30 October 2010: DAY 303 (WEEK 44)

kuya ed picked us up after lunch. we decided to just stay at his house while we wait to pick up nitz from the airport. i took a photo of their street... i really love the colors of autumn..

at 4pm we drove to the airport to pick up nitz.
i was so happy to see him! sofia was sleeping in the car and didn't notice his papa approach us


nitz put sofia on his lap and she awoke...she wasn't too happy to be woken up but i think she was happy that papa was holding her.


while we were preparing dinner (we decided to have dinner at my brother's house...), we carved their pumpkin. good thing the girls were more than happy to scoop out all the seeds....


and here is the finished product!

29 October 2010: DAY 302 (WEEK 44)

i love bagels for breakfast... have i told you that?

but even if i had a good breakfast, the day didn't end too well... i lost my internet connection!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
i tried jump starting the modem and re-starting the computer but nothing worked. i called bell customer service just to find out that the reason behind this was the upgrade i agreed to 2 days ago. yup...2 days ago, a bell representative called me offering an internet upgrade for free because i have my cable and telephone with them. who would say 'no' to that??!! the lady on the other line said that effective midnight of october 31, i would be having BELL FIBE! but..but..but...she forgot to mention that because of that i would have internet interuption..or rather NO INTERNET until bell fibe takes effect!!! i couldn't deny that it was a really good offer but not knowing the consequences of that made me so mad! this was the day that i badly needed the internet because i had to talk to nitz because he was flying home the following day! i needed to talk to nitz!!! i was really close to tears when i was tallking to the technical guy who took my call. he wasn't too nice to me...then he told me to call customer service ( apparently the number i initially dialed was technical services..). i called customer service and they were nicer...forwarded me to another technical guy who would help me find another way to connect...through dial up. after a long discussion, it didn't work. but i was grateful for his patience and kindness. so there...no internet.


before i slept that night, i made a long distance call to my niece jake in NC and asked her to message nitz about what happened.
what a sad day....

28 October 2010: DAY 301 (WEEK 44)

sorry for being away for so long...
anyway, let me get to business...
when i picked up the kids from the bus drop-off point, i took some photos of the trees around our neighborhood-- such beautiful colors!


when we got home we decided to carve our pumpkin. i haven't done this before! but after i was finished with the pumpkin...the kids were very happy with my work of art...hehehe.


then we put it on our bay window and added some twigs and leaves...



...and voila!!! our very first JACK-O-LANTERN!!


kuya ed and ate mel dropped by that night to see our latest creation...hehehe! and then sofia asked my brother if he could read her a story... i sneaked up to take a photo of them. i did distract them a bit when i took the photo...hehehe.

27 October 2010: DAY 300 (WEEK 44)

nothing much happened today... but i noticed that today is the 300th day of the year! and 3 more days and nitz will he here...yipeee!!

i went out to take some picture of the trees around our house... they are all so beautiful.

26 October 2010: DAY 299 (WEEK 44)

rafael had a dentist appointment after school. my brother (ok...i call my brother kuya ed-- 'kuya' meaning older brother... and rather than always addressing him as 'my brother' let me just stick to 'kuya ed'). so let me start that sentence again... -- kuya ed picked us up from school to go to their house. i needed to leave the 2 girls with them while me and rafael visit the dentist. my kids are always excited when i tell them we are going to kuya ed's house.
on our way home we dropped by the grocery store to buy something...and while at the parking lot i took this photo. the trees are almost bare...


and then i took a photo of kuya ed's street... still green and the trees are still full of leaves.


when me and rafael got back from the dentist, we found the girls like this! i don't think they even noticed that we left and came back...hahaha.

25 October 2010: DAY 298 (WEEK 44)

its election day here! i honestly don't know anything about it and i am not interested in any of it. well, i am not entitled to vote yet so i guess that explains it. ( but no... i am not really into politics and i hate discussing about it). anyway, the day passed by quietly considering it is election day. (or maybe it is just quiet in my side of the neighborhood...hehehe). back home (i mean in the philippines...) when it is election day, there is a big commotion!!!--voting is difficult, counting is...is... i cannot even describe it! and when they come up with a winner, you will somehow feel uncertain/doubtful/suspicious about it.

i was surprised that the day went peacefully and the elected mayor of toronto is FORD!



well i just hope he is a nice and decent and honest guy... we will see what he will come up with for toronto.

24 October 2010: DAY 297 (WEEK 43)

this day didn't start very well...i woke up at 6am..and could barely move!!! i felt intense pain from my neck and down my back. i wanted to just stay still but i needed to go to the bathroom...so i slowly moved my body to the edge of the bed and rolled off the bed making my legs fall first. oh it was really painful but i was able to get on my feet. i made it to the bathroom..then tried to go back to bed. i did get to lie down again but once i had my back on the bed..it was more painful to move again. i stayed still hoping that the pain would go away but it didn't work..with or without movement i was in pain. i tried to sleep but couldn't...i was thinking of calling my brother but it was too early...so i just waited hoping the time would move faster.
around 7am i decided to stand up again (by slowly fallling of the bed..). it was a bit easier and less painful standing up than when i am on the bed. (but it really took so much effort to stand up.) i waited and waited...when it was already 8am, i called my brother. they came and they brought me to the hospital.
i didn't forget to bring my camera to the ER...hehehe. and guess what time the doctor checked me... 1:30pm. it was a very very long wait.


so it was muscle spasm according to the doctor...they gave me a shot for inflammation and pain, and another tablet for pain.
after more than 4 hours in the hospital, we went home.


the shot and the medicine they gave me did make me feel a bit better... so time for party! it was ate mel's mother's birthday that day...but the party was for her and miggy as well (the youngest son of my brother). miggy's birthday is tomorrow.
in the photo: miggy, rafael, jason, paul and ej


in the photo: miggy, mommy mely, grace, isaiah, tita malu, ate mel and kuya ed



the birthday celebrants - mommy mely and miggs with sofia..hehehe



by the way, i would like to thank my nephew, paul (the second son of my brother) for taking care of rafael, grace, isabelle and sofia while we were in the hospital. thank you for cooking and serving them lunch. i really appreciate it... i love you, paul! thanks!