This afternoon, as I was passing through an empty lot on our way home from spending time with my dad, I saw the annual “perya” being set up. It made me miss Lia so much, even though it’s been barely a day since I last saw her. Crazy Lia will surely love that perya. I can just imagine.

Today I got this email. Halloween is nearing and I am so looking forward to it, not for me but for my crazy little Lia. She loves scary stuff so much!

This is the poster for this year’s company Halloween and Family Day. The poster hardly looks scary, but I am sure as hell that Lia would love to be there. I am so excited for her!

I love looking at these photos over and over and over again. She does NOT look like me. Bummer. Hahaha. Though that fact I have known since day 1. She would, sometimes, tend to look like me, but well, that’s just a direct result of my putting my face right next to hers every single day and night.

In your face Lia

Lia with her Papa face and Papa stare

Gitilon Lia

Press here

Lia's own version of the Asian pose

Vogue vogue Lia

I think she wanted to do a vogue-vogue thing with her hands. I saw her doing something with both, but then I think she couldn’t help but laugh at herself – and that was what the camera caught. What a mischievous little laugh that is too.

Smile smile

August 16, 2011

It’s been some time since we took photos of Ewok. Actually, these aren’t even photos of Ewok. These are photos of Lia with Ewok. LOL

August 16, 2011

And of course, me…

August 10, 2011

***Thanks H for the photos.

Now, the new craze is group buying and discount coupons. Now I hoard coupons, for a change, at least.

So far, these have been the promos I have managed to, uhm, take advantage of?

Here is a big revelation: I have never been to Enchanted Kingdom. Why? Because I always thought it was going to be a big waste of money since I had severe motion sickness and couldn’t go into any of the rides.

I have since gotten over my motion sickness (quite extreme when I was in college – a direct result of a 6-day land trip from Naga to Cebu and back), and I now have Lia who I think will enjoy this trip to Enchanted Kingdom immensely.

P250 for a P500 worth of GC from Travel Essentials

I happen to love Travel Essentials and what it is all about. I first saw this store at the Global Pinoy Bazaar 2010 and I bought a travel blanket from them, which I loved, and a travel medicine kit organizer, that turned out to be a make-up kit for me and something that Lia absolutely loved as her very own bag. I used to make her carry that medicine kit organizer for me. She thinks its her very own. I love it when we are going out and she hands me my bag (“Mama, bag!”) and she gets that bag for herself to carry. Yes, I’m a traveler, and I’m an OC traveler at that. I love organizing my things, though I really couldn’t care less if they are organized when I’m already out there, out in the wilderness that is the traveler’s world.

I had my eye on that Travel Document case and some other OC-related stuff, so I bought myself a few coupons.

The latest of this coupon craze would be my purchase of a deal that I, supposedly, actually missed last summer. The one for Fun Ranch!

Fun Ranch Ride All You Can Promo!

I used to leave Lia with the househelp here at Fun Ranch and do my groceries and banking at the SM Hypermarket Pasig across the street from Tiendesitas, which in turn is across the street from Fun Ranch. Yeah, yeah, you get it. They’re all practically in one compound. Lia absolutely loved being at the Fun Ranch even if I did not leave them with any money for going into any of the rides. Though I trusted the househelp to look after Lia all on her own, I did not trust her enough to be watchful of Lia while she went into one of those rides, bumper cars for example. I found them looking gleefully at this thing where you’re supposed to fish. Actually, she was very excited about the girl who was supposedly doing the fishing. I had this feeling if I hadn’t come any sooner, she would’ve grabbed that fake fishing rod from the little girl and did the fishing herself

That was last year and Lia was not even two years old.

I think this year would be a different story. Lia would want to go into every single ride there is and yeah, actually do some “fishing”. That is why I was waiting for this deal. No, I was looking for and at this deal yesterday. Yesterday though it was in the “Past Deals” section. I missed that deal last summer. Imagine my surprise when this morning, when I woke up and checked my email (as is actually the first thing I do every morning upon waking up, no kidding), there in my inbox was this announcement from Metro Deal that this deal is back! My dear baby girl, to Fun Ranch it is then! Maybe when we come back, ya? There is no Fun Ranch in Bicol and that is where we will be until your Papa comes back from Germany.

Dora the Explorer

Boots the Monkey

Dora na... boots pa

**Photo courtesy of H, surfboard by Angku, water by Falcon.

One after-drizzle afternoon, while Lia and I were on our way to the bus stop at the diversion road, I finally had the chance to photograph Mt. Isarog.

I have been wanting for the longest time to take a photo of the giant waterfalls that becomes visible on the slopes of Mt. Isarog after rain. After heavy rain, a series of waterfalls become visible. I keep thinking how I might be able to get to the see those waterfalls and imagining how huge that can be if it can actually be seen from my town. My dad says one can hear the thunderous waterfalls even from quite a far. Well, I can only imagine. If it gets that big, I’m sure the water is copious.

One day, I’m going to take this road all the way to the mountain. And that one day is soon.

Lia loves public transportation. She likes pedicab, tricycle, jeepney, bus and plane rides. She likes hailing them too (though not the planes). She likes hanging out by the road even. If only that isn’t kinda scary for me.

Lia holding Tutu, as we were on our way back to Manila on this day

And she loves laying her head by the window to look at the scenery. She likes all those cows, carabaos, goats, chickens, dogs, cats, trees and even the rice fields. How provincial indeed.

This photo though was taken right after Lia was told by her Mama not to keep on jutting her head out of that window like a dog. Aww, sad eh?

I woke up on the morning of April 7 with the table filled with containers of chicken and spaghetti, plus a box of cake, that H bought and prepared. It was my little me’s second birthday and I absolutely had no plans for anything. It was really sweet of H to cook the usual kiddie birthday fare, and while I was asleep too, since I do not cook at all.

My sister Girlie had pasta cooked too and we made plans of getting together later in the afternoon at the [old] Wharf Galley [in Elias Angeles St.]. The only guests for this occasion was my father, my sister Girlie’s family, H, me and the staff of Wharf Galley. It was a very simple celebration.

Still, I was too busy to even take a photo of my family and the birthday girl. Ah, April was such a crazy, crazy month. (So glad April’s over. Hello June…)

If my cousin, Rhea, from Hong Kong wasn’t visiting, I wouldn’t even be able to take some time off from “work” and spend just a few hours chilling out with family.

We picked them up at the airport and brought them to CWC for brunch. Then picked up Lia so she can go swimming with her Pops.

CWC was teeming with people, locals and tourists alike.

Lia as always, had a lot of fun.

The day started out really hot but come lunch time, rain clouds started to gather… and the wind picked up.

But we were good to go, because Lia was already dressed, we were already full, and William and Rhea were on their way to Legazpi.

Lia and I had some bonding time, while she was eating one of my favorite food, green mango.

It was really good to have a break from all the stress and just be with family and just chill out.

I wonder when’s the next time we will go out like this…

Thanks H for being here with me.

These were taken in Marlboro Country in Batan Island, Batanes. Lia had loved climbing that fence. She hit her head on it the first time and bawled, but then, not to be deterred, climbed right back up. Lia, I love your persistence, eh? Me wonders whom you got that from…

I have been packing our stuff little by little and moving small stuff to the new house every now and then in preparation for the big move on Saturday – May 8!

Yesterday I emptied the overhead cabinets and the linen closet, as well as packed some clothes and bags.

In the middle of it all, Lia found her luggage. We bought a set of three – a large one for Ryan, a medium one for me, and a small one for her. I guess she knows which one is hers.

I'm packed and ready to go.

I've checked it and it's good.

Let me bring it out into the hallway.

This is how they lug this thing around.

What? Are we going or not?

That is my traveler little one. She sure knows her stuff.

In her 12 months, I’ve brought her everywhere I have been.. in Bicol (May 2009, December 2009 and February 2010), La Union (July 2009), Bohol (December 2009) and Palawan (April 2010).

She had been traveling even when she was still in my womb, Bicol (August, September, October and November 2008), Negros (September 2008), Camiguin and Misamis Oriental (January 2009), Iloilo and Guimaras (February 2009) and Pangasinan (February 2009).

Lia little girl, you will sure inherit your Lola and your Mama’s wander lust. You are a certified Travel Factor baby.

Here are a few photos from the christening last Saturday. I wish there could have been more but we were so busy. (Haggaaaarrdddd!!!) My ears were ringing all night from the shrieking that occurred that afternoon. Hehehe.

Thanks Cheekay and Voltaire for the photos.

Please remember to click on the photos for some important text!