Thanksgiving at my parents' home

We had Thanksgiving at my mom and dad's home. I am amazed at how much energy my mom still has these days. She's a warrior princess -- yiyiyiyiyi! But, seriously, when I feel lazy or tired in the morning I think about my mom. She wakes up at around 5AM and catches the CTA at around 6:15AM. My mom is at work by 7:30AM. How does she do it?? How has she done it all these years? My mom is an amazing woman to me; to our entire family and friends. Thank you, Mama, for everything that you do for me and for everyone. It is my hope that you will be more accepting of people's kindness and generosity instead of almost always being the one who offers. You deserve all good things and more.

Danielle and Jcnt hung out on the Tiny Love mat.
Everyone who attended brought a dish or two or three. As usual, there was a big spread of food and a whole lot of leftovers for everyone to pack as baon. My mom has said on several occasions that she thinks that our family -- perhaps Filipinos, in general -- love to prepare a lot of food for the sheer enjoyment of taking home more food made by other people.

"Danielle, check out the giraffe!"
"Jacinta, thanks for letting me hang out with you on your lovely mat."
In addition to the many entrees, there were also a lot of desserts. Tita Edna baked a couple of cakes. Erin baked a pumpkin loaf. Richard baked a pumpkin pie (my favorite!)

Ronald, Christy and Danielle.
Jo Anne made the turkey this year. It was really good! She soaked it in brine overnight and cooked it in our Set It and Forget It rotisserie oven that Georgie and I bought during our honeymoon.

Jeanette and Tita Edna.
What did we bring to the table? Well, what else but the easiest food to make. We made mashed and scalloped potatoes. And, of course, we brought the Grey Goose and cranberry juice; a favorite of many people.

Ate Trisa(?) brought candles and placed them on the ube cake that Tita Edna baked. We sang Happy Birthday for Kuya Joel. Later on in the week, on Sunday, Ate Trisa successfully surprised Kuya Joel on his 39th birthday. Happy Birthday! I'll post pics from that day as soon as I can.

Christian and Kuya Joel.
Tita Lily and Jcnt.

The people who have visited my parents' home during the colder months usually know how to dress when spending time there. Hopefully, after this past event, the other people who don't usually visit during the colder months will know what to wear when visiting my parents. It was pretty hot.

Christian and Jqn.
Joaquin and Christian were so adorable together. Christian, who is a little over one year older than Joaquin, had a piece of cake on a paper plate. He shared his cake with Joaquin and also fed him a couple of pieces by hand. Whenever Christian started walking away, Joaquin was sure to follow.

Jqn and Christian.
We were all happy to see my Dad and Mom pose with their grandchildren. We need more of these photos!

Pics of Jqn & Jcnt

Here are a few pictures of Jacinta and Joaquin from early to mid-November. I'll post our Thanksgiving pics tomorrow night or Tuesday night, hopefully.

11.17.07 A brother and sister who cry together... are loud.
11.09.07 Shadow and Jcnt relaxing on our bed.
11.12.07 Georgie sat Jcnt on his lap while I was checking email.
11.16.07 I put Jcnt in one of Jqn's plastic toy wagons...
Jqn happily pushed and pulled her around.
Here is Jqn debating what to do next...
Jqn did manage to get inside with Jcnt, but wasn't able to sit down with her.
11.18.07 Daddy's Little Princess.
11.19.07 Raspberries. Oh ya, and Jcnt has been sitting down on the high chair these past few days. We are helping Jcnt practice for when she starts eating cereal when she turns six months old.
11.21.07 Snow day.
It was the first time that Jqn was aware of the snow. He kept pointing at the snow outside the window, but by the time we got the camera he was no longer pointing.
Jcnt likes playing with the caterpillar.
We...
Love...
These guys.
Joaquin has been getting so much better with Jacinta. This Thanksgiving weekend, he's been playing with her and helping her get a binky into her mouth. I said "a binky" because instead of giving her the smaller one, which is hers, he's been giving her his own binky. Blech! That guy.

Before Jqn went to bed tonight, we also witnessed as he climbed onto a turned-over laundry basket. It's a new thing for him -- being able to climb onto something higher than six inches -- and standing on it. Yes, it's totally dangerous but we were right there.

Jacinta has been reaching for everything. She's been known to pull, among other things, her daddy's ears, my hair and also towels and blankets. We'd be carrying her from Jqn's bedroom and realize moments later that we had been dragging one of the towels that was hanging on the crib.

Jacinta has also been biting and pulling. A no no.

The best legs in town!

At the end of October, we went out for a late lunch with the gang: Paola, Steve, Tasha and Alex. We went to a seafood restaurant which boasts that it has one of the best fresh seafood in the area as it flies in its main catches-of-the-day everyday.

The lovely Paola and Tasha.
This turned out so cute!
We ordered raw oysters, mussels and fried pepper calamari. The fried pepper calamari is my favorite appetizer at this restaurant. I think we've gotten it every single time that we've been there. Joaquin likes it, too.

With Georgie...
... without Georgie. We should have had our server take the pic.
If I remember correctly, I think everyone of us had crab legs and some type of meat; a true surf and turf. We all agreed that Alex's (Alaskan?) snow crab legs were the most flavorful. I'll have to say that my filet mignon was -- at the risk of sounding like a Food Network junkie -- yummilish. It was a nice complement to my King crab legs and wine.

Steve and Paola.
After we ate, we went outside for some picture-taking. As you will see, a picture of Georgie, Joaquin, Jacinta and me is absent. I plan to use it as our Christmas card. Speaking of that,... oh my gosh... November is almost over and I haven't even printed them out yet!


The picture of Georgie and me with the kids was actually taken after the photos we took of Alex, Tasha, Steve and Paola. So as you can imagine, by the time we had the children, they were mostly antsy and squirmy. You'll see. But, it turned out nicely enough to send out as our Holiday card.



Alex lifted Joaquin on top of a giant tiki that was hanging out by the restaurant's parking lot. We all thought it was made of stone, but to our surprise it was made of hard plastic. It was not stable at all. I think Alex was going to try to climb on top of it with Jqn.

I should have Photoshopped you out, Alex, but your laugh was so hearty.
Steve observed that his nose was similar to the giant tiki's nose. What do you think?
"You can pick your friends. You can pick your nose..." Right.
A fun pic of Tasha and Alex... and that darn tiki!

What color is your Thanksgiving turkey?

Ours is (strokes of) brown. Sorta.
Our babysitter had Jqn color a drawing of a turkey (above). It is Jqn's first artwork at school. I will cherish this moment always. When our babysitter handed me the paper, a lot of thoughts flashed in my mind.

Some of the thoughts were of the future when Joaquin and Jacinta come home from school and give me something that they've created that day and either I or Georgie placing them on display either on the wall or on top of a shelf.

What I've asked Georgie to do for me is to hang a gigantic cork board -- I would prefer one that fills up 80% of the wall -- on our kitchen/dining room wall where I can tack on pictures as well as any drawings or paintings done by the kids.

Going back to Jqn's first artwork... I just felt like another chapter in our life as parents is about to begin. And I am so excited.

I am thankful for my husband, Georgie. He inspires me to continue growing intellectually, spiritually and emotionally. Georgie has been more than a husband; he is my best friend. Through great times and terrible times, through silly laughter and thinking exactly the same thing but saying it differently, through sitting down with me when I have a panic attack, through running our own amazing race every single morning trying to get the kids dressed for school, dropping them off and making the Metra before lunch, through the endless events that can happen every single day... I am happy to say that at the end of the day, we did it together.

I am thankful for our children, Jacinta and Joaquin. They are our miracles. Joaquin and Jacinta truly fill our lives with endless laughter, love and hope.

I am thankful for my parents, Onnes and Luz. They have raised me and my brother to be good people. We didn't always agree with their rules, but it really was for our own good. It is my hope that I can teach our children what they have taught us. (But, Mama, I might be a little bit more lenient when it comes to either of the kids wanting to live in the dorms.)

I am thankful for Georgie's mom, Fabi, and her husband, Gonzalo. They have raised two intelligent, strong-minded, mindful and loving sons.

I am thankful for Steve and Paola, my brother, Tristan, and his family, Alex and Tasha. You guys truly fill our lives with unforgettable memories and adventures. Most importantly for us is knowing that you are there for us always.

I am thankful for all our family and friends. We are very lucky to have all of you in our lives.

Happy Thanksgiving to all of you! We hope you enjoy the food, the drinks and especially the memories that you will share with friends and family.

A few pics from late October

20 October 2007 -- Potluck dinner at Shimi and Mari's house.

Janice and Jiyoung with Jacinta.
Georgie and I brought a couple of Cuban sandwiches and fried yuca. Other people brought chicken from a Chinese restaurant and homemade Salmon. Mari made her famous custard-like dessert. Everyone enjoyed all the food.

Jqn loved the attention.
At one time, Shimi and I hung out in their living room as he excitedly showed-off their gynormous flat screen tv. We were viewing some serene scenes from around the world. I think I would like to have HD service.

Sue holding Jacinta.
While we were having dinner at Shimi and Mari's dining room, we all couldn't help but watch their neighbor do some kind of home improvement project. I think their neighbor enjoyed the audience.

Joaquin had fun pushing a plastic chair through their long hallway that separates the dining room from the living room.

Thanks for hosting a potluck dinner, Mari and Shimi!

--

21 October 2007, 11AM-3PM -- Tita Lily's birthday party.

Ate Trisa, Jacinta, Kuya Joel and Danielle.
We celebrated Tita Lily's real 70th birthday at a restaurant. We had brunch. The food was pretty good. Joaquin liked the bacon and sliced bread. I liked the fried catfish. I really wanted my own waffle after I tasted my Mom's, but by the time I went to the lady making the waffles she told me she ran out of waffle mix.

Ate Trisa and Erin with Jacinta.
Joaquin was able to run around because we had our own private room. He tried to follow his cousins, but most of them are older than he is and therefore had longer strides and not very interested in playing with a toddler. Christian was the exception. He loves playing with his cousin, "Akeen", and asks for Joaquin when he hears that Uncle George and Tita Mimi will be around.

--

21 October 2007, 4PM-7PM -- Tio Gus and Tia Marie's house.

Jacinta and Joaquin with Tio Gus and Tia Marie
Hangin' out.
Wow, it's only been about a month since these pictures were taken and look at how everyone was dressed.

Jqn would not part with the big broom.
While at Tio Gus and Tia Marie's backyard, Tio Gus decided to show Jqn how to sweep the patio area. Unfortunately, Jqn preferred to use the big broom over the smaller brush that Tio Gus tried to offer him.

Tio Gus tries to give Jqn a smaller broom; a brush.
Jqn took the brush and still kept the broom.
Jqn showed us that he paid attention when Tio Gus demonstrated how to use the brush.
Jqn wanted to hold all the tennis balls.
Tio Gus shows Jacinta a leaf. What's with leaves, Tio? :-)
Joaquin had a great time!

Jqn: 22 Months!

Dessert after eating dinner
Jqn, you're lucky your dad discovered that box of popsicles in the freezer tonight.
Who am I kidding? You ate well so you got a treat and what a treat you've been for 22 months now!

Jqn doing his best Pavarotti impression
With the end of the popsicle comes the end of the patience of sitting at the table...
this time you gave us a clue to let you out...soon you'll be able to blurt out the words..."I AM SICK OF SITTING IN THIS CHAIR AND NEED TO BE DOWN WHERE I CAN PLAY WITH MY TOYS!"

Maybe a dirty look will suffice
Not yet, Mr. Jqn. No dirty looks. We're doing our best to understand you little man, big man, but we just *love* snapping photos of you.

Yay! You're done taking pics.
Let's celebrate! To Jqn's gentle fans, we've begun noticing Jqn is growing out his clothes...finally! It seems as if he's wearing floods. We giggle...not too loudly, and we beam, our little boy is getting taller.

Enough already...I'm getting irritated!
You said no more pics. I can't wait to be able to tell you that clearly! We anticipate more 2-3 word"caveman" sentences soon.

I'm not kidding...let me out of here...
Fortunately, Jqn doesn't have the word "down" perfected yet. At dinner, he loves to warn us about our food being "hot" or "cat" or his favorite "mamama" for everything to his Mama, his Dad, and yes, even his baby sister...Jcnt. We think he copies Dad calling Jcnt "mama".

Jqn getting serious...showing fangs!
We were finally...ahem...convinced to release the little boy. When finally freed, his anger subsided and he immediately tried to eat the food he deposited on the floor earlier...when that plan was a no-go, he took Jcnt for a ride...by pushing the high-chair...you're a laugh a minute and we thank God for every moment you share with us. Happy 22 months Jqn!

Jcnt: 5 months, 3 days old!

Jacinta and Shadow.
Raspberries. Jacinta has been doing raspberries for extended periods of time, especially when we're at the dinner table. It makes for a very drooly baby.

High chair. We started putting her in the high chair a few days ago. Jacinta seems to enjoy it for a few minutes. We know Jqn likes it, too, but for different reasons. For one, Jqn loves to push the chair around the house even while Jacinta is in it.

Lotsa drool.
Nursing. Jacinta is still nursing quite well. During the week, while I'm at work, she is given one 4-oz bottle of formula and the rest of the day, Jacinta drinks my (pumped) breast milk. I'm happy that my pumping sessions are more productive this time around. I can get between 7-11 ounces daily, which is a big improvement from last year -- 4-6 ounces daily.

Night nursing. Yes, I've been bad. When Jacinta wakes up in the middle of the night I have been nursing her in bed with us, instead of nursing her on the Boppy and placing her back into the pack-n-play. It's so much easier! Plus, I enjoy having her in bed with us these days.

Weighing in at 15 pounds, 10 ounces at her 4-month doctor's visit.
Play. Jacinta has been playing in the Tiny Love mat. She loves swatting at the hanging toys and looking at herself in the mirror. Jacinta also loves playing with things that we put in her hands. Speaking of hands, she loves looking at her hands and putting her fingers in her mouth.

Smiling and laughing for everyone's pleasure.
Turning (on her side). Jacinta turns to her side quite often. We think she might do the turn soon. This was around the time that Jqn turned over as well.

Measuring at 24 and 3/4 inches at her 4-month doctor's visit.
Feet. We've seen Jacinta play with her feet. We've also seen her put her toes close to her mouth. Perhaps she has already tasted her toes while we weren't looking.

Diapering. Jacinta wears size 3 Huggies.

Clothes. Jacinta wears 6-9 months clothes. I don't like dressing my children in too-big sizes that they'll grow into.

Hair. It looks like Jacinta's newborn hair might stay with her. Joaquin lost his newborn hair at around 5 months old. Jacinta's hair is growing and her faux hawk has mostly disappeared. I can sometimes form the faux hawk after bathing her, but mostly her hair stays put. I plan to have Jacinta's hair grow halfway down her back.

Ear piercing. Jacinta and her cousin, Danielle, we're scheduled to have their ears pierced together. But, things came up and Danielle ended up having her ears pierced without Jacinta. Danielle looks really cute with her earrings! I've decided to wait to have Jacinta's ear pierced. I thought about it and I want it to be an experience that she and I can share together when she is more aware.

Halloween 2007: Jcnt's 1st!

This year is Jacinta's 1st Halloween and Joaquin's second!

As per usual these days, Jqn didn't want anything put on his head. It took us many tries taking these photos. We were very fortunate and thankful for our digital camera or we would have wasted a lot of film! Jacinta, on the other had, played it cool. She was very fascinated at the apparently sudden appearance of yellow hair all over her brother's body and head.



Tasha and Jcnt.
Alex and Tasha joined us for the kids' first trick-or-treating experience. We went nearby our neighborhood on a street with a row of homes as big as mansions. A lot of families had the same idea as us as there was a lot of foot traffic on the sidewalks and lawns.

Georgie and Alex with the babies.
Another one of them.
Jqn chatting with his Grandm Fabi.
It was unseasonably warm that day. It was nice because we got to see other children's costumes, instead of semi-seen costumes underneath jackets. We saw a couple of other kids wearing similar costumes -- little devil and chick -- as Jqn's and Jcnt's. We even saw Jqn's spider costume from last year.

Jcnt napped on my shoulder.
Tasha and Jqn on a semi-buried skeleton.
The Uncle-Alex-and-Jqn pose.
We were very lucky that Tasha and Alex were with us because even though our children are still babies, they sure get heavier every passing minute when we carry them. All of us, except maybe Tasha, got sore carrying them. Thanks, guys!

Georgie and Jcnt.
Tia Marie and Jcnt.
After trick-or-treating, we continued celebrating the event at Tia Marie and Tio Gus's house. Tio Marco was there, too. Jqn had a lot of fun going through their big bowl of candies. He especially liked the Dots candy. I know. Dots?? It's so... bland.

Tio Marco and Jqn were having a serious talk.
Tia Marie and Jqn.
It's so nice to spend time with family because our children get showered with so much love and attention. Plus, we sometimes get to sit out a diaper change or two.

Jcnt eyeing a tootsie roll.
Me and Jqn.
A very special Thank You goes out to the kids' Aunt Becky, Aunt Sammie and Uncle Lawrence. They sent Jqn and Jcnt a special Halloween package filled with sippy cups, treats, a "1st Halloween" bib for Jcnt and a t-shirt for Jqn. I love the personalized drawings on the envelopes! Thanks also for the cd of pictures and movies. We haven't gotten a chance to view them yet. We used the cute felt pumpkin bag when we went trick-or-treating.

Tio Gus and Jcnt.
Happy Halloween, Jacinta and Joaquin!! Love you, guys.