Me vs the Mister

I went upstairs ahead of the mister and accidentally used his toothbrush. I was rinsing my mouth when I realized it.

When I came out from the bathroom,

"Papi, don't be surprised that your toothbrush is wet. I accidentally put toothpaste on it, but I rinsed it right away. I didn't use it at all."

Oops! I lied.

"Oh! That's okay. I also used your toothbrush by mistake multiple times!"

Hahahaha! He told me the truth. I lied, and until now, I left it like that—that I didn't use his brush.

Kids, don't lie. Don't be like me.

One of those days

This was in my draft that I forgot to publish.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Jay was immersed in a book he was focused on finishing before his next book club meeting.

I was in the kitchen asking him about our menu for lunch. I asked him a couple of times if he approved of the dish I was planning to cook. You know, I don't want to make something that he has no appetite at all on that day.

I was frustrated. He wasn't hearing me when I am basically less than ten steps away from him. So, I continued doing my thing in the kitchen. I made my all plant-based dish, my favorite --- mung bean soup with spinach and okra.

I didn't start making their (for him and the boy) dish. I make two separate dishes every meal, this time I only cooked mine.

Then, out of the blue when I was almost done with cooking...

"What did you say, 'lian?" 

The sound of chirping crickets was heard from the family room to the kitchen and it even reached to China.

"Lian! What did you say?"

I pretended I couldn't hear him. Just like him, I was too focused with my cooking.

"Lian, are you mad?"

The crickets were still in the house.

"Lian, are you sick?"

"YES!"

"Are you having an asthma attack?"

"NO!"

He put down his book, stood up, and I saw him walking towards the kitchen,

"You said you're sick!"

"YES, I AM! And don't you dare come near me. I am suffering from a very terrible allerJAY!"

Hehehehe.

Makasungot ning di maminaw ba. Unja ug di na tinggan, pauyon-uyonan ta. (It's annoying when they don't hear you. And then when you give them the cold shoulder, they'd woo you.)

Lucky!

"Aren't we lucky that we can enjoy lattes at home?" I told the mister one morning.

Most people I know only gets their cup of latte when they go to coffee shops.

"No, you're lucky!" he answered.

He's the one who can only make it at home. I only know how to do the pour over coffee. He taught me how to do it when he was sick.

"But you're luckier! What's your latte without my bake goods!"


photo by: Jay Divinagracia

This is our usual morning---Latte and homemade ube ensaymada. Since I started making this kind of Filipino bread, my moringa pan de sal isn't his favorite anymore. It used to be Spanish bread, and it changed when I started making pan de sal.

A Band with Lionel Richie

This afternoon after school, the boy and I were just lounging in our living room. I was watching the last 20 minutes of a sappy Filipino movie starring John Lloyd Cruz and Jennilyn Mercado, while the boy beside me was watching a documentary on his phone.

"doy, kuha-i ko ug toilet paper. Palihug ko bi? Naa ra sa komidor." (Boy, can you get me toilet paper, please. Will you? It's in the dining room.)

"Why do you need it? You have sip-on?" (runny nose)

Actually, I don't. I blamed the movie on my leaky nose. Hehehe.

He got up, and walked towards the powder room which was located farther away from the dining room and from where we were sitting.

"It's just in the kumidor, 'doy!" (It's just in the dining room, boy.)

"What? The Commodores?"

"O!" I confirmed. I was listening to the movie on my laptop with one ear bud in one ear.

"That's a band with Lionel Richie in it, 'ma! The Commodores!"

Hahahaha!

Komedor (spelling variation: komidor) is from the Spanish word comedor. It is a Filipino term which also means 'dining room' in English. 

Image source: Ikea

Commodores is an American funk and soul band which was so popular in the 70s. Lionel Richie was one of the original members before he went solo in the 80s.

Image source: Google

A Late Night Phone Call

The mister went up to sleep ahead of me. We usually go upstairs together, but when he said he wanted to go, I said okay because I still have some things to finish in my shop. It was warm in our room already since I turned on our portable heater prior to him making me coffee earlier in the evening. Our centralized heating couldn't sufficiently produce heat on the second floor and most especially in our basement, and this is why we have portable heaters to those levels in our home. The one I use in our basement was a gift from our dear friend, Lea. Thank you, Miss Le!
It was 30 minutes past midnight when I got a phone call. I honestly thought the call was from my little sister in Australia. It's 4:30ish on a Sunday afternoon down under. She's the only person that would call at my ungodly hour.

But seeing the name of the caller on my phone screen came as a jolt!

((( IT'S THE MISTER!!! )))

"'lian, pwede dad-i ko ug tubig diri sa taas?" ('lian, can you bring up water for me?)

Wow! There is room service at home!?

Hehehe.

After I dropped the call, I got him water and brought it up immediately.

I knocked on our bedroom door, and slightly opened it.

"ROOM SERVICE!"

Then I slowly walked in, and there he was in bed under the cover, holding his newly bought book, Haruki Murakami's The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle.

Now that I know that there is room service at home, starting tomorrow night I'll make sure to go upstairs way ahead of the mister. Hehehe.

This is going to be a race from now on!

Oy! Oy! Oy! Oy! Oy!

It was late in the evening. I was still finishing work in our dining room. The mister was waiting in the family room for me to finish work so we could go upstairs together.

The boy came down from his room, and was telling me of his latest favorite classic song. Then, he grabbed a box of chocolate covered peanuts from the next room, our kitchen.

"Oy! Oy! Oy! Oy! Oy! Nganong giabrihan na nimo? Alas onse na. Gabii na kaayo para mokaon anang tsokolate."  (Hey! Hey! Hey! Hey! Hey! Why are you opening that? It's 11 already! It's too late at night to eat chocolates.), I said to him the moment he ripped the plastic wrap from the box of chocolates.



"Oh! I'm just opening it for the future, Ma!" he quickly replied.

Punked!

Just this evening after dinner, the mister said he'd like to have coffee, and asked me if I would want a cup too. I said yes, of course.

I was lounging in the living room watching the last episode of an Asian drama. The boy was sitting beside me too watching a video on YouTube on his phone. Then, I heard the mister in the kitchen...

"'Lian, asa ang takuri? ('Lian, where's the kettle?)

"Naa gipatong sa stove." (It's on top of the stove.)

"Wa diri oy!" (It's not here!)

So, I stood up, went to the kitchen and pointed at the kettle. It's about 18" inches away from him. I went back to the living room again when...

"Asa ang kape gipalit nato ganina?" (Where's the coffee we bought earlier?)

I stood up again, gave him the bag of roasted coffee beans. I went back to the living room again.

"Asa ang gunting?" (Where's the kitchen shears?)

"Naa dapit sa takuri, ibabaw sa plato!" (It's near the kettle, on top of a plate!)

"Asa gud?" (Where?)

So, I stood up again, got the kitchen shears, which was located about a foot away from him. I thought I could watch my show peacefully after that when...

"'Lian, asa ang trivet?" ('Lian, where's the trivet?")

"Naa sa first shelf sa may kitchen cart." (It's on the first shelf on the kitchen cart.)

OH MY GAWD! I really think I was being punked!

I'm going to get the mister next time!

*Poof!

Hi. It was gloomy and a wet Saturday. I meant most of the day. The boy went to prom with his friends in the early evening. The mister tested his bike around our hood even if it rained lightly after the boy left.

Because I was left at home, I thought of cleaning our oven. Our oven is old and it came with the house when we moved here in 2002. It has a self-cleaning feature. I have tried that feature many times already. Except this time, I heard a soft (((poof.)))

Oh gawd! The fuse burnt out.

I told the mister about it the moment he came back.

"Dear, ang oven murag naay nibuto sa sud. Gi-on man gud nako ang Auto-Self Clean.'" (Dear, it seemed like there was an explosion inside our oven when I turned it on to Auto-Self Clean.)

Guess what he answered?

"Ayay! Wa 'tay presko nga pan de sal sige ani ron!" (Oh no! We wouldn't have a regular supply of fresh pan de sal from now on!)

Hahahaha!

He's not worried about the oven at all or if we have to buy another one. He's just worried of the regular stock of fresh bread at home.

Weekend 'Carneval'

We had the unhealthiest weekend since I can remember. We mostly ate meat. Blech! Well, we had homemade Spanish bread with our coffee for breakfast on Saturday. For lunch, the boys had fried chicken and mashed potato, and I had vegetable stew.

However for dinner, we all had meat. I cooked Pork Adobo for dinner, plus there were still a few pieces of fried chicken from lunch.  I think I used the fattest part of a pig, pork belly. I had a small slab in our freezer, so I used that. I forgot to add several hard boiled eggs to it as extender. I only remembered about it today when the mister had the last bite.

Today, Sunday, I cooked Filipino style beef steak (Bistek Tagalog). I had fruits and quinoa with mine. But still, it didn't feel right eating all the unhealthy dishes I prepared for the family. I wasn't able to go to the grocery store on Friday and Saturday, that's why.

Today, before the mister went upstairs to take a shower,

Me: Di na lang ko mag-chicken adobo ugma sa panihapon! Puro karne man ta karon nga weekend gud. (Let's not have chicken adobo tomorrow for dinner because we've been eating meat the whole weekend.)

The mister: Sige. (Okay.)

Me: Tagnaa unsa atong panihapon ugma! (Guess what we're having for dinner tomorrow?)

The mister: TOFU!?

Hehehe.

Yes. He guessed it right that we're not going to have anything meat tomorrow, but we're not having tofu. I'll prepare mung beans soup with lots of spinach. That's how the boy likes it.

How was your weekend?

Happy Birthday to Me!

I did not work in my shop yesterday. I just relaxed on my birthday, June 22. I slept in, then I watched shows online. But after lunch, I went grocery shopping for the ingredients of the feast I planned to prepare for our family dinner.

On Sunday afternoon, on our way home from a 4-hour roadtrip, I asked the mister what he wanted for me to cook on Monday.

The mister: Ribs! Barbecued ribs!
Me: Ay! Di ko anang barbecue. Basin matilapan na pod akong buhok inig-on nako sa grill. (Oh! I don't want barbecue. The fire from the grill might licked my hair again.)

Hahaha. Yes! That was so true. I do not know how to turn on our outdoor grill, and when I tried a couple of weekends ago, the fire on the grill kind of licked a small portion of my hair. Good thing it didn't burn my face, eyebrows, and lashes. Since the mister won't be home yet when I start dinner, I will not cook anything barbecued.

The mister: Ikaw? Unsa man ganahan nimo? (How about you? What do you like?)
Me: Ganahan ra ko ug tortang talong! (I just like eggplant omelet!)

I grilled the eggplants on our stove top!


We still had pork loin back ribs, not barbecued though, but I baked them, and slightly broiled them in the oven. There were two of these.


Filthy Liar for me made by the mister.


Plus, I also baked a super moist chocolate cake drenched in mint chocolate glaze, garnished with fresh strawberry and mint from our backyard.


That was my birthday celebration! I am thankful for so many things, and one of that is you for stopping by.

I Overheard

I was wearing headphones while listening to non-stop Filipino songs on YouTube, and while editing some photos, I overheard the children in the living room...

"COME HERE!" shouted the young lady!

"NO!" answered the boy who was sitting on the opposite couch where the young lady was lounging!

"I SAID, COME HERE!" shouted the young lady again.

Ugh! Even with the headphones I can still hear my children bickering.

"COOOOME HERE!" shouted the young lady. Longer and louder this time.

"WHY?" asked the boy!

"I NEED A HUG!"

Nah nah nah! Hey hey hey!

Last night, the boy and the mister wouldn't let me sleep. I was in bed already when they came in at a little over past midnight. The boy wanted the mister to finish the song that he was LSSing from the movie they watched in school that day, Remember the Titans (2000). The boy kept humming and singing the song Na Na Hey Hey Kiss Him Goodbye popularized by Steam in 1969 that the movie included in their soundtrack. This one. 

If the mister finishes the song, then he'll go to his room and sleep but...

The boy: (singing) nah nah nah hey hey hey...
The mister: ......
The boy: Say it!

This has been going on for minutes already, and still...

The mister: .......
The boy: Gosh! Just say it!

It's midnight already. Part1. #fatherandson

A video posted by LiLi (@missnalupa) on May 27, 2015 at 9:21pm PDT

Still the boy didn't give up!

The boy: Just say it!
The mister: Gooood bye booooy!

It's midnight already. Part 2 #fatherandson

A video posted by LiLi (@missnalupa) on May 27, 2015 at 9:25pm PDT

Hahaha!

Imagine the boy's frustration when the mister didn't finished the song for the boy, and when he did, he sang the wrong lyrics.

Oh Jackie!

Today after school, the boy told me about what happened a couple of nights ago. He said he got so scared when he came down late at night to get a glass of water in the kitchen. On his way to the kitchen, from upstairs going through the dimly lit living room, then passing through the dining room, he said he was spooked, and his heart was trembling so hard that he could hear it, because he really thought he saw a person.

"Ma, your bag scared me!"

I didn't know which of my bags he meant, and then he added...

"THAT BAG!" 

Hahahaha!

Poor kid! My old Andy Warhol's Jackie O canvas bag terrified him. Some nights ago, I remember it was sitting on a high bar chair in the living room near the open doorway to the kitchen. The moment he came into the dining room, it was that face that he came face to face with.

Today: Saturday

I always prefer serving fruits and vegetables on our plate so my family have no choice but to eat them.



I was in the kitchen getting something, and I heard the boy telling his Papa in the dining room,

"Pa, eat your fruits!"

So, I asked the boy what it was all about. He answered, "I saw him taking all the strawberries out from his plate, and he put them on his placemat beside his plate. I already ate mine and it wouldn't be fair if he doesn't eat his."

Hehehehe. Yes. The boy knows I'd get upset if he doesn't eat his vegetables and fruits. He even ate the sauteed Calabaza with shrimps I cooked last Friday evening for dinner. He hates that kind of vegetable, but he told me that he had no choice, but eat them.

Oh! By the way, I also asked the mister why he did what he did with his fruits. He said that he doesn't want his fruits to mix with his eggs, corned beef hash, and fried rice.

Kalusot! 

Well, he almost got away with it, but I made sure the mister ate his fruits too. 

Sabon

Last Friday  after school in our living room, I saw the boy who just came from the bathroom. That's his ritual on school days---he visits the bathroom and then asks for his after-school snacks, and watch cartoons before he starts doing his homeworks, or on Fridays, he plays video games or chat online with his best friend.

Me: Oy! Nanghugas na ka ug kamut? (Hey! Did you wash your hands already?)
The boy: I did! Can't you tell?

I actually saw him wiping his hands on his shirt.

Me: Pero nanabon ka? (But did you use soap?)
The boy: There is no sabon in our bathroom!
Me: Oy! Naa! Imposibleng wa! (Hey! There is! It's impossible that there is none!)
The boy: I meant that rectagular soap.
Me: You mean bar soap? Wa ta ana pero naa 'tay liquid handsoap sa banyo. Now tell me honestly, nanabon ka o wa? (You mean bar soap? We don't have that but we have handsoap in the bathroom. Now tell me honestly, did you wash your hands with soap or not?

Insisting...
The boy: Yes, I did lagi! (Yes, I really did!)
Me: Pasimhuta kuno ko bi ug humot ug sabon ba imong kamut! (So let me smell your hands if it smells soap!)
The boy: Maaaaah, can I just give you a hug na lang? (Maaaah, can I just give you a hug instead?)

I knew it! He just washed his hands with water without soap. As his mother, I can tell when he lies. Then he continued to convice me that it's okay not to wash his hands. Sometimes.

The boy: Ma, Abraham Lincoln didn't wash his hands.
Me: Asa na man sya ron? Namatay na! Namatay sa kagaw! (Where is he now? He's dead! He died of germs!)

Hey! I was just kidding!

The boy: No, Ma! He died because he was assasinated at the Ford's Theatre in Washington DC! Not because he didn't sabon his hands!

I had a straight face but I was actually laughing inside!

Me: No! I think he died in Luneta.

I would really like to admit that I am loosing in this argument. But not yet! Hahaha! By the way, Luneta was where the national hero of the Philippines, Dr. Jose Rizal was shot.

The boy: What? I don't even know what's Luneta! All I know is Abraham Lincoln did not die because he didn't use sabon while washing his hands after a trip from the bathroom.

Me: *sigh! Nahala! Hug na lang kaysa simhut sa imong kamut ug nanabon ba ka! (Okay! Just give me that hug instead of me smelling your hands.)

I rest my case.

I conclude that a little germs won't kill you. After all there was no hand sanitizers, wet wipes or maybe public restrooms during Abe Lincoln's time.

Then we ate potato chips while watching cartoons in the living room.

Before I go, I have to confess! Hehehe. Honestly, there are occassions that I do not sabon my hands too. Please don't tell the boy. But I always use sabon when I use public restrooms.

On Friday evening, he let me smell his freshly washed with sabon hands even if I did't ask him to. Both  hands smelled fruity after his bathroom trip.

And oh! April 14, tomorrow is the 150th anniversary of Abraham Lincoln's assasination.

Until nex time. I heart you for stopping by.

The Tattoo

I was coughing so hard last night that I had to settle in bed earlier than everyone in the house. You see, I have been sick, and for some reason, I tend to feel the worst in the evening. Thank God, I already have a schedule to see my specialist on Monday.

The mister brought the humidifier up to our room since I bring it down to the living room during the daytime. Then, excitedly, he said...

Him: Kahibaw na ko unsa akong ipa-tattoo! (I know now what to get for a tattoo!)
Me: HA?! 

Of course I gave him "the look" that I knew would definitely melt and clean the grime out of his senses.

Him: 

Pisting gi@t@y! Pardon my French (in Bisaya), but I really thought he was serious about it!

Him: Kani akong ipatattoo! (I want this for my tattoo.)

Then he showed me this.

...and that was when I knew he was really joking.

Hahahaha!

This was a drawing of me done by the young lady when she was home for her spring break. He hadn't seen it yet, and I guess he found out about it when he scanned a document last night. I remember I left it on the scanner. The drawing is definitely of me with my black-framed eyeglasses, big pearls, my current hairstyle, and my favorite flowers.

Oh! By the way, I have nothing against tattoos. I know a lot of our friends and family that have some. I know a couple of wonderful tattoo artists. I watched a tattoo reality series on Netflix. I appreciate wonderfully done tattoos—those in color or black and white. It's just that the idea of the mister with a tattoo hasn't been marinating well in my head yet.

For years, getting a tattoo has always been a joke in the family. If the children and I ask the mister what he'd have when he decides to have one done, he'd always answer,

"A dragon on my forearm!"

And then he'd show us how big it will be—as big as a fly that you can hardly see!

Jessie Who?

After dinner, the three of us, the mister, the boy and I, watched The Concert for Valor in Washington DC on TV.

... and then some guy on TV announced who was up next. We weren't really paying attention to what he said but we heard, " yada yada yada yada Jennifer Hudson and...!" Something like that. Then a lady with black hair, and in all black skintight get-up sang.

The boy: Who's that?

The mister: Jennifer Hudson!

He sounded so sure of who she was.

Me: Dili oy!  (No, it's not!)

I was so sure too that she was not Jennifer Hudson, and with confidence, I added...

Me: Jennifer Hudson ba diay na!? Di ba diay na si Jessie James? (Is that Jennifer Hudson!? Isn't she Jessie James?)

The boy: Ma, Jessie J! Not James.

I FAILED!

We all failed!

Hahahahaha!

Hello.

... and the young lady is still sick. I brought her to see a doctor yesterday.



She has strep throat. How odd when her symptoms are stomach pain, nausea, vomiting, and a slight headache.

The common symptoms for this bacterial infection are:
* painful swallowing
* fever
* chills
* headaches ✔
* muscle aches and pains
* tired feeling ✔
* swollen, tender lymph nodes (glands) in the neck
* loss of appetite ✔

What? No sore throat and fever? 

Yna thought she had undercover strep throat. She's on antibiotics now, and hopefully by Monday she'll be back in school and will not be as contagious anymore.


Until here. Enjoy the weekend and stay healthy.


P.S. The lady doctor said Yna's shoes are pretty. I bought that pair with the rest of the unsold stocks for $1.00/pair at Rugged Wearhouse years ago. Actually, I bought two pairs of the black, and I think four of the off-white. Just sharing.