Partners in Crime

How cute is that?

6 Months

It's now 6:28am. Woke up at 4:20 after 14 hours of sleep. There's nothing else to do now but blog. Nobody's online. I've exhausted my interest in browsing Friendster and Multiply and Facebook. Maybe in a while I'll update my wedsite (which only a few people have seen). It's not finished yet.

Speaking of weddings, in exactly 6 months and 10 days ours will be here. Still a lot of things to do. I have yet to book a hair and make up artist (HMUA) and to find a designer that will accommodate my budget for the gown.

6 months. 6 months left to lose all that extra weight. People are telling me to start. Man, is it really that bad? lol.

6 months. 6 months more of planning our perfect wedding. Just a bit more and we'll be down to the hard part. The small details and bits and pieces that would be the least of one's worries on a wedding. lol.

6 months. 6 months left before my life and my priorities totally change. My decisions will now affect not just me, but Ron too. And hopefully, if we are blessed, a small person will join us next year. Hihihi.

6 months. 6 months left of being an Arellano and before I become a Reyes. Wonder how life will be after? As it has always been with me and Ron, better. We're better together.

As for my wedsite, i'll launch it soon. Yuck may launching pa. lol. As if.

Team Spain

I awake to a dark room after 14 hours of sleep. Hey, it was day time when I went to bed for a nap. What gives? Oh yeah, then I remember, my days are back to front inside out and all screwed just as my friggin' body clock is. Ah, the perks of having a call center job --> None. Just the money and friends. You lose your social life because all you want to do is sleep. And even if you get enough sleep, you're still tired coz sleeping during the day can't compare to the sleep that normal people have during the night. lol. Anyway, despite this erratic schedule that i have, work is good. Petiks. Stress free. Excellent pay. And a lot of new friends. Some definitely worth keeping.

This is TEAM SPAIN:

Some of the funniest and mischievous people that I know. One crazy bunch.

dad's turn

April 8, 2008. A week after Mum's birthday, it's Daddy's day. I didn't get to call him coz their land line was busted. But made sure he read my text message. Seems the old man had a great bday with a surprise gate crash at our place by our filipino friends. Potluck mania. I wish I was there. I miss Dad even if sometimes I don't get his drift. lol. Love you Daddy.

happy birthday mummy!!

This morning, I go home today from work with only one thing on my mind: Mum. It's her 61st birthday today. I wonder what she's doing. Taking care of the twins? Driving to town to run some errands, grocery shopping or going to SM (segunda mano)? Apparently it was the last one. lol. I call 2x to greet her. Still not home. I text her: "hoy. lakwatsera. umuwi ka na. kanina pa ko tumatawag." (yeah. we're like best buds. lol.)

It's a treat though that i get to speak to Ate Leslie. I miss her. I hope she's doing ok.

It's been 2 hours since i last called. I call again. It rings.

Mum: hello?
Me: mum!
Mum: oh! (tapang noh?)
Me: happy birthday!
Mum: oh thank you!!! kumpleto na araw ko!
.
.
.
and so on and so forth.

3 minutes after we say goodbye: I'm still smiling. Thinking of mum's stories of the twins. Mum's laugh. How things are going well with Kuya & Ate's clinic. This year just might be a good year after all. Even for me. :)

ain't looking like nothing over 60.

certified & contemplating

So we made it through nesting and now we're on the floor doing what we do. It's fun. Well, earning alot and not being so stressed with the work itself. But hell, the schedule is killing me. Shifts starting at 12mn, 1am, 1:30am...and next week 3:45am. Crap. It's scary going to work. As Dave said, Cubao is the place to be.... ROBBED. lol.

So anyway, last Friday, here I was, chatting away and then Chiqui sends me a pm. We catch up. Miss the old times. And she mentions an opening at her company. P&G. No work experience needed. No CPA license required. And according to her...the offer is irresistible. Way more than Stellar plus this is a day job. A normal job. And it makes me think. It's exactly what I need. Especially when I'll be starting a family next year. Wow. A normal life. And I'll even be using what I tried so hard to pass at UST. lol. That is...if I pass exam and the nose bleeding panel interviews. So there Chiqui was, waiting for my reply. And what do i say you wonder? "Yes!" Why not? It's worth a shot. Who knows, by some miracle, i might even pass.

*UPDATE* I didn't. I wish I could blame my lack of sleep and and rest that morning after my shift but I don't believe in mental block. So...either I'm getting dumber every year or it just wasn't meant to be. I'll take the latter just because it makes me feel better. lol.

Twins update

To my friends who are avid fans of my nephews Holiday & Hunter, here are a few photos for you to go goo-goo gaga over:

at exactly 1 year old

Day-Day's space suit

*DO NOT DISTURB*

"come on! let's go!!!"

weeeeeeeeeee!!!!!!


Shaolin Day-Day (parang si Jairus ng Kung-Fu kids)


Hunter's real twin brother


this time pool time is really FUN time!!!


new hair cuts (Holiday: "where'd my hair go?")


sooooo cute. gigil!!!!


one of the biggest brightest smiles that never fails to brighten my day


clap your hands, clap your hands

I miss these kids so much. Mum told me that sometimes when they tell Hunter, "call tita", he'd get a cell phone, get the screen to light up, then place it over his ear and say, "Heyo tita!". Isn't that adorable? And yes, it made me cry. Hopefully one of these days I'll get to hear that over the phone. lol. *UPDATE: apparently Holiday does the same thing!!!*

Oh, and here's a video I took of Holiday while I was in PNG.

Honestly, I didn't mean for it to happen! It was an accident. But really, you gotta admit, it's funny. lol. Love you Day-Day!!! You're gonna be famous bebe...on Bitoy's Funniest Videos. lol. Sorry bout the end part. I dropped my phone to pick up Holiday. lol. Don't worry, he wasn't hurt.

almost there

We made it to nesting. Just one more week. Hopefully we'll all make it. Russ and I are still on different shifts. This time I'm on the shift before hers. Anyway, it has been the bestest 2 weeks of training that I have ever experienced. Our trainer Dave is the best. Hell, it didn't feel like training. Too much fun and laughter. To celebrate all of us passing PST and test bed, we all went over to Gen's place yesterday. Loads of fun. Was a farewell party too. I'm gonna miss Dave. Wish training could be longer. lol. Anyway, we're just 5 days away from becoming probi's. *fingers crossed*

Wave 9B! Awoo! Awoo! Awoo!

With Gen, Dave and Zen

my new buddy Russ

time to celebrate

enjoying Dave's KFC dinner

a new beginning .... again

It's been exactly a month since I got back from Papua New Guinea. Until now I am missing the twins and everyone else. One of the hardest things I had to do was leaving. I still catch myself crying when I hear Holiday's favorite song "No One" by Alicia Keys and when it's 11:30pm and I remember that's the time I sing Hunter to sleep with "The Power of Two". They're growing so fast. And I can't wait till they come home this October. They won't recognize me, but still...they'll be home. For 3 months. Kewlies. I wonder what they'll look like. How fast they can run. What they'll look like in their cute little suits on our wedding. *giggles* Soooooooo cute!!

Anyway, I know this blog is long overdue. Just an update. A week after I got home, I tagged along with Russ when she applied at Stellar Global Solutions in Cubao. Yeah. Call center. IP-Relay Operator. The pay? Wow. I couldn't resist. lol. To cut things short, we both passed the Interview, as well as a week or so of Soft Skills Training, and now we're on our third day of Program Specific Training. Oh da ba. Kaching! Kaching! Kaching!!! lol. Wish us luck that we pass. Though we're not in the same class nor shift, I've found a new set of friends. The funniest bunch. I've got a new Russ in my life. But this time he's a she but is really a he but wants to be a she. Gets? lol. He's one of the funniest people I know. Kinda reminds me of Abba. But just how he makes me laugh. lol. Love you Babba!! Aside from Russ, there's McKai whose introduction goes - "I'm McKai. And no I'm not anorexic. I'm not bolemic. And I don't do drugs." Yeah, she's that thin. Got a couple of piercings and is the lead guitarist of a band named Sink. Cool I know. Then there's Lee who loves to drink. She used to weigh 43kg way back when she religiously dragon boat rowed (or whatever you call it) I think was about a year ago. She once modeled her rock hard abs for that Del Monte 202 commercial. (I think). Anyway, drinking 3 bottles of Gran Matador in 4 hours ALL BY HERSELF and all the beer drinking kinda paid off. So there. Another funny one. There's more of them. My new friends. But I gotta cut this thing short. (i know i know, mahaba nanga e!!!)

Anyway, I'm off. Gotta hit the showers. I think I've finally adjusted to the night shift. Today I slept like a baby. And now I'm definitely ready for training. Maybe my brain will actually work this time in class. Til next time! Promise, I'll make sure it won't be next month. Hahaha!! Ciao.

Here's a pic of the twins on one of their afternoon strolls on the front lawn:


And here's our attempt at trying out their first baby pool:

Pool time is Fun time!!!! Yehey!!!

WOOHOOO!!!

Now I can talk.

It's official. Joey called us yesterday. My sister-in-law Flor is pregnant!!! Woohoo!!! Once again, as I did when I found out my other sister-in-law was pregnant least year with the twins, I was jumping for joy with both hands raised to the heavens. Thank you God!!!!!

I'M GOING TO BE AN AUNTIE AGAIN!!! WOOHOOOOO!!!

I swear I think I had some sort of premonition. lol. The other night I dreamt that Ate Leslie was being told by a doctor that she was pregnant. I know it wasn't Flor in my dream but it did have something to do with a pregnancy in the family. Right? lol. I just wanted to say that I had a premonition even if it was just some dream. lol.

I'm so happyyyyyyyyy!!!!! Wee!!! Yey!!! Whoopeee!!!!

fingers crossed

This morning, we got an overseas call from my brother Joey. He had great news to share. And I was literally jumping and dancing with joy. Ate Leslie was dancing too. Hahaha. Anyway, I won't tell the news just yet. I'll wait til we're 100% sure of things.

Sana sana sana sana sana sana sana....

*fingers crossed* *eyes wide shut* *praying for the news I want to hear*

Back in PNG

It’s been a week and 2 days since we arrived here in Papua New Guinea. How’s our trip you wonder? Unbelievably unforgettable. Make that just UNBELIEVABLE!!!! We knew what was coming when we lined up for Immigration. Twins started crying. We had 3 bags of hand carry. No one offered to help us when we were both trying to make milk for the babies while carrying them at the same time. Nobody offered to help drag our bags as the line moved. All they did was say,”Awww…are you sleepy? Hungry?” Aww my ass. I wanted to tell the man behind me, “For crying out loud, a little help would make a big different than your stupid awws”. And to think he was carrying a light bag. What happened to all the gentlemen in this world? Gone? Gay? Hold it, in this situation, the gays are more men than the straight guys will ever be. Man I was so pissed off. We were lucky that a lady out of nowhere walks in the middle of the room and says, “Where are the twins?” When she saw us trying to wave our hands, she escorted us to the Special Assistance line. Thank God for motherly instinct and sympathy. Lol.

Anyway, the moment we stepped on the plane, the twins took turns testing their lung capacity and decibel extent. Thanks to them, in a matter of minutes, everyone on the plane knew who we were –“The ones with twins”. About 10 minutes after take off, both are already sound asleep. Yey! No need for Benedryl syrup to put them to sleep. Lol.

We arrived in Port Moresby Airport at around 4am. Our domestic flight was supposed to be at 8:50am but it was an hour delayed. So boarding would be 9:50am. Lucky for us, our flight was delayed. Not just 1 hour. Not even 2 hours. But 5 friggin’ hours!!!!! It was pouring outside. Though the lobby was air conditioned, it was humid. Hunter sweated a lot. Holiday wasn’t very happy either. Poor babies. For a couple of moments I thought I was gonna collapse. Carrying Hunter for hours isn’t exactly a piece of cake. Throw in the fact that Ate Leslie and I had only about a couple hours of sleep, well, you get my drift don’t you? Here are a couple of pics of me and the twins while waiting for our domestic flight:

To cut the story short, we made it to Rabaul Airport. Seeing all the land down below made me remember PNG again. I couldn’t help but say to Ate, “Have you ever seen so many coconut trees in your entire life?!!!” Lol. Believe me, I wasn’t exaggerating. Everything was green. And blue. The deep blue sea. Oh it felt good to be back in the land where I grew up.

The Arellanos (missing Joey & Flor)

Mum & Dad invited most of the Filipinos for dinner that same night we arrived. It was hard to be lively and friendly. We were exhausted. And that my friends is an understatement.

Anyway, we’ve pretty much adjusted to everything here. The Simple Life. The next day Ate and I had already toured the whole town. Not much to see. Not many places to go to. Mostly supermarkets. The beach is less than half a kilometer away from the main road. So that’s a lot of sea for you. We haven’t gone swimming yet though. Rough waves. Weather here is very moody. One minute it’s sunny, then all of a sudden the winds stun us with speeds of a super typhoon and then the rain comes pouring down. After that, it’s sunny again. Whoopey. Lol.

I miss the Philippines a lot. Especially Ron. It was hard to say goodbye. We both cried. This is the first time we’re apart and for so long. 3 months. You know what they say, “Absence makes the heart grow fonder.” Thank God for the Internet. Tomorrow Ron will be meeting up with Joey to get the keys to my place so he can chat with me whenever he wants. I’ll be able to see him too!!! Yey! Good thing I bought that webcam right in the nick of time.

I better end this entry. So sorry for the long read. Internet here is dial up not to mention expensive. So, yes, I am dying as we speak. I don’t really have much patience for the slow speed. I even wrote this entry in Word first and then copy pasted it to my blogger to be practical. Ang saya saya. Hahaha!!!

Anyway, I’m out for now. Twins are asleep with Mum. Ate and Kuya went to the supermarket to buy a few things. Dad’s asleep in front of the tellie. It’s a pretty boring Saturday afternoon. I’m starting my Turbo Jam workout again today. Too much food this lady has eaten. Too much food. Lol. It’s time to burn those extra calories and lose those flabs. Wish me luck kids. Lol.

Tata!!!

wedding preps update

Last Saturday, Ron and I were on the mission to finally decide on a wedding photographer. With me leaving on Wednesday (and yes that's tomorrow), it was either now or next year (which of course is out of the question coz all the good photographers would be booked by then. lol. So yes, it had to be now. We started the day with Center Table Catering's food tasting at Fernwood. Joey tagged along. Where there's food, there's Joey. Either that or Joey's already been there. lol. Anyway, all the while, I was texting Oly Ruiz of Metro Photography (actually since the night before) who was in Laguna at the time on a photo shoot.

I came across their website on Weddings@Work. Loved their shots. Couldn't get them out of my head. And Oly's emails were...I don't know...had that personal touch. I love how their work was...as they described it...contemporary, new, fresh, not weird, not too much, not so ordinary -- "representative of the feelings during the event - the happiness, the excitement, the fun". I liked the sound of that and I had a feeling Ron would too. Sure enough, he did. It was a blessing that Oly offered to meet us that same day after his Laguna shoot. Ain't he flexible? :) It was a spur of the moment thing. 6pm at Galleria.

We went to visit Andre Photography first. Horrible traffic. Couldn't even find the place. And turning back to look again would be suicide. More horrible traffic. We decided not to go visit Joel Francisco Photography for the same reasons. Headed off to Galleria and waited for Oly. We got there before he did but embarrassingly enough, he was at the meeting place before us. We couldn't find Figaro. lol.

The meeting when well. Oly was very warm and friendly. Humble and open to ideas and our concerns. He showed us samples of their albums. We liked their coffee table album and were pretty much impressed with how he presented their company. Then he reaches into his back pack for a piece of work wrapped in white soft wrap. Lo and behold...their blow up portrait. My eyes lit up. It was beautiful. Very classic and antique-ish. Ron liked it too. It was on an artist's canvass and mounted on a wooden frame. Scratch proof and water proof. Like the paintings at Starbucks. After that...we were sold. Oly's warmth & friendliness made a major impact. Especially to Ron. It was like talking to a friend. Ron didn't want someone who was purely all about business. Oly was perfect.

So there you have it, most of the major suppliers are booked.

Church - Magallanes Church
Reception - The Blue Leaf
Videographer - Playback Productions
Photographer - Metro Photography

I can now go to Papua New Guinea in peace. lol.

Hunter's Portfolio

I've been an absent blogger for a long time, so I'll just post some of the twins' latest pics. Or maybe I'll just start from present and work back. Whatever clever. Ayan Berdini! Hope this brightens up your days. More to come. (Click the images for a closer look).

Hunter at his best:
Hunter at what he does best?:

Hunter at his grossest:

Hunter at his cutest:
Hunter at his grumpiest:
Hunter at his coolest:

Hunter at his sexiest:

Hunter at his naughtiest:

Hunter at play:

Hunter scared:
Hunter standing:
Hunter sleeping:

Hunter playing innocent:

And lastly, Hunter losing:

Holiday's up next. Tomorrow.