com/images/image_uploads/Narnia-8-the-chronicles-of-narnia-241414_1024_768.jpg" target="_blank">Narnia</a> in my head), I look back and try to remember the life I
once knew. Regret. Nostalgia. Fondness. Pain. Brotherhood. Freedom. All
memories put on pause, tucked away in a special place in the back of my head.
To be replayed when heart aches and home sicks. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">But
if there’s one good thing I’ve realized, even if you leave, it’s kinda hard to
forget that sh*t.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">-
for my brothers.</span><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Other </span>#TrailingSpouseStories</i></span><br />
<br />
<ul class="ul1">
<li class="li1"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Jenny's story on <span class="s1"><a href="http://mymommyology.com/2014/11/03/the-traveling-pictures-of-a-trailingspouse/">MyMommyology</a></span></span></li>
<li class="li1"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Tala's story on <a href="http://talaocampo.com/?p=1086"><span class="s1">Tala Ocampo</span></a></span></li>
<li class="li1"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Shine's story also on <a href="http://talaocampo.com/?p=1106"><span class="s1">Tala's blog</span></a></span></li>
<li class="li1"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Nix's story on <a href="http://drivingspiderman.wordpress.com/2014/11/03/10-years-and-counting/"><span class="s1">Driving Spiderman</span></a></span></li>
<li class="li1"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Glendale's story on <a href="http://mykandycrush.wordpress.com/2014/11/03/kandy-crush-level-01/"><span class="s1">My Kandy Krush</span></a></span></li>
<li class="li1"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Char's story on <a href="http://icecreamsessions.blogspot.com/2014/11/missusandmigrant.html"><span class="s1">Ice Cream Sessions</span></a></span></li>
<li class="li1"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Tracy's story on <a href="http://talaocampo.com/?p=1098"><span class="s1">Tala's blog</span></a></span></li>
<li class="li1"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Milen's story on <a href="http://talaocampo.com/an-interview-with-my-newfound-mama-mentor-for-trailingspousestories/"><span class="s1">Tala's blog</span></a></span></li>
<li class="li1"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Didi's story on <a href="http://dfordelicious.com/2014/11/whats-not-in-my-suitcase-trailingspousestories-edition/"><span class="s1">D for Delicious</span></a></span></li>
<li class="li2"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Cath's story on <a href="http://wp.me/p47nyv-14U"><span class="s1">D for Delicious</span></a></span></li>
</ul>
</div>
<div class="blogger-post-footer">Just a dad trying to make it in a mom's world.</div>Marchttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09807700279409823579noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-584528392871230029.post-16666379549141320622014-10-12T02:49:00.000-07:002014-10-12T02:49:03.039-07:00At the Intersection of Crazy<div style="margin-bottom: .1pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: .1pt;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">This
year has been and continues to be the strangest of my life. Everything changed.
I’m having to relearn how to do things I normally know how to do. Like driving
for instance. Imagine moving from a country where you had the most minimum, the
barest and not to mention the shadiest of laws to one where laws pretty much
dictate every move you make. Thank you <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OMOGaugKpzs" target="_blank">Sting</a>.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .1pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: .1pt;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .1pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: .1pt;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">U-Turns,
for example, a very handy driving maneuver, especially when lost or you know,
just change your mind and decide to head in the opposite direction, it happens
you know, because people change their minds all the time... are against the
law. IN ANY SCENARIO. There will never be a time or place in this country when
making a U-Turn is acceptable. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .1pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: .1pt;">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-82yN437yLKk/VDpMVmKlG_I/AAAAAAAAEWc/ZKmBotaeiQY/s1600/276253_Papel-de-Parede-Meme-Jackie-Chan_1920x1440.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-82yN437yLKk/VDpMVmKlG_I/AAAAAAAAEWc/ZKmBotaeiQY/s1600/276253_Papel-de-Parede-Meme-Jackie-Chan_1920x1440.jpg" height="300" title="WHUUUUUUUUUUTTTTTTT" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My mind just...</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="margin-bottom: .1pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: .1pt;">
</div>
<a name='more'></a><br />
<div style="margin-bottom: .1pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: .1pt;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12pt;">I.
Can’t.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .1pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: .1pt;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .1pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: .1pt;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">It
makes me think, no matter where you go, no matter how far, no matter how much
time you spend sitting in economy where your butt has fallen asleep more times
than you, there is and always will be some crazy. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .1pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: .1pt;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .1pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: .1pt;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Oh
yeah. Crazy’s everywhere. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .1pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: .1pt;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .1pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: .1pt;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Because
U-Turns are super useful. Oh shit I forgot my important papers, hang on I gotta
make a... U-Turn! Oh wait a minute, I’m headed in the wrong direction, I need
to make a... U-Turn! Oh look! I’m hungry and there’s <a href="http://www.japadog.com/" target="_blank">Japadog</a>! Let’s make a...
U-Turn! Super useful!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .1pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: .1pt;">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.wpclipart.com/page_frames/full_page_signs/traffic_signs_1/no_U_turn_sign.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://www.wpclipart.com/page_frames/full_page_signs/traffic_signs_1/no_U_turn_sign.png" height="320" title="I knew him well." width="318" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">RIP U-Turn</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="margin-bottom: .1pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: .1pt;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .1pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: .1pt;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">But
some things are just not meant to be. Everyone, let’s all join hands. Bow our
heads as we bid goodbye, say our farewells and auf wiedersehens to our fallen companion
in this road we call life. Gone too soon. May our paths meet again and promptly
do a 180. You will be missed. Especially when we miss our turn. Or when we try
to avoid traffic just beyond the intersection. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .1pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: .1pt;">
<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">So I
find myself here in this strange place, filled with all manner of strange beasts
and an over abundance of ridiculously healthy food, learning the honest and awful
truth that, well, there’s no turning back now. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .1pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: .1pt;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="blogger-post-footer">Just a dad trying to make it in a mom's world.</div>Marchttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09807700279409823579noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-584528392871230029.post-52807412213648903972014-10-07T02:22:00.000-07:002014-10-07T02:22:25.428-07:00Beginners, beginnings and apologies.Normally I'd just <a href="http://geekologie.com/2014/10/wtf-is-that-premium-handjob-glove-for-du.php" target="_blank">wank off</a>, but what the hell, let's do something different.<br />
<br />
<i>Oh sire! You grace us with your presence!</i><br />
(Your best english accent is required here. Disney english)<br />
<br />
You ever been around your kids so much that you forget how to talk to adults? Or how to have an adult conversation? And I already suck at small talk, so my social skills is now at level beginner. I'd have better luck striking up a conversation with your child.<br />
<br />
<i>I always thought <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wIW4HG-cn6U" target="_blank">Peppa Pig</a> was kind of a brat, but she gets away with it cuz she's a bit charming. For a pig. Your thoughts?</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lxkg6dfHrw1r5m33yo1_500.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lxkg6dfHrw1r5m33yo1_500.gif" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">How to draw a blank.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<i><br /></i>
<br />
<a name='more'></a><br />
It's good to know my batting average, whether young or old, is consistent. Good talk. Look away.<br />
<br />
Anyway, I've been taking my son to pre-school and man, the parents here are so involved in their children's lives. The teachers really want the parents to be a part of their school activities. So now there's this "parents night" coming up where the dads and moms get to meet one another and learn about the school, their program and uh, make friends? I guess? God this is so not me.<br />
<br />
And somehow, SOMEHOW, I was jedi mind tricked into volunteering to be the class rep. As in representing the class to... I don't know who. The children? My heart is pounding just writing this. WHAT DOES A CLASS REP DO??? I"M FUCKED!!! DO I HAVE TO SPEAK IN FRONT OF THE CLASS??? I"M NOT A CITIZEN OF THIS COUNTRY! I DON'T KNOW WHO YOUR PRESIDENT IS! .... Prime Minister? SHIT!!!!!!!<br />
<br />
I can't believe I signed my name on the volunteer sheet. Replaying memory, I see my hand reaching for the pen, it still doesn't make sense. Now I know how that sandtrooper feels. Poor bastard.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_RccTLu6UaMc/S8zExwB78_I/AAAAAAAABZA/yRQGZCocbWA/s1600/stormtrooper+regret.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_RccTLu6UaMc/S8zExwB78_I/AAAAAAAABZA/yRQGZCocbWA/s1600/stormtrooper+regret.jpg" height="270" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
Clearly, it's stressing me out. Small talk stresses me out. New people stress me out. This whole year man, has just been a humongous leap into the unknown. Unfamiliar. Uncomfortable. And at times, unforgiving.<br />
<br />
Nothing happens the way you imagine it will, or wish it will. Everything goes wrong at the worst time. You run out of gas before you get to the finish line. You forget things when you need them the most. You forget people even though they're in the same room.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-DB3ObBiq-1A/VDOpcTyZIrI/AAAAAAAAEWM/8xXqfuoqTO4/s1600/draft_lens4458812module31611932photo_1241584818trooper-regrets.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-DB3ObBiq-1A/VDOpcTyZIrI/AAAAAAAAEWM/8xXqfuoqTO4/s1600/draft_lens4458812module31611932photo_1241584818trooper-regrets.jpg" height="271" title="double sigh." width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">sigh.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
The hardest part is always in the beginning.<br />
<br />
Hi, I'm Marc and I'll be your class rep for 2014. Apologies in advance.<div class="blogger-post-footer">Just a dad trying to make it in a mom's world.</div>Marchttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09807700279409823579noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-584528392871230029.post-55680174944362291222014-09-29T14:16:00.001-07:002014-09-29T14:16:48.423-07:00I am a SAHD boy.You know, there really should be a study about how stay-at-home dads (SAHD) are perceived in society. Like, what happens when I'm only one of two dads at a school function and the rest are moms? Are they judging me? Are they talking behind my back? Are they judging my wife for not being here? And the most important question of all, do they think they're better than me? Do other dads think they're better than me for going to work instead of staying home and taking care of the kids? Wouldn't you like to know?<br />
<br />
<a name='more'></a><br />
My friend Roger is writing a paper on it, but he needs data, hopefully from you. If you're a stay-at-home dad, or a working dad. Or even a stay-at-home mom or a working mom, I hope you can take the time in between laundry duties and bedtime stories to answer his survey. That's his invitation to you below and his link to the survey. Thanks in advance!<br />
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
Hi, </blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
My name is Roger Duncliffe and I am looking for participants for my Psychology Graduate Diploma final year project. My research is concerned with people's views on Stay at Home Dads and how they are regarded by society. With the increase in number of men choosing to remain at home to raise their children it is important for us to understand how society considers this change from the more traditional family set-up. </blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
If you are the parent of a young child under five years of age and identify yourself as either a stay at home father, stay at home mother, working father or working mother then you are eligible to participate. The study will be entirely confidential and the anonymity of participants will be retained by the creation of your own unique username. All information is solely for research purposes and will only be shared with my supervisor. You can withdraw up to 30 days after you have completed the study and there is no obligation to take part. </blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
Please find the link below which details the nature of the study and provides instructions about the survey. The study should take no longer than 10-15 minutes of your time. </blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span class="s1"><a href="http://parentingattitudes.weebly.com/">http://parentingattitudes.weebly.com/</a></span> </blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
Many thanks in advance for your help. </blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
Roger Duncliffe<br /><span class="s2">Email: <a href="mailto:dunclifr@lsbu.ac.uk"><span class="s1">dunclifr@lsbu.ac.uk</span></a></span></blockquote>
<div class="blogger-post-footer">Just a dad trying to make it in a mom's world.</div>Marchttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09807700279409823579noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-584528392871230029.post-79396534339195493512014-09-06T22:54:00.003-07:002014-09-06T22:54:52.693-07:00Let's get outta here.<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="281" mozallowfullscreen="" src="//player.vimeo.com/video/104966526" webkitallowfullscreen="" width="500"></iframe> <br />
<a href="http://vimeo.com/104966526">Wes Anderson // Vehicles</a> from <a href="http://vimeo.com/jaumerlloret">Jaume R. Lloret</a> on <a href="https://vimeo.com/">Vimeo</a>.<br />
<br /><div class="blogger-post-footer">Just a dad trying to make it in a mom's world.</div>Marchttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09807700279409823579noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-584528392871230029.post-1542148094591042412014-06-30T12:29:00.000-07:002014-06-30T12:29:00.377-07:00Compass Kaput<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Did somebody say bananas?</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It’s a popular line on my son’s favorite tv show, <a href="http://www.nickjr.com/the-fresh-beat-band/" target="_blank">The FreshBeats Band</a>. Watches it all the time so you can imagine, I’ve memorized all their
songs. And it’s driving me bananas. <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2aqodTaSs9o" target="_blank">Cue music</a>.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">These past months have been frantic to say the least. I
haven’t had time to absorb what it means to uproot our lives and move to a new
country. I’ve just been treading water. Occasionally drowning and resuscitated
repeatedly by my wife, who is way better at handling change than I am. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And who I am is being rewritten every day that I am here. Almost
like becoming a whole new person. This is my problem right here. What happens
if I don’t like who I’m becoming?</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I was perfectly fine with the person that I was. I knew him.
I liked him. He made me laugh. He had really good taste in music. But the me
now? I’m dancing and going bananas.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I was talking with my wife the other day, trying to explain
to her what exactly is going on with me. Because I’m going crazy. And not in
the fun way crazy can be. Crazy is coming out of me in ways that are hurtful
and mean. And some days, I really, really hate myself for doing these hurtful
and mean things. I tell myself, it’s not who I am. And yet. It’s coming out of
my mouth. Emotions exploding like a neutron bomb. Scaring everyone and scaring
myself most of all. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I told her, I’ve got a case of lizard brain where my grey
matter is operating on a reptilian level. Just surviving. Just moving from one
task to the next. Everyday, over and over again. The same lonely and brainless
tasks. Like Groundhog Day. Except less funny. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/tSVeDx9fk60?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I’m getting pretty good at folding clothes. And I can do
some <a href="http://instagram.com/p/l2_VYrjRRz/?modal=true" target="_blank">minimal cooking</a> so we can stop going through Mcdonald’s Drive-Thru. And no
more microwave dinners. Vegetables have been reintroduced into our diet and I
no longer fear the <a href="http://instagram.com/p/pxDbl8DRVT/?modal=true" target="_blank">oven</a>. Or the stove-top. Or pretty much anything in the
kitchen. Fingers intact!</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Being a mother is hard. Jesus Christ it’s hard. It’s made me
feel really, really stupid. You know how guys hate stopping the car to ask for
directions? We hate it. We super duper hate it. We’d rather drive lost for
another hour than stop the car and roll down the window. It hurts our pride. It
reveals us to be unsure of ourselves. It’s admitting we made a mistake. And
everyone in the car is counting on us to get us there. And we have no answers,
just a delusional internal compass that has finally gone kaput. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This is my everyday for the last 6 months. And my cup is
empty. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">But maybe, the good thing with being completely empty, you
get to start from scratch. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Hi. It’s the new me. </span></div>
<div class="blogger-post-footer">Just a dad trying to make it in a mom's world.</div>Marchttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09807700279409823579noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-584528392871230029.post-71272054932571545272014-02-03T00:54:00.000-08:002014-02-03T23:42:09.213-08:00Yaya, who moved my cheese?<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This post is sponsored by <a href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/Marca-Pi%C3%B1a-Cheeseball/151968281514251" target="_blank">Marca Piña</a> & <a href="https://www.facebook.com/ArixPhilippines" target="_blank">Tonkita by Arix</a>.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Our family has uprooted itself from the warmth and safety of Manila and moved to </span><a href="http://www.breakingdawn-themovie.com/" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;" target="_blank">Twilight</a><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> country. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Trees, forests, squirrels, Cullens. We're all here, freezing our butts off in what the locals are calling the coldest winter in years. And it's only gonna get colder. FML. Hard to have fun when you're freezing, but well, we're not really here for fun. We're here for serious business. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And believe me, being a stay-in yaya is serious business. But I'm not just yaya, I'm ate and inday as well. Aside from taking care of the kids, feeding them, bathing them, brushing their teeth, dressing them up, putting them to bed, carrying them to and fro, playing with them, keeping them from bumps and bruises, cuts and crying, reading them stories and making up new ones, I also do the dishes, wash the clothes, make the beds, make them breakfast, pick up their toys, clean the house, clean the floors, wipe the tables, take out the trash, vacuum the car, as well as any heavy lifting as is required. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Hello life in the first world.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It was exhausting just typing that. Just mentally going through my day. Now I believe we pay our help too little for the things we make them do. They keep our lives running so we can go "live our lives". And we get upset when they don't do things exactly the way we want them to, when we want them to. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">My fingers are dry and cracked, my back aches and there's never enough sleep. What I would give for a day-off. But I chose this first world life. Our yaya's, ates and indays back home don't have that luxury. They have people counting on them. With their limited capabilities and limited education, they're doing their best. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I know we've all had problems with the people in our household and I'm not judging. All I'm saying is, it's a hard life. And one that has pushed me to the lowest points in my days as a father. It's made me grab my crying child by the shirt and scream in his face. I will regret that perhaps for the rest of my life. I resorted to something that took the least amount of time, effort and work because I was tired. Just completely spent. And I just wanted him to stop crying. Of course it only made things worse. And I felt like the worst dad ever. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">But whenever my babies have their meltdown, I remember what I did and it stops me from having a meltdown of my own. Breathing helps. And wine. But the hardest part is when you're exhausted. That's when things start to slip. The dark side is definitely the faster, easier path. But then we all know that ending, arms and legs chopped off by your best friend and mentor, left to burn alive, then reborn to become one of the most iconic and enduring figures in modern pop culture. The merchandising alone! Hmmm. That doesn't sound too...</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The laundry I fold isn't perfect. The breakfast I make is barely nutritious. I'm probably ruining my kids brains with too much ipad and youtube. They still get their bumps and bruises, cuts and meltdowns despite my best efforts. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">But I'm the only man for the job. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Be nice to your yayas, ates and indays. Get them the best tools to do their job well. <a href="https://www.facebook.com/ArixPhilippines" target="_blank">Tonkita by Arix</a> makes excellent home cleaning products that last a long, long time. In fact, one of the highlights of my day was buying a new bottle cleaning brush. It was joy and it made my job easier and faster. <a href="https://www.facebook.com/ArixPhilippines" target="_blank">Tonkita</a> has brooms, mops, brushes, buckets, all high quality stuff that your yaya will thank you for. Honestly, it makes a big difference when you have tools that make things go easier and faster. Like the dark side without the evil.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And at the end of a long day of housework, all I want is wine. And some <a href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/Marca-Pi%C3%B1a-Cheeseball/151968281514251" target="_blank">Marca Piña Dutch Edam cheese</a> from Holland. And two sleeping babies. And my boss to say, "Thanks baby." That would be absolutely perfect. </span></div>
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<div class="blogger-post-footer">Just a dad trying to make it in a mom's world.</div>Marchttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09807700279409823579noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-584528392871230029.post-22753191991631934832014-01-29T01:33:00.000-08:002014-01-29T02:10:46.829-08:00Continental Shift<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Just mourning the life I once knew. You live with each other so long, you get used to them just being there. Took a lot of things for granted. Took everything for granted. Felt like I was sleepwalking and now just waking up. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Break-ups do that. There's always a point after a break-up when you second guess your decision. Because you miss the other person or are suddenly reacquainted with the feeling of being alone. And it kinda terrifies you. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Then if you're a masochist, you'll pick up the phone and call, to hear a familiar voice, maybe fish and see if they'll bite, whatever it may be. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Eventually you'll realize that you're the only one still standing at the train station waiting and perhaps talking to yourself. Most probably.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And as you're standing there, this sequence happens:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Shit.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Fuck.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Shit.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Fuck.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Shit.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Fuck.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Fuck.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Fuuuuuuck.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Well, that was really shitty. But I can't stand around here and smoke cigarettes all day.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I still got a lot of time on my clock.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And then suddenly, like a scene in a movie,</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">everything is possible.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">But before you reach the 'everything is possible' part of your life, they really have a way of making you go through the ringer.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Funny thing is, I don't know how many times I've said goodbye to old lives. You'd think I'd be used to all the goodbyes and the never-see-you-agains. But then maybe it's a good thing that I don't see my life as a string of familiar faces and forgotten names. All the different lives I've inhabited, each was deeply loved. And each, incredibly missed.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><div class="blogger-post-footer">Just a dad trying to make it in a mom's world.</div>Marchttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09807700279409823579noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-584528392871230029.post-72265909741649119212013-12-02T21:21:00.000-08:002013-12-02T21:21:16.683-08:00A Thousand Floodgates Opened<div style="margin-bottom: .1pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: .1pt;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">This post is sponsored by <a href="https://www.facebook.com/HPphilippines" target="_blank">HP Ink Advantage</a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Man, my kid just said one of the worst things I’ve heard in the time I’ve been a dad. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">“Papa, take away your phone.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">I fucking died.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">I’ve become a monster. I’ve become one of them. I’ve become one of those horrible cliché dads you watch on tv who live out their lives ignoring their children only to find them one day, <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0452623/" target="_blank">gone, baby gone</a>. (a wonderful movie you should check it out)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">I’ve been down this road before, and yet here I still am. Self-awareness is a pain sometimes. Anyway. There’s just no excuse. And I’ve tried looking. I’ve evaluated my life and found that there’s nothing’s more important than time with my kids.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Damn you internet and your time suckage! A curse on both your houses! <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">So now when we play, my son gets my phone and puts it far away. It’s something he does on his own, without prompting from me. (definitely without prompting from me) And man, it hurts when I see him do that. I don’t ever want him to feel like he’s second choice. Especially to a fucking phone.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">So yeah, I suck. And now I’m playing more with them out of guilt. But I think I can live with that for now. Because the more I play with them and the more time I spend with them, it’ll come more naturally to me. And I know the guilt will go away. And I’ll be present. Really present in the moment. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">It really helps when I get down to their height and look them in the eyes. Sometimes I find myself just staring at them. And for a while I thought that I had to somehow get inside them. To burrow my way into their heart. For them to know me. For us to have a deeper relationship. Like I had to decipher their secret language.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">But I think it’s the opposite that’s true.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">My kids were always open to me. It was me who was closed. I just had to let them in. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">They’re learning about me the same time I’m learning about them. And I will make sure that as they grow, they know I love them more than a job or a career, more than a passion or an art, more than plastic, metal and glass.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">The only way to do that is with time. That’s why <a href="http://www8.hp.com/ph/en/products/printers/index.html?facet=Home-and-home-office#!view=column&page=1&facet=Home-and-home-office" target="_blank">HP printers</a> makes things easy and fast, so we have more time to do more important things. Like cleaning poop. With your bare hands. Mushy poop. You ever try picking up mushy poop from the sink? It’s hard. Maybe scooping mushy poop would be better. With your hand. I'm scarred for life.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Anyway. HP has something really cool – the <a href="http://www8.hp.com/ph/en/products/printers/product-detail.html?oid=5218830&jumpid=reg_r1002_phen_c-001_title_r0001#!tab=features" target="_blank">HP Deskjet Ink Advantage 5525 e-All-in-One</a> Printer. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/mYIu1QSBOYQ" width="560"></iframe><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">My problem before with HP was that the ink cartridges were always so expensive, up to P1,000+ per cartridge. Now they just blew my mind by having ink at around P390 per cartridge. This is more like it.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Without a doubt, HP always had great quality prints but now that the cost of ink is much lower, there’s no question what printer we’ll be using from now on. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<div style="margin-bottom: .1pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: .1pt;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Also, super cool – the new printers have specially made apps for your mobile device. Apps that communicate directly to the printer, you just need to provide it with an internet connection. Endless possibilities! <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Like for example, you can actually print by emailing your printer the document. LIKE A HUMAN BEING. The printer has it’s own email address. WUT.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">So many cool features. <a href="http://www8.hp.com/ph/en/products/printers/index.html?facet=Home-and-home-office#!view=column&page=1&facet=Home-and-home-office" target="_blank">Check them all out at HP</a>. <o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-_NZxh15amGA/Up1b3RuO9kI/AAAAAAAABQ8/XqZfl0_4CoI/s1600/HP+LOGO.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-_NZxh15amGA/Up1b3RuO9kI/AAAAAAAABQ8/XqZfl0_4CoI/s1600/HP+LOGO.jpg" height="233" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Thank you to the SoMoms and <a href="https://www.facebook.com/TheOneCORE" target="_blank">The One Core</a> for my continuing education in becoming a parent.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Apologies to Mr. William Shakespeare but others have done worse and you're too dead to complain.</span></div>
<div class="blogger-post-footer">Just a dad trying to make it in a mom's world.</div>Marchttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09807700279409823579noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-584528392871230029.post-73851025405615776252013-11-21T05:06:00.001-08:002013-11-21T18:05:34.266-08:00What's in a picture?<div style="margin-bottom: .1pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: .1pt;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">This post is sponsored by <a href="http://picturecompany.com.ph/index.html" target="_blank">The Picture Company</a>.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">My
wife and I are a couple of saps. We get teary-eyed at the drop of a hat. It’s
one of the first things we learned about each other and one of the first things
we bonded over. I can’t remember what we were crying about that first time, but
I’m quite sure it was something as ridiculous as this.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/calHOKucYMw?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12pt;">We do
this thing where every year, we make a short picture slideshow of our little
family, just to sum up the things we did for that particular year and to see
our journey thus far. And every time we do it, it makes us cry. In fact, it’s
kind of become the benchmark of how we know that the slideshow we’re editing is
working or not. We don’t stop editing until the tears start flowing.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">We are
vulnerable to our children any way you look at it, the pictures only help in
making us softer. And thinking about the world we live in today, I think we
could all use a little more softness in our lives. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">I’m
just glad that my wife shares my love for photography. I’d say that she loves
it more than me. And thanks to her, we have beautiful pictures of the two boys.
But (and this is the pain of being a photographer) we’re not in many of the
pictures we take. We only have a handful of pictures with the whole family,
usually taken at a restaurant by our server. Far from moving and far from being
tear-inducing.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">To
finally have a proper family photo, we went to <a href="http://picturecompany.com.ph/index.html" target="_blank">The Picture Company</a>. They have a
lot of branches, so we went to the nearest one in <a href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Picture-Company-Podium/299984590103497" target="_blank">Podium</a>. What I liked about it
is that the place and people are very friendly and good to kids. And if you’ve
photographed kids before, you know that getting them in a good mood is
essential to getting good pictures. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Ms.
Ishee was our photographer and she charmed my shy little boy out of his shell.
A feat in itself. Actually, I can’t say enough good things about the people
there. They really made us feel comfortable and let the kids be themselves. And
because of that, their personalities came out in the pictures. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">And
that’s ultimately what makes the pictures special to us. I don’t just see my
family posing for a picture, I see the naughty smile my son makes when he’s
making a joke. I see the pure, unfiltered delight when my youngest one laughs. I
see the people who mean the most to me in a very real way, in the way that I
know them. I feel part of a whole, lucky to belong to the very best people I
know.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Find
information about <a href="https://www.facebook.com/ThePictureCoPH" target="_blank">The Picture Company here</a>. They are having a promo now that's perfect for sending Christmas cards and tags with your family photo on it. </span><br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-cLbKF6iDAak/Uo3ueP5L66I/AAAAAAAABPs/nxxj19HAzQk/s1600/thepicturecompany.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-cLbKF6iDAak/Uo3ueP5L66I/AAAAAAAABPs/nxxj19HAzQk/s1600/thepicturecompany.jpeg" height="310" title="The Picture Company Podium" width="400" /></a></div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-vISyolyPqtA/Uo4A4qDSgEI/AAAAAAAABP8/4C1snWKhmXY/s1600/Promo+Mechanics.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-vISyolyPqtA/Uo4A4qDSgEI/AAAAAAAABP8/4C1snWKhmXY/s1600/Promo+Mechanics.jpg" height="400" title="The Picture Company Podium" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 16px;">Also, by participating in Smiles for Relief, you help the victims of typhoon Yolanda get back on their feet.</span></div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-q04IXaHQl40/Uo3ueJtKFpI/AAAAAAAABPo/wrZjAUc4Ugc/s1600/1452239_10151872506269492_1090128751_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="The Picture Company Podium" border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-q04IXaHQl40/Uo3ueJtKFpI/AAAAAAAABPo/wrZjAUc4Ugc/s1600/1452239_10151872506269492_1090128751_n.jpg" height="190" title="Smiles for Relief" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Check out which <a href="http://picturecompany.com.ph/phils.html" target="_blank">branch is nearest you</a>! </span></div>
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<div class="blogger-post-footer">Just a dad trying to make it in a mom's world.</div>Marchttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09807700279409823579noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-584528392871230029.post-79911515051327796092013-11-04T21:02:00.000-08:002013-11-04T21:02:14.567-08:00Big kids playing with little children<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I'd never given much thought to the typical kiddie birthday party. You buy some balloons, hire a clown, eat some cake, open some presents, then you go home. Party over. Simple and sweet. But also kind of expected. My wife, who in a former life was a wedding coordinator, has introduced me to the idea that a party, whether it be for a wedding or for a kids' birthday, is not just a party. It can be so much more.</span><div>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It can be an experience. It can be imaginative, surprising, and even (gasp) fun. It can make you forget about the rough week you had at work. It can make you not mind that chocolate stain on your nice shirt because your taste buds are doing somersaults and high fives. It can make you feel like a kid again.</span></div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-fWRPFJ4VzF0/Unhg1FpJvOI/AAAAAAAABM8/CCNJxMeb_2M/s1600/_1320265new.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-fWRPFJ4VzF0/Unhg1FpJvOI/AAAAAAAABM8/CCNJxMeb_2M/s1600/_1320265new.jpg" height="266" title="Luchador birthday party" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a name='more'></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I thought, well if we're going to throw a kiddie party, might as well make it really fun for us too right? My kids probably won't remember this party but I sure as hell will. And for me, the funnest part was conceptualizing the theme of the party. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">There wasn't much debate, we both really loved the idea of having a nacho libre luchador party. It's something we haven't really seen done here and we thought it also fits the hombre / destructo-boy personality of our child. Also, we love mexican food. WIN.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We immediately contacted Indy of <a href="https://www.facebook.com/SheDreamsInInk" target="_blank">She Dreams in Ink</a> to help us bring this luchador party to life. Right off the bat, she had so many wonderful ideas for the party. Some of which, we couldn't include anymore due to budget constraints. But one of her ideas which I loved was her outdoor / garden movie viewing activity for the kids. Imagine an old mexican town where people would gather in the town square and watch movies being projected on a large white cloth at night beneath giant exposed light bulbs. Just magical if we'd been able to pull it off. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Collaborating with her brought out insanely fun ideas that we couldn't have thought of on our own.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">(all photos courtesy of Tammy David unless watermarked by fatherland)</span></div>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-bYm8i-Z7U1c/UnfRaaDi_cI/AAAAAAAABIw/uXbMIPxwVhc/s1600/Riley+Dilly+Birthday+Low+Res+004.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-bYm8i-Z7U1c/UnfRaaDi_cI/AAAAAAAABIw/uXbMIPxwVhc/s1600/Riley+Dilly+Birthday+Low+Res+004.jpg" height="400" title="She Dreams in Ink" width="266" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A fiesta sign and luchador posters greeted the guests.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_OlS2kQBBKs/UnfRaT0cT-I/AAAAAAAABI0/N8WlJDkhY1Y/s1600/Riley+Dilly+Birthday+Low+Res+005.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_OlS2kQBBKs/UnfRaT0cT-I/AAAAAAAABI0/N8WlJDkhY1Y/s1600/Riley+Dilly+Birthday+Low+Res+005.jpg" height="400" title="She Dreams in Ink" width="266" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Table toppers using flowers, a beer bottle, an old can and a slice of lime.</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-CLn8IuQM3SI/UnfRabHQvhI/AAAAAAAABI4/HfjaVdgR3gI/s1600/Riley+Dilly+Birthday+Low+Res+007.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="font-size: 13px; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-CLn8IuQM3SI/UnfRabHQvhI/AAAAAAAABI4/HfjaVdgR3gI/s1600/Riley+Dilly+Birthday+Low+Res+007.jpg" height="400" title="She Dreams in Ink" width="266" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The spitting image of our child.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
<br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-3RQN4ad-Qhw/UnfRcnnr-mI/AAAAAAAABJQ/Udox1lSikFE/s1600/Riley+Dilly+Birthday+Low+Res+012.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-3RQN4ad-Qhw/UnfRcnnr-mI/AAAAAAAABJQ/Udox1lSikFE/s1600/Riley+Dilly+Birthday+Low+Res+012.jpg" height="266" title="She Dreams in Ink" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Everything gave guests that mexican feel.</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-dI7EgiZb1tU/UnfRc1zMWiI/AAAAAAAABJU/xhxvbCjYmpA/s1600/Riley+Dilly+Birthday+Low+Res+013.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-dI7EgiZb1tU/UnfRc1zMWiI/AAAAAAAABJU/xhxvbCjYmpA/s1600/Riley+Dilly+Birthday+Low+Res+013.jpg" height="266" title="She Dreams in Ink" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lucha Libre and lime.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-CTtN4JhqA0U/UnhhltuKNnI/AAAAAAAABNE/nkAMVfdGAxY/s1600/_1320181new.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-CTtN4JhqA0U/UnhhltuKNnI/AAAAAAAABNE/nkAMVfdGAxY/s1600/_1320181new.jpg" height="266" title="Luchador birthday party" width="400" /></a></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-_5NMD0GDBtk/UnfRcLhnXkI/AAAAAAAABJM/3dyDReChrFk/s1600/Riley+Dilly+Birthday+Low+Res+010.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-_5NMD0GDBtk/UnfRcLhnXkI/AAAAAAAABJM/3dyDReChrFk/s1600/Riley+Dilly+Birthday+Low+Res+010.jpg" height="266" title="" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Coloring activity for the kids while mommy and daddy eat.</td></tr>
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<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-L1vcsYPtJQs/UnfRg-KM1VI/AAAAAAAABKE/ZKJvncm9mx4/s1600/Riley+Dilly+Birthday+Low+Res+032.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-L1vcsYPtJQs/UnfRg-KM1VI/AAAAAAAABKE/ZKJvncm9mx4/s1600/Riley+Dilly+Birthday+Low+Res+032.jpg" height="266" title="She Dreams in Ink" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Luchador ring / padded playmat for the toddlers.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div>
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-cjrjYE6PkXo/UnfReDixjpI/AAAAAAAABJk/bRcEi-HQ6ik/s1600/Riley+Dilly+Birthday+Low+Res+015.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-cjrjYE6PkXo/UnfReDixjpI/AAAAAAAABJk/bRcEi-HQ6ik/s1600/Riley+Dilly+Birthday+Low+Res+015.jpg" height="266" title="Mexicali Philippines" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Catering by Mexicali. To this day, guests still talk about <br />how much they enjoyed the food.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-nk-9_GtHWLI/UnhjOI7JMYI/AAAAAAAABNc/1bZay9tQB1A/s1600/_1320197new.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-nk-9_GtHWLI/UnhjOI7JMYI/AAAAAAAABNc/1bZay9tQB1A/s1600/_1320197new.jpg" height="266" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-wGq41B1vXtU/UnfRgtCUX_I/AAAAAAAABJ8/8oDz18P_7cA/s1600/Riley+Dilly+Birthday+Low+Res+028.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-wGq41B1vXtU/UnfRgtCUX_I/AAAAAAAABJ8/8oDz18P_7cA/s1600/Riley+Dilly+Birthday+Low+Res+028.jpg" height="266" title="Mexicali Philippines" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One of the reasons we chose Mexicali was for<br />their grilled vegetable quesadillas. Super yum. </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-kURCCrnRTaw/UnfRqbmi3VI/AAAAAAAABLk/igI0nsD2-Xs/s1600/Riley+Dilly+Birthday+Low+Res+084.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-kURCCrnRTaw/UnfRqbmi3VI/AAAAAAAABLk/igI0nsD2-Xs/s1600/Riley+Dilly+Birthday+Low+Res+084.jpg" height="266" title="Mexicali Philippines" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Can't go wrong.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-jTbW8g7Xqvs/UnfRrVU7HWI/AAAAAAAABL4/8j84UF-WJJM/s1600/Riley+Dilly+Birthday+Low+Res+085.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-jTbW8g7Xqvs/UnfRrVU7HWI/AAAAAAAABL4/8j84UF-WJJM/s1600/Riley+Dilly+Birthday+Low+Res+085.jpg" height="266" title="Mexicali Philippines" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">For the amount of food we had, their package was very affordable. </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-xZpRKD-0ov4/UnfRrieJ7_I/AAAAAAAABL0/dCgj9gf58vg/s1600/Riley+Dilly+Birthday+Low+Res+086.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-xZpRKD-0ov4/UnfRrieJ7_I/AAAAAAAABL0/dCgj9gf58vg/s1600/Riley+Dilly+Birthday+Low+Res+086.jpg" height="266" title="Mexicali Philippines" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Chicken and cheese enchiladas! </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-kyJ7xXmp8vs/UnfRtTjQAPI/AAAAAAAABMQ/GwLBPzGoMFU/s1600/Riley+Dilly+Birthday+Low+Res+144.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-kyJ7xXmp8vs/UnfRtTjQAPI/AAAAAAAABMQ/GwLBPzGoMFU/s1600/Riley+Dilly+Birthday+Low+Res+144.jpg" height="266" title="Mexicali Philippines" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Freshly-made tacos on the spot so they stay crunchy.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-pKBT_w3nY_I/UnfRoPIBYdI/AAAAAAAABLc/pxYWAlyaoQU/s1600/Riley+Dilly+Birthday+Low+Res+063.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-pKBT_w3nY_I/UnfRoPIBYdI/AAAAAAAABLc/pxYWAlyaoQU/s1600/Riley+Dilly+Birthday+Low+Res+063.jpg" height="266" title="Mexicali Philippines" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Freshly-made churros which we requested but was not on their menu.<br />They really went the extra mile to make these just for the party.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-UXJ0zwu7fEs/UnfRev0wB0I/AAAAAAAABJo/nkxL_uFQKdY/s1600/Riley+Dilly+Birthday+Low+Res+017.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-UXJ0zwu7fEs/UnfRev0wB0I/AAAAAAAABJo/nkxL_uFQKdY/s1600/Riley+Dilly+Birthday+Low+Res+017.jpg" height="266" title="Mexicali Philippines" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The churros were everyone's clear favorite.<br />The dark chocolate was thick and hot.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-q2mtXNnojeE/UnfRepqEhEI/AAAAAAAABJs/7k5XzoBZ4dQ/s1600/Riley+Dilly+Birthday+Low+Res+027.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-q2mtXNnojeE/UnfRepqEhEI/AAAAAAAABJs/7k5XzoBZ4dQ/s1600/Riley+Dilly+Birthday+Low+Res+027.jpg" height="266" title="Mexicali Philippines" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Indy even made taco and churros stations for the party.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-OTWp3raHtFw/UnhiYFnsPYI/AAAAAAAABNM/ZWiv9WvZmGg/s1600/_1320187new.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-OTWp3raHtFw/UnhiYFnsPYI/AAAAAAAABNM/ZWiv9WvZmGg/s1600/_1320187new.jpg" height="266" title="luchador birthday party" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">You can find me here.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-V1XRQvxJJ_M/UnhiYcOOLdI/AAAAAAAABNQ/BK0Acy4hwnA/s1600/_1320248new.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-V1XRQvxJJ_M/UnhiYcOOLdI/AAAAAAAABNQ/BK0Acy4hwnA/s1600/_1320248new.jpg" height="266" title="Luchador birthday party" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Or here. It's in the general area.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: left;">
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-FKeNWbri4mA/UnfRhIoBDNI/AAAAAAAABKA/NHnDA8hp4Qw/s1600/Riley+Dilly+Birthday+Low+Res+033.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-FKeNWbri4mA/UnfRhIoBDNI/AAAAAAAABKA/NHnDA8hp4Qw/s1600/Riley+Dilly+Birthday+Low+Res+033.jpg" height="320" title="Rainbow birthday cake by The Cake Shack" width="213" /></a><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-RzHxuV1dhLM/UnfRuWq4R4I/AAAAAAAABMc/1k7KI3zH68w/s1600/Riley+Dilly+Birthday+Low+Res+354.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-RzHxuV1dhLM/UnfRuWq4R4I/AAAAAAAABMc/1k7KI3zH68w/s1600/Riley+Dilly+Birthday+Low+Res+354.jpg" height="320" title="Rainbow birthday cake by The Cake Shack" width="213" /></a></div>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-5A9nTVGh3hE/UnfRiZWfrBI/AAAAAAAABKQ/Ok85J5gYyo8/s1600/Riley+Dilly+Birthday+Low+Res+034.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-5A9nTVGh3hE/UnfRiZWfrBI/AAAAAAAABKQ/Ok85J5gYyo8/s1600/Riley+Dilly+Birthday+Low+Res+034.jpg" height="400" title="The Cake Shack" width="266" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rainbow birthday cake by <a href="https://www.facebook.com/thecakeshack" target="_blank">The Cake Shack</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-nh_fPt29_KQ/UnfRi7E78NI/AAAAAAAABKc/HxnmnCVauaI/s1600/Riley+Dilly+Birthday+Low+Res+036.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-nh_fPt29_KQ/UnfRi7E78NI/AAAAAAAABKc/HxnmnCVauaI/s1600/Riley+Dilly+Birthday+Low+Res+036.jpg" height="266" title="She Dreams in Ink" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dessert and sweets table styling by <a href="https://www.facebook.com/SheDreamsInInk" target="_blank">She Dreams in Ink</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-0hucZkVnk0E/UnfRjLa88JI/AAAAAAAABKk/1uKBz8R482g/s1600/Riley+Dilly+Birthday+Low+Res+037.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-0hucZkVnk0E/UnfRjLa88JI/AAAAAAAABKk/1uKBz8R482g/s1600/Riley+Dilly+Birthday+Low+Res+037.jpg" height="266" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cactus mini-cakes, m&m's, cookies, cupcakes and a giant piñata.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-3Lw7n3yNUKg/UnfRjkVKFRI/AAAAAAAABKo/HrGIxe1FJfk/s1600/Riley+Dilly+Birthday+Low+Res+039.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-3Lw7n3yNUKg/UnfRjkVKFRI/AAAAAAAABKo/HrGIxe1FJfk/s1600/Riley+Dilly+Birthday+Low+Res+039.jpg" height="266" title="Whipped by Diane" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Piñata cookies by <a href="https://www.facebook.com/whippedbydiane" target="_blank">Whipped by Diane</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-UFxu97tF03I/Unhk5HpUNdI/AAAAAAAABOM/vH7v4-Bh3nQ/s1600/_1320231new.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-UFxu97tF03I/Unhk5HpUNdI/AAAAAAAABOM/vH7v4-Bh3nQ/s1600/_1320231new.jpg" height="266" title="Luchador birthday party" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Piñata cookies by <a href="https://www.facebook.com/whippedbydiane" target="_blank">Whipped by Diane</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-k4ciKgLt8oU/UnfRkEcS6fI/AAAAAAAABKs/SbeZWpwSHGw/s1600/Riley+Dilly+Birthday+Low+Res+040.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-k4ciKgLt8oU/UnfRkEcS6fI/AAAAAAAABKs/SbeZWpwSHGw/s1600/Riley+Dilly+Birthday+Low+Res+040.jpg" height="266" title="Paper Chic Studio" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Straws and paper bags by <a href="https://www.facebook.com/PaperChicStudio" target="_blank">Paper Chic Studio</a>, thanks Cai!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Utc1pRJD2wY/UnhkfiHx_fI/AAAAAAAABN0/Kilw1inNdQo/s1600/_1320224new.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Utc1pRJD2wY/UnhkfiHx_fI/AAAAAAAABN0/Kilw1inNdQo/s1600/_1320224new.jpg" height="266" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Straws by <a href="https://www.facebook.com/PaperChicStudio" target="_blank">Paper Chic Studio</a></td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-_vXxUkzqWMM/UnhkbreATgI/AAAAAAAABNs/7OO7yVMroyU/s1600/_1320221new.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="luchador cupcakes" border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-_vXxUkzqWMM/UnhkbreATgI/AAAAAAAABNs/7OO7yVMroyU/s1600/_1320221new.jpg" height="266" title="Luchador birthday party" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;">Cupcakes with luchador faces by <a href="https://www.facebook.com/whippedbydiane" target="_blank">Whipped by Diane</a></td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-lY89-U27TPY/Unhk0O1KQdI/AAAAAAAABOE/1yHllvzMA_w/s1600/_1320225new.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-lY89-U27TPY/Unhk0O1KQdI/AAAAAAAABOE/1yHllvzMA_w/s1600/_1320225new.jpg" height="266" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Call them mini-cakes or gigantic cupcakes, whichever you prefer.</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-B-dOwy4-QAo/Unhk9u639II/AAAAAAAABOU/dH1Od4EBG0Y/s1600/_1320234new.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-B-dOwy4-QAo/Unhk9u639II/AAAAAAAABOU/dH1Od4EBG0Y/s1600/_1320234new.jpg" height="266" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Custom made piñata with sweets inside.<br />Too pretty to break so we let him live.</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-AYCauCLnI20/UnfRlW1IqaI/AAAAAAAABLA/I_IxTC11_bw/s1600/Riley+Dilly+Birthday+Low+Res+041.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-AYCauCLnI20/UnfRlW1IqaI/AAAAAAAABLA/I_IxTC11_bw/s1600/Riley+Dilly+Birthday+Low+Res+041.jpg" height="400" title="Whipped by Diane" width="266" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cupcakes with luchador faces by <a href="https://www.facebook.com/whippedbydiane" target="_blank">Whipped by Diane</a></td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-NIrr3-g3bZ0/UnfRlS4eKzI/AAAAAAAABK8/91p6npAkskU/s1600/Riley+Dilly+Birthday+Low+Res+043.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="sombrero cookies" border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-NIrr3-g3bZ0/UnfRlS4eKzI/AAAAAAAABK8/91p6npAkskU/s1600/Riley+Dilly+Birthday+Low+Res+043.jpg" height="266" title="Whipped by Diane" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sombrero cookies by <a href="https://www.facebook.com/whippedbydiane" target="_blank">Whipped by Diane</a></td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-FjhlbdpbPec/UnhkhY9IuAI/AAAAAAAABN4/JBd5dp8ToM8/s1600/_1320211new.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="sombrero cookies" border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-FjhlbdpbPec/UnhkhY9IuAI/AAAAAAAABN4/JBd5dp8ToM8/s1600/_1320211new.jpg" height="266" title="Whipped by Diane" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Candy sprinkles and gum drops<br />made into Sombrero cookies by <a href="https://www.facebook.com/whippedbydiane" target="_blank">Whipped by Diane</a></td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-McDwah2mYMI/UnfRlzATrDI/AAAAAAAABLE/lH-SsbOWOPE/s1600/Riley+Dilly+Birthday+Low+Res+052.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-McDwah2mYMI/UnfRlzATrDI/AAAAAAAABLE/lH-SsbOWOPE/s1600/Riley+Dilly+Birthday+Low+Res+052.jpg" height="266" title="Jarritos" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.jarritos.com/" target="_blank">Jarritos</a> juice drinks and uh, actual juice. Guests loved the bottles so much, <br />they brought them home. No return, no deposit.</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-GQeSad0ph1I/UnhlM1aw4cI/AAAAAAAABOk/N_HETtodMQg/s1600/_1320237new.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="oranges in crates" border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-GQeSad0ph1I/UnhlM1aw4cI/AAAAAAAABOk/N_HETtodMQg/s1600/_1320237new.jpg" height="266" title="Luchador birthday party" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Freshly picked oranges that were loaded into a van, delivered to <br />a supermarket and found their way into my shopping cart. #supplychain</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-2TUjB2alQHY/UnhlK-P47MI/AAAAAAAABOc/A9oTjop7U4I/s1600/_1320235new.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Luchador birthday party" border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-2TUjB2alQHY/UnhlK-P47MI/AAAAAAAABOc/A9oTjop7U4I/s1600/_1320235new.jpg" height="266" title="Jarritos" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jarritos! You can find these in Metro Gaisano Supermarket.</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-pp48qg_Ecrg/UnfRn5WbDaI/AAAAAAAABLU/PamUORgHcbs/s1600/Riley+Dilly+Birthday+Low+Res+056.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-pp48qg_Ecrg/UnfRn5WbDaI/AAAAAAAABLU/PamUORgHcbs/s1600/Riley+Dilly+Birthday+Low+Res+056.jpg" height="400" title="She Dreams in Ink" width="266" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Wall decor by <a href="https://www.facebook.com/SheDreamsInInk" target="_blank">She Dreams in Ink</a>, she also cut out banderitas<br />that had the kid's names on them, which totally surprised us.</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-S3Y0dyz0oZ0/UnfRsaQhspI/AAAAAAAABME/vIFSZjPtpKw/s1600/Riley+Dilly+Birthday+Low+Res+093.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-S3Y0dyz0oZ0/UnfRsaQhspI/AAAAAAAABME/vIFSZjPtpKw/s1600/Riley+Dilly+Birthday+Low+Res+093.jpg" height="266" title="Indy Ycasiano She Dreams in Ink" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Indy Ycasiano of <a href="https://www.facebook.com/SheDreamsInInk" target="_blank">She Dreams in Ink</a> <br />and the person who put everything together.</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-nC1hXmN0Go8/UnfRtykSNQI/AAAAAAAABMY/kUaKYnaNX-8/s1600/Riley+Dilly+Birthday+Low+Res+287.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-nC1hXmN0Go8/UnfRtykSNQI/AAAAAAAABMY/kUaKYnaNX-8/s1600/Riley+Dilly+Birthday+Low+Res+287.jpg" height="266" title="Clowning Around Party Specialists" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Singing, dancing and games for the kids by <a href="https://www.facebook.com/ClowningAroundPartySpecialists" target="_blank">Clowning Around</a></td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-6VDBoWAnjo8/UnfRoADrtoI/AAAAAAAABLY/5xoJgATA7Tg/s1600/Riley+Dilly+Birthday+Low+Res+065.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-6VDBoWAnjo8/UnfRoADrtoI/AAAAAAAABLY/5xoJgATA7Tg/s1600/Riley+Dilly+Birthday+Low+Res+065.jpg" height="266" title="ice cream and taho vendors" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mamang sorbetero by Aquiles</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-7_43dzSniN4/Unh31bKoyRI/AAAAAAAABO4/A3uMOQ4gE_E/s1600/_1320271new.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-7_43dzSniN4/Unh31bKoyRI/AAAAAAAABO4/A3uMOQ4gE_E/s1600/_1320271new.jpg" height="283" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Found these guys selling dirty ice cream and taho in Powerplant mall.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-GRFiGZNAVvI/Unh3tpNbF6I/AAAAAAAABOw/B777Y9Ma_nA/s1600/_1320266new.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-GRFiGZNAVvI/Unh3tpNbF6I/AAAAAAAABOw/B777Y9Ma_nA/s1600/_1320266new.jpg" height="400" width="318" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Taho by Nelson's Taho.</td></tr>
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It's funny how, even if we were planning the party with <a href="https://www.facebook.com/SheDreamsInInk" target="_blank">Indy</a>, we were still so surprised by so many little details. Things like using slices of lime to hold up flowers and name tags and the personalized paper banderitas which I'm sure took forever to make. Even making the toddler area look like a luchador ring. (two men enter, one man leave.)</div>
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<a href="http://www.mexicali.ph/" target="_blank">Mexicali</a> was also a surprise hit with everyone. How can you not love their burritos, quesadillas, tacos, enchiladas, oh man I'm starting to crave again. But I have to hand it to the Mexicali team, they don't actually have churros on their menu or in their restaurants, but since we requested, they made churros just for us, from scratch. And hands down, the churros was everyone's favorite food. And even if everyone kept going back for more, they didn't run out. MAD PROPS. Cuz there were some hungry people in there. Me included.</div>
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<a href="http://www.mexicali.ph/" target="_blank">Mexicali</a>, if you're reading this, please please please offer your churros in your restaurants!!! It is the bomb of bombs. If you make it, we will eat it.</div>
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It was really fun to go all out, sticking closely to the luchador / mexican theme. Every little detail went towards creating a complete experience and put everyone in a fun and festive mood. It's hard not to use superlatives and sound like a 5-year old writing this, but really, that's how it felt. It's how everybody felt.</div>
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Big kids playing with little children.</div>
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Thank you to the wonderful people who worked with us for the party!</div>
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Indy Ycasiano and her team at She Dreams in Ink</div>
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<a href="https://www.facebook.com/SheDreamsInInk" target="_blank">Facebook</a></div>
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<a href="http://shedreamsinink.wordpress.com/" target="_blank">Wordpress</a></div>
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Instagram: shedreamsinink</div>
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<a href="http://www.mexicali.ph/" target="_blank">Mexicali</a></div>
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<a href="https://www.facebook.com/whippedbydiane" target="_blank">Whipped by Diane</a></div>
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Instagram: whippedbydiane</div>
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<a href="http://www.thecakeshack.com.ph/" target="_blank">The Cake Shack</a></div>
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Instagram: thecakeshack</div>
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<a href="https://www.facebook.com/PaperChicStudio" target="_blank">Paper Chic Studio</a></div>
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Instagram: paperchicstudio</div>
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<a href="https://www.facebook.com/ClowningAroundPartySpecialists" target="_blank">Clowning Around Party Specialists</a></div>
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Dr. Guzon for the custom made piñata.</div>
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mobile # 0916-388-0336</div>
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Dennis Balloons </div>
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mobile # 0917-844-0428</div>
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office # 809-2107</div>
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Nelson's Taho </div>
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mobile # 0999-439-4154 </div>
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He also serves taho in Rockwell Powerplant Mall.</div>
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Sorbetes by Aquiles </div>
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mobile # 0918-285-0293</div>
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He also serves ice cream in Rockwell Powerplant Mall.</div>
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Sound System by Rene Gabriel </div>
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mobile # 0917-525-7363</div>
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<div class="blogger-post-footer">Just a dad trying to make it in a mom's world.</div>Marchttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09807700279409823579noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-584528392871230029.post-38246254409486769062013-10-22T23:47:00.002-07:002013-10-22T23:47:59.590-07:00This might be the best thing you can do today.<div style="margin-bottom: .1pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: .1pt;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">This post is sponsored by <a href="http://www.philips.com.ph/" target="_blank">Philips</a>.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Facebook gets people riled up. They move one icon slightly to the left and the whole internet is up in arms. We gotta set this town ablaze! We gotta write strongly worded status messages that we hope will get hundreds of likes and comments and, and, and, MAKE THEM CHANGE IT BACK.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Cuz dammit that icon belongs on the right.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">But that’s not really the point. What I’m interested in is people. People gettin’ riled up. This is an emotional town filled with lots of emotional people. It’s who we are. And I think it’s fantastic. I think it’s powerful. I think it can get people to do things they wouldn’t normally do. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Like fight. Or march. Or forgive. Or laugh. (yes, some people don’t normally laugh, let’s just hug them.) We share and post a lot of things that make us feel.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">This is what I have been seeing on my feeds of late. We feel angry. We feel injustice. We feel the inequality of the few VS the many. And unfortunately sometimes, we feel hopeless.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">But I’m a hopeful person. And I think that by doing what we can, even the smallest of acts, can one day amount to big changes. This is why I’m supporting the Philips “Innovations that Matter to You” campaign. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">They’re not asking for you to “like” their page or even share their website. They’re asking for your ideas. Ideas on how to address three of the most crucial problems our country faces today – <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">1. the need for livable cities<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">2. proper nutrition for families<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">3. easier access to quality healthcare solutions<o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Here’s the best part – Philips is going to take the best idea and simply DO IT. Whatever crazy, wild, insane idea it is, if it meets the criteria above, if it’s within their capacity and technology to do, if it will actually make a difference in people’s lives, Philips will BLEEPING MAKE IT HAPPEN. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">If it’s something that doesn’t exist but is within their means to develop, meaning: they can use the technology of their Lighting products, Consumer Lifestyle products and Healthcare products, THEY WILL DO IT. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-RUlAY_t9W0E/UmdsjkfAtoI/AAAAAAAABHE/F_Zhja0vyfE/s1600/Screen+Shot+2013-10-23+at+2.23.06+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-RUlAY_t9W0E/UmdsjkfAtoI/AAAAAAAABHE/F_Zhja0vyfE/s1600/Screen+Shot+2013-10-23+at+2.23.06+PM.png" height="111" title="Innovation that Matters to You Philips Asia Pacific" width="200" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Don’t ask them to build an aircraft, they’re not Boeing. Don’t ask them to build a spaceship, they’re no NASA. They’re Philips and they make innovative consumer goods for health and well-being, so we need to keep it within that realm.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">This is a company that’s actually trying to do something good, something relevant and something that will realistically make the lives of people better. All they need are your ideas, which are infinitely more useful than another rant on Facebook.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Maybe you've got an idea for a mobile app that helps detect breast cancer.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Or a mobile hospital that travels to rural areas in need.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Or a solar powered bus shelter that lights a high crime area at night.</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Ideas that come from your history, your knowledge, your emotions. Ideas that come from the place where you live and what only you can see everyday. Ideas that come from the stories we’re told and experiences we go through. Ideas that help our children, help our parents, help our community to feel safer, to feel healthier, to feel hope.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Whatever your idea may be, put your heart into it and make it big. Because the bigger you dream, the bigger the change we will see in the country we love.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Click here to start writing your ideas – <a href="http://www.meaningfulinnovation.asia/philippines/" target="_blank">www.meaningfulinnovation.asia/philippines </a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Also, please act fast, the deadline for your ideas is on November 11, 2013. I will update you if there will be an extension to the deadline. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">Ideas should be realistic, impactful, and should fall under one of the three idea categories given. A select panel of subject matter experts shall then shortlist six ideas that meets Philips’ objective of creative positive change. The individuals/organizations behind these six suggestions will then undergo a mentorship workshop with some of the Philippines’ respected visionaries, to further fine-tune their ideas, and make them more actionable. Philips will then select one winning idea, and implement the chosen innovation in 2014.</span><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">You can also learn more about the campaign at the <a href="http://www.meaningfulinnovation.asia/philippines/" target="_blank">Philips website</a> and on their <a href="https://www.facebook.com/PhilipsPhilippines" target="_blank">Facebook page</a>.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<div class="blogger-post-footer">Just a dad trying to make it in a mom's world.</div>Marchttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09807700279409823579noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-584528392871230029.post-20964827778047043102013-10-09T05:54:00.001-07:002013-10-09T05:54:57.702-07:00Everyday is the end of the world<div style="margin-bottom: .1pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: .1pt;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This
post is sponsored by Walnut Shoes.<span style="font-size: small;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">One of
the things that happen when you become a father is that you remember what it
was like being a child. Some people though remain children throughout their
adult life but we’re not gonna go there. Let’s just hug them.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Everyday
that I’m with my boys, I try to see the world from their perspective, if not
from their height. As adults, we live in the big world. With every person we
meet, every friend we make, every new place we visit or country we travel to,
we continue to stretch our world and make it bigger. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<o:p><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span></o:p></div>
<a name='more'></a><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The
more experiences we have, the more we become a part of the world, the more we
see the bigger picture. And the little things don’t get to us as much. But when
you’re young, when you’re 2 years old. Jeeeeeeeeezzzzaaasssss.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It’s
always the end of the world.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">ohmygodmyfrenchfriesfellontheflooriwanttoeatitbutyou’renotlettingmeyoucruelevilman!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">But
when you think about it, it kinda makes sense. Because their world… is small.
It’s tiny. Those french fries now decorating my nice wooden floor like some
kind of geometric chaos modernism static performance art piece --- that was the
best thing about today. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">There
is no tomorrow. There is only today. There is only now. There is only this
inedible art piece decorating the floor. And these tears. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Multiple
choice:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Do I…<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<div style="margin-bottom: .1pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: .1pt;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">a.)
calmly explain to him that the fries on the floor are now dirty and I don’t
want him to get sick by eating all the germs because then he’ll get an owie
tummy<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">b.) distract
him with toys/t.v./ipad/books/coloring/painting/joy-ride-in-the-car/etc. (I have
many distractions at my disposal)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .1pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: .1pt;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">c.) let
him eat the fries on the floor (I bet you thought this wasn’t an option)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">d.)
make a deal “If you stop crying I will… (fill in the blank with your empty
promises).”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .1pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: .1pt;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .1pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: .1pt;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">e.)
get in the car, drive to the nearest mcdonald’s drive-thru and buy more fries.
(only a 30% chance of this working because those aren’t the same fries, hello!)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .1pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: .1pt;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .1pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: .1pt;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">f.)
start raising your voice in the hopes that loud words will drown out the crying
and he will suddenly come to his senses. (fyi, you haven’t a hope in hell with
this option)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .1pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: .1pt;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .1pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: .1pt;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">g.) write
a strongly worded letter to the inventor of french fries and ask him to deal
with my son (my favorite option)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .1pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: .1pt;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .1pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: .1pt;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Those
fries are his world, they’re what he knows. Our world is obviously much bigger
than french fries so we see it from a different perspective. We may even
trivialize what he’s going through. But we shouldn’t.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .1pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: .1pt;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .1pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: .1pt;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We
should do our best to understand all that our children experience, no matter
how small, by walking a mile in their shoes.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .1pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: .1pt;">
<br /></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Thank you Christine Tan for bringing Walnut shoes to our shores all the
way from Australia. They initially began selling their shoes in Rustan’s last
February and are now expanding to more stores. By November, they will be
releasing their new holiday collection. More cute stuff that are celebratory in
their cuteness. Cuz you know, it’s the holidays so, of course. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-BUbstSZs-h4/UlVQTXYX4hI/AAAAAAAABE8/UgkGSrDkr-k/s1600/Tom+tennis-boys-group.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-BUbstSZs-h4/UlVQTXYX4hI/AAAAAAAABE8/UgkGSrDkr-k/s1600/Tom+tennis-boys-group.jpg" height="193" title="Walnut Shoes Melbourne Philippines" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tom Tennis Boys</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ZG6FL2ukBHI/UlVQTMjDttI/AAAAAAAABE4/eJcODDo4Zic/s1600/Tom+tennis-girls-group.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ZG6FL2ukBHI/UlVQTMjDttI/AAAAAAAABE4/eJcODDo4Zic/s1600/Tom+tennis-girls-group.jpg" height="135" title="Walnut Shoes Melbourne Philippines" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tom Tennis Girls</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-kRRqio_fzWk/UlVQbpeVIMI/AAAAAAAABFI/qmPrGjjXHDQ/s1600/Sarah+Navy+Floral+-+ladies.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-kRRqio_fzWk/UlVQbpeVIMI/AAAAAAAABFI/qmPrGjjXHDQ/s1600/Sarah+Navy+Floral+-+ladies.jpg" height="320" title="Walnut Shoes Melbourne Philippines" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sarah Navy Floral</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-JgP66S9PdNc/UlVRI0M_KaI/AAAAAAAABFg/zgaByKUKlMI/s1600/Mary+Jane+group.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-JgP66S9PdNc/UlVRI0M_KaI/AAAAAAAABFg/zgaByKUKlMI/s1600/Mary+Jane+group.jpg" height="196" title="Walnut Shoes Melbourne Philippines" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mary Janes</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-cxBUPpSeGvE/UlVRbu6vXVI/AAAAAAAABFo/AaW_VzRvlrY/s1600/Gumboots-Fuschia_Red.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-cxBUPpSeGvE/UlVRbu6vXVI/AAAAAAAABFo/AaW_VzRvlrY/s1600/Gumboots-Fuschia_Red.jpg" height="320" title="Walnut Shoes Melbourne Philippines" width="275" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Gum Boots</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-avhytfzui_E/UlVRGn2Zp3I/AAAAAAAABFc/D6jqa8Rz2wI/s1600/janegroup.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-avhytfzui_E/UlVRGn2Zp3I/AAAAAAAABFc/D6jqa8Rz2wI/s1600/janegroup.jpg" height="128" title="Walnut Shoes Melbourne Philippines" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Check out their shoes and styles here:<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/WalnutMelbournePhilippines" target="_blank">Facebook Walnut Melbourne Philippines</a><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Twitter @walnutph<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Instagram @walnutph<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">You can find Walnut Shoes in Rustan's
Shangrila Makati and Albang. Shoething Trinoma, Eastwood, Lucky China Town, BHS,
and Greenbelt 5. Babyland Shaw, Eastwood Mall, Festival Mall, and Glorietta 2.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 16.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="blogger-post-footer">Just a dad trying to make it in a mom's world.</div>Marchttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09807700279409823579noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-584528392871230029.post-467535645528456992013-10-04T20:06:00.000-07:002013-10-04T20:06:05.309-07:00Heart failure<div style="margin-bottom: .1pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: .1pt;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12pt;">This
post is sponsored by <a href="https://www.facebook.com/PhilipsAventPH" target="_blank">Philips Avent</a>.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .1pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: .1pt;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .1pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: .1pt;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .1pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: .1pt;">
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">A few
weeks ago my wife and I had a fight. It was our anniversary that day. Ouch, I
know. 5 years of marriage and 2 kids later, it seemed like we had stopped
moving forward. It’s more complicated than that of course. Marriage is a
complicated beast. And most of the time, at least in our case, the things that
complicate it are the things that are left unsaid.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .1pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: .1pt;">
</div>
<a name='more'></a><br />
<div style="margin-bottom: .1pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: .1pt;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">And
this is where people tell you that you have to constantly work at your
marriage. Well, one thing they don’t tell you is how tiring it can be. It’s
tiring if you haven’t had a decent night’s sleep in 3 years. It’s tiring if your
child has been sick for an entire week. It’s tiring if your other child was
also sick AT THE SAME TIME. And it’s tiring if the parents of said children WERE
ALSO SICK AT THE SAME TIME. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .1pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: .1pt;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .1pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: .1pt;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Opening
up and talking and being patient and vulnerable and honest and trusting and
loving and all those things suddenly become extra hard to do when your concerns
are – god I need my child to sleep so he can get better so I can sleep, so that
I can get better too. But he’s in such a foul mood that he can’t sleep and just
wants to cry and scream in my ear while I carry him with no hope of calming him
down. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .1pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: .1pt;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .1pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: .1pt;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Harakiri!
Seppuku! <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .1pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: .1pt;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .1pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: .1pt;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">So
when a husband / wife issue comes up, well, there’s just no more patience or
understanding left to hand out. I shut down. Communication lines are down.
There’s a power failure in my heart. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .1pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: .1pt;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .1pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: .1pt;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">We
spent our anniversary not talking to each other, tending to our sick children
and trying not to get in each other’s way. That feeling was far worse than the
crying of my child in my ear. It sucked the life out of me.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .1pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: .1pt;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .1pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: .1pt;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Talking
and being honest with one another can be a pride-swallowing siege. Sometimes we
feel like we have to win an argument. Or convince the other person that you’re
right and they’re wrong. And by the way, arguing is not talking. Arguing is
unleashing hell on the other person for the sake of unloading your feelings.
That doesn’t really help, even if you have the loudest voice in the room.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .1pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: .1pt;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .1pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: .1pt;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Besides,
when was the last time you ever won an argument with your wife? And even if you
won that argument, did it make you feel good? Probably not, because you
probably brought up other issues from the past and used them like ammunition in
an ever growing arms race of resentments and mistakes. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .1pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: .1pt;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .1pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: .1pt;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">And
the more you don’t talk, the worse it all gets.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .1pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: .1pt;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .1pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: .1pt;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">And
you start feeling like it’s too late. 10 years go by. 20 years go by. And
you’re just surviving. You pour yourself into other things. Maybe your
children, your work, your friends, your hobbies, whatever you can just so you
don’t have to look your partner in the eye and …. talk. And be vulnerable. And
be honest. And be afraid that what you say may make them leave you for good. Or
make them realize that you aren’t worth loving. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .1pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: .1pt;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .1pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: .1pt;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">10
years go by. 20 years go by and you’re gripped in fear of what the other person
is thinking and feeling. You’re a hostage in your own life. Unable to be
yourself, to be happy, to love.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .1pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: .1pt;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .1pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: .1pt;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">This
is what I tell myself when my wife and I fight. It helps me get over myself. It
pulls me back to a place where we can talk. And be vulnerable. And be honest.
And be afraid. Because you never really know how your partner is going to react
to what you say. But you say it anyway because it’s coming from love. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .1pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: .1pt;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .1pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: .1pt;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">That’s
who you are and that’s what you do. You love.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<br /></div>
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<br /></div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .1pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: .1pt;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Many
of the things I’ve learned, I got from <a href="https://www.facebook.com/TheOneCORE" target="_blank">Coach Pia</a> by attending her talks
sponsored by <a href="https://www.facebook.com/PhilipsAventPH" target="_blank">Philips Avent</a>. Our last SoMoms #BetterMe session with <a href="https://www.facebook.com/TheOneCORE" target="_blank">Coach Pia</a> was held
at <a href="https://www.facebook.com/babylandstore" target="_blank">Babyland Spaces</a> where she talked about being better parents by being better
spouses to one another. When you have a solid and supportive marriage where the
both of you work together as a team, parenting children, even devil children,
becomes much easier. So don’t fight with your spouse, especially not on your
anniversary. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .1pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: .1pt;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .1pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: .1pt;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">I know
I’ve said this before but honestly, <a href="https://www.facebook.com/PhilipsAventPH" target="_blank">Philips Avent</a> makes the best stuff. One of
their products is so cool I’m thinking of using it for myself. It’s a food tray
with a suction cup at the bottom. I can now have my lunch in the car while
driving. (totally not safe, please don’t do this.) But if your child uses it,
well, no more spilled food trays on the floor. That’s how suction cups work. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-qRp2KlEQPxc/Uk99QaqXLrI/AAAAAAAABEI/mjOob2d-AMo/s1600/2013-09-25+13.21.45new.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-qRp2KlEQPxc/Uk99QaqXLrI/AAAAAAAABEI/mjOob2d-AMo/s1600/2013-09-25+13.21.45new.jpg" height="240" title="Philips Avent products" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The orange thing on the left is my new lunch tray.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-rdipaUgiZiU/Uk99RIWhKgI/AAAAAAAABEQ/WkTkb-JMe20/s1600/2013-09-25+13.21.53new.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-rdipaUgiZiU/Uk99RIWhKgI/AAAAAAAABEQ/WkTkb-JMe20/s1600/2013-09-25+13.21.53new.jpg" height="240" title="Philips Avent products" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-u5ZrlTnyLvs/Uk99Q19-FoI/AAAAAAAABEM/8wjU75H8GtI/s1600/2013-09-25+13.22.02new.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-u5ZrlTnyLvs/Uk99Q19-FoI/AAAAAAAABEM/8wjU75H8GtI/s1600/2013-09-25+13.22.02new.jpg" height="240" title="Philips Avent products" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .1pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: .1pt;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .1pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: .1pt;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .1pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: .1pt;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Also
<a href="https://www.facebook.com/babylandstore" target="_blank">Babyland</a> has revamped their image and their store along <a href="https://www.facebook.com/babylandstore/info" target="_blank">Shaw Boulevard</a>. Now you
can find among the baby products there, “Spaces” – an events place located on
the second floor where you can have parties and functions and what not. The
cool thing about Spaces is it has a big kiddie play area with toys, padded mats
and play houses. So if you have a function for adults, you can still bring the
kiddos along. This is great for overly attached parents with separation
anxiety.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .1pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: .1pt;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .1pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: .1pt;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Also
thank you to <a href="https://www.facebook.com/luvable.friends.ph.old" target="_blank">Mere et Bebe and Their Luvable Friends</a> for the lovely gift. My child
has already claimed it as his own. Mostly with his saliva. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .1pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: .1pt;">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-0nGlhN1cP9Q/Uk9-ouzGGkI/AAAAAAAABEk/Pw3m5n1jGKI/s1600/2013-10-04+20.32.18new.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-0nGlhN1cP9Q/Uk9-ouzGGkI/AAAAAAAABEk/Pw3m5n1jGKI/s1600/2013-10-04+20.32.18new.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Baby clothes by Mere et Bebe.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<div style="margin-bottom: .1pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: .1pt;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Find
<a href="https://www.facebook.com/luvable.friends.ph.old" target="_blank">Mere et Bebe and Their Luvable Friends</a> products at Baby Company, Landmark
Trinoma and Makati, and of course at Babyland.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="blogger-post-footer">Just a dad trying to make it in a mom's world.</div>Marchttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09807700279409823579noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-584528392871230029.post-82899003453761268552013-09-27T08:20:00.000-07:002013-09-27T08:20:07.695-07:00My front door was an elevator<div style="margin-bottom: .1pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: .1pt;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica;">This
post is sponsored by <a href="http://www.avidaland.com/" target="_blank">Avida Land</a>, an <a href="http://www.ayalaland.com.ph/" target="_blank">Ayala Land</a> company.<span style="font-size: small;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .1pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: .1pt;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .1pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: .1pt;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .1pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: .1pt;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">I grew
up in a building. Back then it was gray and white. Now the façade is a pale
green, a dubious color in my mind. It stands 8 stories high, tiny by today’s
standards and has a 2-level basement where I learned to ride my skateboard down
its ramps when no cars were passing through. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .1pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: .1pt;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .1pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: .1pt;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">We
were walled-in by offices inside buildings much higher than our own. Full of
busy people doing busy things. But at night, the city became quiet. The people
who came here during the day to work and eat retreated back into their cars and
drove away. Night returned the city to the people who call this home. This was
Makati in the 80s.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .1pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: .1pt;">
</div>
<a name='more'></a><br />
<div style="margin-bottom: .1pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: .1pt;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Now
the buildings are higher and reach for greater things. The people here move
faster too. I don’t live in that building anymore, I live in a house, which was
very weird the first time I moved. I always came home to an elevator. Or 7
flights of stairs, if it was out-of-order that day. That elevator was my front
door. I loved it. It had buttons that lit up. It always started shakily and
with a jolt before it started moving. And you always prayed it would get you to
your proper floor because sometimes it just did as it pleased and we became
passengers in the truest sense. That elevator gave me nightmares but I remember
everything about it now only with fondness. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .1pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: .1pt;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .1pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: .1pt;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">I
loved living in the city. I had a park and streets that cracked in the summer
and pooled water like dots when it rained. I could walk to the mall and order
popcorn at the movie theater. The sound of cars at night was like a reassuring
hum that I was never alone. Architecture was everywhere. Masterpieces that rose
to the sky or crawled above the tree tops in cement and steel. The city was
always moving, always changing. It felt like we were growing up together.
Accelerating. Leaving the rest of the world behind. At least in my mind.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .1pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: .1pt;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .1pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: .1pt;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">A big
reason I think why it’s easy to love my city is because of the work and
development of Ayala Properties and Land. Because lets face it, they pretty
much built everything you see in Makati. In that regard, I am grateful to them
for having great foresight into city planning. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .1pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: .1pt;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .1pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: .1pt;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">And
I’m glad to know that now they’re developing a new CBD in the North. They’re
calling it <a href="http://www.avidaland.com/Avida-towers-vita.php?press-release&id=3936" target="_blank">Vertis North</a> and you’ll find it in the heart of Quezon City. This
is a 30-hectare masterplanned city within a city, complete with its own storm
water management system. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .1pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: .1pt;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><o:p><br /></o:p></span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-u5ycmTMliNM/UkWcDSJZ72I/AAAAAAAABDM/AArAIG3-rNw/s1600/Building+Perspective+Night+Shot.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-u5ycmTMliNM/UkWcDSJZ72I/AAAAAAAABDM/AArAIG3-rNw/s1600/Building+Perspective+Night+Shot.jpg" height="375" title="Avida Towers Vita" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tower 1 & 2 of Avida Towers Vita</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="margin-bottom: .1pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: .1pt;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><o:p><br /></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .1pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: .1pt;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">This
is also where Ayala Land is putting up their residential development called
<a href="http://www.avidaland.com/Avida-towers-vita.php" target="_blank">Avida Towers Vita</a>. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .1pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: .1pt;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ac6xRC1GJz4/UkWb_pn2u3I/AAAAAAAABCw/-Z6NiyHLabA/s1600/AT+Vita+Eye+Level+Day+Shot.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Ayala Land" border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ac6xRC1GJz4/UkWb_pn2u3I/AAAAAAAABCw/-Z6NiyHLabA/s1600/AT+Vita+Eye+Level+Day+Shot.jpg" height="366" title="Avida Towers Vita" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">It all starts here.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="margin-bottom: .1pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: .1pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-0FQG7EcUnYk/UkWcADrlMsI/AAAAAAAABC4/COJ7hsx3eCc/s1600/AT+Vita+Whole+Devt+Aerial+Day+Shot.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Ayala Land" border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-0FQG7EcUnYk/UkWcADrlMsI/AAAAAAAABC4/COJ7hsx3eCc/s1600/AT+Vita+Whole+Devt+Aerial+Day+Shot.jpg" height="332" title="Avida Towers Vita" width="400" /></a></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .1pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: .1pt;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .1pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: .1pt;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .1pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: .1pt;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">It
caters to young professionals and for families wanting to own their very first
home. They have studio units, 1-bedroom and 2-bedroom units.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .1pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: .1pt;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-fhtTsXDtfqc/UkWcBYfwP2I/AAAAAAAABDE/zow9-0iNAtg/s1600/Amenity+area-community+shot.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Ayala Land" border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-fhtTsXDtfqc/UkWcBYfwP2I/AAAAAAAABDE/zow9-0iNAtg/s1600/Amenity+area-community+shot.jpg" height="400" title="Avida Towers Vita" width="266" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The great lawn.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="margin-bottom: .1pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: .1pt;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><o:p><br /></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .1pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: .1pt;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><o:p><br /></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .1pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: .1pt;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Size
Ranges per unit:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .1pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: .1pt;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .1pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: .1pt;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Studio<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> - </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>20.87
sqm - 28.16 sqm<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .1pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: .1pt;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">1BR -<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>34.80-
sqm - 44.49 sqm<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .1pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: .1pt;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">2BR -<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>56.36
sqm - 71.56 sqm<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-KgLkC6LlRuY/UkWhNlcXDFI/AAAAAAAABDs/fE7m2ZE0cLU/s1600/c_vertis_north_flyer_042213_inside.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Ayala Land" border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-KgLkC6LlRuY/UkWhNlcXDFI/AAAAAAAABDs/fE7m2ZE0cLU/s1600/c_vertis_north_flyer_042213_inside.jpg" height="400" title="Avida Towers Vita" width="308" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Floor plan and unit layout</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-_PbqtIjAxhs/UkWcCSNCl0I/AAAAAAAABDI/BS7oOk2pD4I/s1600/Retail+Night+Shot.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Ayala Land" border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-_PbqtIjAxhs/UkWcCSNCl0I/AAAAAAAABDI/BS7oOk2pD4I/s1600/Retail+Night+Shot.jpg" height="400" title="Avida Towers Vita" width="270" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The retail and commercial area.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="margin-bottom: .1pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: .1pt;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .1pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: .1pt;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">All
the amenities you can expect from an Ayala Land development, you’ll find here.
Round the clock security, a pool area, garden area, fitness and exercise area,
a clubhouse for events, a play area for the kids, plus retail and dining areas
for all the conveniences we now can’t live without.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .1pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: .1pt;">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-41EK9dLR9EM/UkWb_-voCuI/AAAAAAAABC0/cQ7oEb_iaDg/s1600/Amenity+Shot.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Ayala Land" border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-41EK9dLR9EM/UkWb_-voCuI/AAAAAAAABC0/cQ7oEb_iaDg/s1600/Amenity+Shot.jpg" height="260" title="Avida Towers Vita" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pool area and playground.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="margin-bottom: .1pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: .1pt;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">It
also has a great location and puts you near where you need to be. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .1pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: .1pt;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ULdwBiy3i1k/UkWdUrN7BOI/AAAAAAAABDc/Ps71F004XtM/s1600/Screen+Shot+2013-09-27+at+10.58.30+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Ayala Land" border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ULdwBiy3i1k/UkWdUrN7BOI/AAAAAAAABDc/Ps71F004XtM/s1600/Screen+Shot+2013-09-27+at+10.58.30+PM.png" height="241" title="map of Vertis North" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Layout of Vertis North</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-w0MwpSYXRk4/UkWdUg7nZ1I/AAAAAAAABDY/SVndTsd-qH4/s1600/Screen+Shot+2013-09-27+at+10.58.38+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="display: inline !important; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img alt="Ayala Land" border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-w0MwpSYXRk4/UkWdUg7nZ1I/AAAAAAAABDY/SVndTsd-qH4/s1600/Screen+Shot+2013-09-27+at+10.58.38+PM.png" height="263" title="map of Avida Towers Vita" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: .1pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: .1pt;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .1pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: .1pt;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Even
though I’m not from QC and have never lived there, it kind of puts a smile on
my face knowing that one day, some kid will live at <a href="http://www.avidaland.com/Avida-towers-vita.php" target="_blank">Avida Towers Vita </a>and come
home to his front door, push a button, watch it light up, and take him up to
reach for greater things.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And
he’ll love his city in a way that I love mine.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .1pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: .1pt;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .1pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: .1pt;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><o:p><br /></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .1pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: .1pt;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><o:p><br /></o:p></span></div>
<div style="background: white; line-height: 16.0pt; text-align: justify; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">Find Avida Land on:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="background: white; line-height: 16.0pt; text-align: justify; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">Facebook: <span style="border: 1pt none windowtext; color: windowtext; padding: 0cm;"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/AvidaLandCorp" target="_blank">AvidaLandCorp</a></span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="background: white; line-height: 16.0pt; text-align: justify; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">Twitter and Instagram: @avidalandph<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .1pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: .1pt;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .1pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: .1pt;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><o:p><br /></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">An Ayala Land Inc. (ALI)
subsidiary, Avida Land provides thoughtfully-designed yet affordable homes in
secure communities that offer value for money and convenience all within reach.
With the five pillars of accessibility, unique features and amenities, quality
assurance, stress free buying, and relaxing living experience integrated in all
its condominium and house and lot properties, Avida Land has become the
developer of choice among the rising middle class as it continues to expand its
product offerings across the country. </span></span><span style="font-family: Helvetica; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">For more information
on Avida Towers Vita or any Avida condominium in the Philippines, call (+632)
8485200 or visit <a href="http://www.avidaland.com/">http://www.avidaland.com</a>.</span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="blogger-post-footer">Just a dad trying to make it in a mom's world.</div>Marchttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09807700279409823579noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-584528392871230029.post-67865603866785698962013-09-26T06:42:00.001-07:002013-09-26T06:42:25.212-07:00Moms on the FloorInformation for your eyeballs.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://mommymundo.com/" target="_blank">Mommy Mundo</a> is having an event called <a href="https://www.facebook.com/events/385271304908305/" target="_blank">Moms on the Floor</a>. In it, moms (pregnant moms, new moms and moms of kids up to 6 years of age) learn new stuff like preparing for birth, learning how to play with your child, infant massage, prenatal yoga, and kids yoga.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-TJFOFEAB5Qo/UkQ3lmSyqKI/AAAAAAAABCA/Kqo_lwlHN2w/s1600/2.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-TJFOFEAB5Qo/UkQ3lmSyqKI/AAAAAAAABCA/Kqo_lwlHN2w/s1600/2.png" height="198" width="200" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<a name='more'></a><br />
The thing I like about these <a href="http://mommymundo.com/" target="_blank">Mommy Mundo</a> events is that they always have really interesting stuff that I've never heard of before. Like infant massage. WHUT. I have no clue why infants would want to have a massage or why they would need one but I'd be interested to hear about it. I mean, is there such a thing as a swedish infant massage? Or a thai infant massage? Perhaps an infant mud bath? Maybe not the last one.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-7j-5O0CO5Eo/UkQ3lvyAZAI/AAAAAAAABCI/H-aZnTbN0J0/s1600/1.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-7j-5O0CO5Eo/UkQ3lvyAZAI/AAAAAAAABCI/H-aZnTbN0J0/s1600/1.png" height="199" width="200" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
Anyway, coming to <a href="https://www.facebook.com/events/385271304908305/" target="_blank">Moms on the Floor</a> is doubly cool because it's free. You just have to pre-register by texting the number below.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://www.facebook.com/events/385271304908305/" target="_blank">Moms on the Floor</a> is happening on October 5, 2013 Saturday at The Loft at the Manansala Tower, Rockwell, Makati.<br />
<br />
Don't forget to bring your exercise mats!<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-7Zv_MHlIepA/UkQ3l2b61VI/AAAAAAAABCQ/gDGLufHAcKs/s1600/3.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-7Zv_MHlIepA/UkQ3l2b61VI/AAAAAAAABCQ/gDGLufHAcKs/s1600/3.png" height="197" width="200" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
Here's the schedule of activities.<br />
<br />
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<b><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">10:00am- 12 noon For
Moms with Babies</span></b><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br />
Baby Play by toddlers and Teachers Inc.<br />
Infant Massage by Rome Kanapi<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">1:00pm-3:00pm For
Pregnant Moms</span></b><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br />
Preparing for Birth with Rome Kanapi<br />
Prenatal Yoga with Urban Ashram</span></div>
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<b><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">3:00pm-5:00pm For Moms
with Kids</span></b><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br />
Kids Yoga with Michelle Aventajado<br />
Zumba Kids with Roxy Araneta<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
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<!--StartFragment--><span lang="EN-PH" style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Participation is<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><strong>free</strong><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>but pre-registration is required, to
register text 0908-8657245 the following details: your name and which
portion you will join. Registered participants will get a confirmation
text or email. </span></span><span lang="EN-PH" style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-PH; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-PH; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"> </span><!--EndFragment--><br />
<span lang="EN-PH" style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></span>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-04sDvRHchrE/UkQ3qFeT1JI/AAAAAAAABCY/sDj7dpctgig/s1600/MOTF+POSTER+2013+%25281%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-04sDvRHchrE/UkQ3qFeT1JI/AAAAAAAABCY/sDj7dpctgig/s1600/MOTF+POSTER+2013+%25281%2529.jpg" height="640" title="Mommy Mundo Moms on the Floor" width="451" /></a></div>
<span lang="EN-PH" style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span lang="EN-PH" style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span lang="EN-PH" style="line-height: 115%;">
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<span lang="EN-PH" style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-PH; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">For more info visit
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<span lang="EN-PH" style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></span><div class="blogger-post-footer">Just a dad trying to make it in a mom's world.</div>Marchttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09807700279409823579noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-584528392871230029.post-14344831488645276132013-09-14T03:55:00.002-07:002013-09-14T03:55:54.769-07:00Some people you just can't replace.The wife and I have been talking a lot lately about our son's upcoming birthday party. Parties actually. Both our children's birthdays are mere days apart from each other. This will be our first joint birthday with them celebrating. My older son is turning 3 and my youngest is turning 1. <div>
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Some guys don't like being involved in the details of party planning. They'd rather leave it to the wife. Normally, that's what I'd do. I'm not good with details, I'm more a broad strokes kind of guy. But ever since I married the missus, she's <strike>forcibly dragged persuaded</strike> convinced me that planning these things can actually be fun. </div>
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One of the reasons why I think we're a good team is because she, just by being herself, minimizes my weaknesses by being really attentive to the tiny bits, the minor notes, the little humors of our daily lives. </div>
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She's a natural party planner and at one point in her life, was a wedding coordinator. She always told me that the months of planning a wedding was always her favorite part. The actual wedding day is, I'm told, best enjoyed as a guest. </div>
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And by virtue of being married to her, I've come to find the creativity and joy in the little things people may or may not notice. In some ways, it's designing an experience, to me that's kinda cool. It becomes personal and intimate. And I guess the ultimate goal of all this is to leave not just with bursting bellies and a bag full of goodies but with knowing that every single person who came had a fantastic time.</div>
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I'm pretty excited about our concept for the boy's birthday party. It's something I haven't quite seen before and we made sure the food is going to be the bomb. We are eaters. One thing though that we haven't yet ironed out would be the entertainment part. Unfortunately due to scheduling we can't get <a href="https://www.facebook.com/mymasterpiecemovement" target="_blank">My Masterpiece</a> to do the awesome things they do at parties. </div>
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It would have been perfect cuz they're just the kind of children's party entertainment that is super fun, educational and different from the usual magician or clown or guy in a Jollibee suit. And to be frank I AM JUST SO TIRED OF SEEING MAGICIANS. AND CLOWNS.... BUT I WILL NEVER TIRE OF YOU JOLLIBEE AND YOUR DELICIOUS JOLLY HOTDOG. </div>
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That didn't come out right.</div>
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As a couple, we have always done things a bit differently. That's why we really appreciate it when people put a personal touch to whatever they're doing or creating. That's also why we love <a href="http://www.welovemymasterpiece.com/" target="_blank">My Masterpiece</a>. They don't take a cookie cutter and bang out party after party. Each party they do is unique because it's tailored to the personality of the family.</div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-jm4Jfh-7kWk/UjQyDUlCJJI/AAAAAAAAA_0/vKpoZQcZQGM/s1600/1185942_519037971500306_129103635_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-jm4Jfh-7kWk/UjQyDUlCJJI/AAAAAAAAA_0/vKpoZQcZQGM/s1600/1185942_519037971500306_129103635_n.jpg" height="400" title="Personalized birthday mural by My Masterpiece Movement." width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Fancy Star Wars do ya?</td></tr>
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They can create a whole experience for you if you want. I mean, I could tell them that the boys are really into... say... Dungeons & Dragons (for example) and I wouldn't be surprised if they come up with an original song telling the tale of the boys as knights, fighting dragons, witches, warlocks, saving princesses all while teaching them good values like caring for one another, being brave and always doing the right thing. (sounds like a Disney movie.)</div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-NOeMhiXDcQ4/UjQyjjVXlpI/AAAAAAAABAs/M1Qr-fYPrpw/s1600/382484_484938044910299_1827627878_nnew.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-NOeMhiXDcQ4/UjQyjjVXlpI/AAAAAAAABAs/M1Qr-fYPrpw/s1600/382484_484938044910299_1827627878_nnew.jpg" height="400" width="275" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Wizard of Oz birthday mural</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-lNzSqd5e9XQ/UjQykJr-6pI/AAAAAAAABAw/QeSlrK_ykG0/s1600/970015_500067030064067_396237672_nnew.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-lNzSqd5e9XQ/UjQykJr-6pI/AAAAAAAABAw/QeSlrK_ykG0/s1600/970015_500067030064067_396237672_nnew.jpg" height="400" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Have you ever seen children so behaved? Photoshopped for sure.</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ieonz1Eykgk/UjQykdJ_S9I/AAAAAAAABA8/pHBho02u9Yg/s1600/994519_494016417335795_1362743749_nnew.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ieonz1Eykgk/UjQykdJ_S9I/AAAAAAAABA8/pHBho02u9Yg/s1600/994519_494016417335795_1362743749_nnew.jpg" height="298" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Yoga for kids, start them early. Avoid teen angst. Or maybe not.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-8Yd8Rch1r6U/UjQylDOxVEI/AAAAAAAABBA/jOhq9uh3KB4/s1600/995811_484932818244155_813070789_nnew.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-8Yd8Rch1r6U/UjQylDOxVEI/AAAAAAAABBA/jOhq9uh3KB4/s1600/995811_484932818244155_813070789_nnew.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The My Masterpiece Movement team! (L-R Rayyn, Anna, Kara, Andrea)</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-44so-qHtmOI/UjQylSkjwUI/AAAAAAAABBM/SLzgOSKrzvY/s1600/996160_484939054910198_363500516_nnew.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-44so-qHtmOI/UjQylSkjwUI/AAAAAAAABBM/SLzgOSKrzvY/s1600/996160_484939054910198_363500516_nnew.jpg" height="287" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Don't worry child, it's non-toxic.</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Ns7XfZNnDkc/UjQyhWnqZDI/AAAAAAAAA_8/MmgKVuJQkmo/s1600/1000071_484929618244475_660440640_nnew.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Ns7XfZNnDkc/UjQyhWnqZDI/AAAAAAAAA_8/MmgKVuJQkmo/s1600/1000071_484929618244475_660440640_nnew.jpg" height="246" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">They always use live music. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ygisJiUIRu8/UjQyhaPHhsI/AAAAAAAABAM/ABKx_z3vQ48/s1600/1002980_493982824005821_1409324983_nnew.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ygisJiUIRu8/UjQyhaPHhsI/AAAAAAAABAM/ABKx_z3vQ48/s1600/1002980_493982824005821_1409324983_nnew.jpg" height="400" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cat in the Hat mural.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-7R9qDfrlbO8/UjQyhdWQNHI/AAAAAAAABAA/6j56uERPdtg/s1600/1011934_484943878243049_783553999_nnew.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-7R9qDfrlbO8/UjQyhdWQNHI/AAAAAAAABAA/6j56uERPdtg/s1600/1011934_484943878243049_783553999_nnew.jpg" height="266" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">What appears to be well behaved children. They're getting really good at photoshop.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-f7KYpAq0IYw/UjQyicJhlZI/AAAAAAAABAQ/7Wu8yt3BX-Q/s1600/1012111_484944078243029_722122171_nnew.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-f7KYpAq0IYw/UjQyicJhlZI/AAAAAAAABAQ/7Wu8yt3BX-Q/s1600/1012111_484944078243029_722122171_nnew.jpg" height="246" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Story time with the kids as the characters. </td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-M_4YNpKKYq4/UjQyikODlNI/AAAAAAAABAc/414vvAAI8t4/s1600/1044197_484940534910050_1710902115_nnew.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-M_4YNpKKYq4/UjQyikODlNI/AAAAAAAABAc/414vvAAI8t4/s1600/1044197_484940534910050_1710902115_nnew.jpg" height="340" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Giant people and little people mural. I mean, what else could it be?</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-N4hunehVkQs/UjQyjVU8xII/AAAAAAAABAg/dFuC37wIGwI/s1600/1044610_484932884910815_542482163_nnew.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-N4hunehVkQs/UjQyjVU8xII/AAAAAAAABAg/dFuC37wIGwI/s1600/1044610_484932884910815_542482163_nnew.jpg" height="302" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Every birthday is unique!</td></tr>
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It's like your kids went to kiddie school, played games, danced, listened to stories, learned something, did arts and crafts and then sang happy birthday at the end. I should be charging my guests cuz that sounds like the most awesome day care day ever. (To wife: Just an idea.)</div>
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So now that they can't make it to the party, does anyone have a Jollibee suit lying around?</div>
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Find:</div>
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<a href="https://www.facebook.com/mymasterpiecemovement" target="_blank">My Masterpiece Facebook</a></div>
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<a href="http://www.welovemymasterpiece.com/" target="_blank">My Masterpiece Website</a></div>
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<a href="https://twitter.com/welovemmm" target="_blank">My Masterpiece Twitter</a></div>
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<a href="https://www.youtube.com/user/welovemmm" target="_blank">My Masterpiece YouTube</a></div>
<div class="blogger-post-footer">Just a dad trying to make it in a mom's world.</div>Marchttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09807700279409823579noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-584528392871230029.post-35587863788003928752013-08-13T02:40:00.001-07:002013-08-13T02:49:54.229-07:00My son the astronaut.<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: right 432.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This post is sponsored by
<a href="https://www.facebook.com/AXA.Philippines" target="_blank">AXA Philippines</a>.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">My kid scares me sometimes.
He tells me when he grows up, he wants to live on Mars. He dreams big. And I
don’t know what our world will look like in 5 years, let alone 20 years. I
wouldn’t be surprised if tomorrow scientists finally figured out
faster-than-light space travel or jumping through wormholes or folding space
and time. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">These things almost seem
inevitable. Science fiction eventually becomes science fact. It’s just a matter
of when. And incidentally I’m still waiting for my personal jet-pack, step on
it science! </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So when my child tells me he
wants to live on Mars, and won’t stop talking about planets, and dwarf planets,
and stars, and suns, and moons, and rocket ships, every waking hour of every
single day, I have to take him seriously. Those are his dreams. And I don’t
ever want to tell him he can’t dream big. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">But if his dreams are ever
going to become a reality, it’s my job to give him the best chance of reaching
them. That starts with a good education, and very likely an expensive one.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">If your child is in
preschool today, the price of a 4-year college education, while factoring
inflation into the equation, comes out to about P2.5 million. Maybe when the
time comes you’ll have saved enough of that money. Or maybe you won’t. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Anything can happen. You can
get seriously ill. Some crazy congressman may suddenly propose a bill increasing
the cost of tuition in private universities 10-fold. Laugh now but just wait ‘til
it happens.</span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/FailProofYourFuture" target="_blank">Fail Proof Your Future</a>.<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">AXA Philippines is an
insurance company with a plan on how you can prepare for and ensure your
childs’ education. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .1pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: .1pt;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“For
Rien Hermans, President and CEO of AXA Philippines, one of the keys to escaping
from the debt trap is to plan early. Parents with kids aged 0-6 years old
should already start thinking about how to finance their child’s education, as
saving up early will help their money mature to an amount they can use to
finance their child’s university expenses.” <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<div style="margin-bottom: .1pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: .1pt;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">They
recommend starting when your child is 0-6 years old, giving you ample time to
build up the necessary funds you will need while making your payments
relatively light.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .1pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: .1pt;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“Hermans
also advises parents to look into variable life insurance as a way to prepare
for a child’s higher education, noting that the regulation within the industry
would prevent a shutdown similar to what happened with some pre-need companies
in the 1990s and 2000s.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .1pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: .1pt;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .1pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: .1pt;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“Variable
life insurance builds cash value. A portion of the monthly payments can be
invested in bonds, equities, or to money market funds, where the money can
grow,” adds Hermans. “The life insurance industry is highly regulated, so the
risk of an insurance agency disappearing with investors’ money is zero.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">AXA
has 3 products to help in securing your childs education.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Academic eXentials</b> is an
easy education savings plan that helps parents secure their child’s dreams for
the future. Parents will receive a fixed, guaranteed amount in cash for four
years (Annual Education Benefits), plus an Achiever’s Gift to be given a year
after all the Annual Education Benefits have been paid out. It is available in
3 easy and affordable plans: Plan 1500, Plan 3000, and Plan 4500.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">AcademiX</b> is an education solution tied
to high-growth potential AXA investment funds that allow parents to build their
funding earlier and faster. The longer parents pay, the bigger the potential
for growth. This opens more opportunities for the child—studying at a top
university, specialty schools (e.g. culinary and aviation), college abroad, or
even funding post-graduate studies such as med school, law school, or even an
MBA or Master’s degree. It also provides a guaranteed contingency education
fund in case of the parent’s untimely death.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Life BasiX with Bright Rider Plus</b>
provides security and protection with its link to high growth potential funds
for education funding, and higher insurance coverage. Moreover, the child will
regularly receive a guaranteed education fund until he reaches the age of 21,
in case of the unfortunate loss of the parent. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I
really like that AXA has plans that are very affordable yet have very big
benefits. And since they are an insurance company, the industry highly
regulates them, ensuring that your money is invested in the safest equities.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I
don’t know how long my son will keep talking about Mars or Jupiter or Saturn.
Maybe he’ll stop in a year. Maybe he won’t. Maybe he grows up to be one of
those crazy, obsessive people, single-mindedly pursuing a dream, believing he
can touch the stars. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .1pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: .1pt;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">If he
does one day make it there, I’m gonna miss him like hell.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<div style="margin-bottom: .1pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: .1pt;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Win a trip for 4 to <a href="http://www.legoland.com.my/" target="_blank">Legoland Malaysia</a>! </b></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .1pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: .1pt;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .1pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: .1pt;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Just click the picture to be able to submit your raffle entries or <a href="https://www.facebook.com/FailProofYourFuture/app_302332076570122" target="_blank">click here</a>. Other prizes include National Bookstore GCs, an annual Gymboree membership, Yamaha music lessons plus more. It ends on August 30, 2013 so get crackin'!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/FailProofYourFuture/app_302332076570122" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" target="_blank"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ZsJthX-4a4g/Ugn61ink69I/AAAAAAAAA-0/Hyif2gFZbS8/s1600/AXA+BANNER+AD.jpg" height="320" title="AXA Philippines Fail Proof Your Future" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.legoland.com.my/" target="_blank">Legolaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaand!!!!!!</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">To
learn more about AXA Philippines’ products and services, visit <span style="color: blue;"><a href="http://www.axa.com.ph/">www.axa.com.ph</a> </span>or <span style="color: blue;"><a href="http://www.facebook.com/AXA.Philippines">www.facebook.com/AXA.Philippines</a>.
</span>You may also call their customer hotline (02) 5815-AXA (292) or (02)
3231-AXA (292). <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/AXA.Philippines" target="_blank">About AXA Philippines<o:p></o:p></a></span></b></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>Philippine
AXA Life Insurance Corp. (AXA Philippines) is one of the leading and
fastest-growing life insurance companies in the Philippines. It is borne out of
the formidable synergy between Metrobank, one of the foremost financial
institutions in the Philippines, and the AXA Group, a worldwide leader in
insurance and asset management serving 102 million customers in 57 countries.</i></span></div>
<div class="blogger-post-footer">Just a dad trying to make it in a mom's world.</div>Marchttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09807700279409823579noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-584528392871230029.post-65179767516642624892013-08-11T02:38:00.001-07:002013-08-11T02:56:58.714-07:00My body speaks and it is not pleased.<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: right 432.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This is a sponsored post by
<a href="http://www.cfmnl.com/cfmnl-kapitolyo/" target="_blank">CrossFit Manila Kapitolyo</a>.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: right 432.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: right 432.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I heard from a friend some
months ago that kids as young as 14 and 15 have started going to the gym. Not
for health reasons but for aesthetic ones because for sure, those 14 / 15 years
olds can run a marathon without so much as a drink of water. I couldn’t believe
it and yet somehow it made sense. Which is different from sensible, but I
understood the why of it. Because you know what happens when you turn 14 / 15?
Girls happen.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: right 432.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: right 432.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I think there’s a lot more
pressure now for <s>young</s> guys to look as good if not better than the girls
they are hoping to date. And maybe the girls also expect much more from guys.
Either that or we’ve been having a severe shortage of charm and must base our
strategy instead on really tight shirts. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm2.staticflickr.com/1388/5167074190_f155fc4d2d_z.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://farm2.staticflickr.com/1388/5167074190_f155fc4d2d_z.jpg" height="400" width="398" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Shout out to Jersey.<br />
source: tjhtees.com</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span></div>
<a name='more'></a><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Well you know what? I can
play their game. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: right 432.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So I went with the Somoms to
<a href="http://www.cfmnl.com/cfmnl-kapitolyo/" target="_blank">CrossFit Manila in Kapitolyo</a>. CrossFit has been showing up on my feed almost
everyday now cuz some of my friends are into it. And those who are into it, are
really into it. Fanatically into it.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: right 432.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: right 432.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Seeing as how my mind is
regressing to that of a 14 / 15 year old, I dove right in. We met coach Mike and Matt who were very gracious in introducing us to the sport / exercise / lifestyle. They explained that during a class, regardless of skill / strength level,
everybody does the same workout. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: right 432.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: right 432.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Everybody does the same
intense, high heart-rate workout together. The difference comes in how many
reps each individual does. A beginner like me may do 5 reps while a more
advanced person will be able to do 50. The exercise scales to you and how far
you can push. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-uSI6i20c-jI/UgdfFZPBzJI/AAAAAAAAA-U/gToEsXWWLeQ/s1600/2013-07-02+11.48.04.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-uSI6i20c-jI/UgdfFZPBzJI/AAAAAAAAA-U/gToEsXWWLeQ/s1600/2013-07-02+11.48.04.jpg" height="400" title="CrossFit Manila Kapitolyo" width="300" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-1zGG_VKAJh8/UgdfaPsmIhI/AAAAAAAAA-c/95x4Lp6g1o0/s1600/2013-07-02+11.55.13.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-1zGG_VKAJh8/UgdfaPsmIhI/AAAAAAAAA-c/95x4Lp6g1o0/s1600/2013-07-02+11.55.13.jpg" height="400" title="CrossFit Manila Kapitolyo" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: right 432.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">For me, I prefer short
bursts of intense activity. It’s less time and you get maximum results. Plus I
can’t spend all day at the gym. I’m a dad dude, I got things to do! </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: right 432.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: right 432.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So everyone took the floor
and did a few laps around the “box” – a deceptively simple teleportation machine
that sends you to the 6th circle of hell. Please note that up to that day, I
had NOT exercised AT ALL IN YEARS. (Except maybe a quick sprint to save my
child from the metal jaws of an escalator.)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: right 432.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">All the exercises we did are
designed to work the entire body all at the same time. Whereas in a traditional
gym, the equipment they use isolates muscle groups like the biceps or legs or
abs. CrossFit views the entire body as one muscle. That’s why the exercises
require full body movement, using arms, legs and the core. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: right 432.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The movements are also
designed to be useful in a practical sense. Their movements mimic everyday
actions like lifting grocery bags, lifting your child, standing up, getting in
and out of your car, reading books, making coffee… (okay I made up the last 3,
but the rest were true.)</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: right 432.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: right 432.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Anyway I’ll cut to the chase
and tell you what the most interesting thing for me was. We did this one
exercise where they handed me a 5 pound basketball which I had to throw up to
the ceiling, catch, squat down to my knees with, push up again and throw back up in one motion, continuously 20 times. 20 times equals 1 rep. I had to
do 3 to 5 reps. My memory gets a little hazy at this point cuz parts of my
brain started shutting down.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: right 432.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">After about 3 – 4 minutes I
had done it about 10 times and it was all downhill from there.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: right 432.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">You know when you’re at the
mall really late and you’re the last ones there and the shops start closing
their lights one by one. The noise of the mall starts to fade, the bland, non-offensive mall music becomes quiet, the security guards begin ushering
people out. That’s how the inside of my body felt after about 4 minutes of
madness.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: right 432.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: right 432.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I sat down because that’s
infinitely less embarrassing than falling face first on the ground. My eyes
were open but I couldn’t really see anything. I just focused on breathing and
not passing out. Right now my body was giving me the biggest, the loudest WHAT
THAT FUCK WAS THAT. So I just sat there and listened as my body went amok
inside. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: right 432.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: right 432.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I literally could feel the
neurons shutting down in my brain as if it was the <a href="http://images3.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20100518022539/memoryalpha/en/images/d/df/USS_Enterprise-A_quarter.jpg" target="_blank">Enterprise</a> diverting all
power to life support. The captain was going down with the ship. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: right 432.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: right 432.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">My legs somehow managed to
muster enough strength to walk to the counter where they sell bottled water. I
was amazed they understood what must have sounded like a foreign language to
them.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: right 432.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: right 432.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“Msh water
plsfshfshgsdnsduhuegfclncAIhfq;hfk.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: right 432.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.strangezoo.com/images/content/142192.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://www.strangezoo.com/images/content/142192.jpg" height="236" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">It's hard to talk when you're a camel. <br />
source: strangezoo.com</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: right 432.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: right 432.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The blood receded from my
head just enough that I could go back to the box and try to participate in the
final exercise. They made us lie down on yoga mats. I did an invisible fist
pump. And then they made us touch our toes in the air. Many, many times. My
body decided that it wants to continue on living. All activity was stopped and
I lay there thinking about how wonderful it is to just breathe.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">CrossFit is an intense
program for those who thrive on the challenge. It treats your whole body as one
muscle so that every part of you is conditioned and grows strong. You are pushed to the very edge
but there are friendly and encouraging people around you every step of the way.
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It’s a lot more interesting
than a traditional gym and definitely more intense. Also, you come away with better stories. In the end I realized that it's not really about how good you'll look after the pain fades (though you definitely will... feel the pain), it's more a personal journey. One that doesn't really have an end. Just here, just you, getting from one rep to the next. </span></div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-DbuYcNwNsdY/UgdfsQpzxII/AAAAAAAAA-k/oV0-jvUV3qs/s1600/2013-07-02+11.55.28.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-DbuYcNwNsdY/UgdfsQpzxII/AAAAAAAAA-k/oV0-jvUV3qs/s1600/2013-07-02+11.55.28.jpg" height="400" title="CrossFit Manila Kapitolyo" width="300" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">They offer a program for 6 – 12
year old kids – CrossFit Kids every Saturday at 1pm. </span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Do check them out.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Find them and the schedules
for classes here at <a href="http://www.cfmnl.com/cfmnl-kapitolyo/" target="_blank">CFMNL-Kapitolyo</a>.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Follow them on Instagram
@cfkapitolyo.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Check out the other brave souls who can CrossFit harder and longer than this SoDad.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://mymommyology.com/2013/08/07/how-to-survive-crossfit/" target="_blank">Jenny</a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.applesanddumplings.com/" target="_blank">Cai</a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://janicevillanueva.com/" target="_blank">Janice</a></span></div>
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<div class="blogger-post-footer">Just a dad trying to make it in a mom's world.</div>Marchttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09807700279409823579noreply@blogger.com0