Tuesday, February 26, 2008

h-OILy SMokes


Friday will be my last day at work. Yeah..Yeah..Not staying home yet, not yet! I will start my new job which is less than a mile from where I live. Does that mean I have to walk after I drop off the boys at school? Because Gas prices will increase to $4.00 in some cities by Spring. And that is in a couple of weeks!!! I guess I will be running or riding my bike or I will drive my truck until it is on E as in ENOUGH!!!!

Monday, February 25, 2008

Family Night

It's the last Monday of the Month when we usually try to have some kind of a field trip for FHE. It could be a trip to a Museum, the Library, a ride on the bus, or a trip to a Nursing Home (which is next on our list), anything fun!!! However tonight was totally different. Since I worked this weekend and Paul stayed home with the boys he had a hard time when they went on a trip to IKEA. First the Kids CLub was FULL!!! So, just imagine they were so excited but by the time they got there and the lady told them "SORRY , we're CLOSED til another half hour" They were CRUSHED!!! Yeah the whining and there's the WHY's and When's and How long. Paul was frustrated as well, he had to end the trip short and go home.

So tonight for FHE we went on a field trip to IKEA...take 2. The Kids Club was empty we dropped them off and Paul and I went to do some "eye shopping" or "window shopping". After 20 mintues we heard a page calling Paul's name. We rushed down and we were thinking Jake had a bathroom accident or JT's nose is bleeding. Yeppers, it was JT, he has the most sensitive nose, JT and Jake were playing and they accidentally bumped into each other by the ball pit and JT's Nose started bleeding. He was so upset because we had to cut our trip short again. He was so Bummed. But this time NO WHINING, No WHY's, No When are we coming back, etc. They were really good. So for treat they picked frozen yogurt cones at the Cafe.

On our way home JT asked "Daddy what does PIMP mean?" We just looked at each other wondering where he had learned that new word from. So we asked him and he said "I saw it on the car by the parking lot". At least we know he's really learning to read!

Saturday, February 23, 2008

Lemon

do you put lemon wedges in your water and soda? Beware the lemon in your drink. It could make you sick. Watch this video.

Update

I have been so busy!! CRAZY BUSY!!! Here are some pictures from our activities last week. I told you, I have been so BUZY

Valentine's Day
at Cheesecake Factory
After I took this picture, that's when I found out
the boys were wearing RED and I was wearing YELLOW

Happy Birthday Daddy
We had Macaroni Grill for dinner...
yes.....Pasta Milano Macaroni Grill I got from Costco



JT made a beautiful painting for Daddy

so is Jake

for FHE activity JT picked Charades
Jake here doing "snake"


And JT playing baseball



And yes for treat
they
love
love
love
love
LOVE
Strawberry Chocolate Dip!!!

Jake surely enjoyed this....

Thursday, February 21, 2008

Influenza


CNN:Photo

There is another cycle of bug circling around. My friends and co-workers were victims of this bug.

Accdg to CNN : The flu season is getting worse, and U.S. health officials say it's partly because the flu vaccine doesn't protect against most of the spreading flu bugs.

The flu shot is a good match for only about 40 percent of this year's flu viruses, officials at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Friday.

The situation has even deteriorated since last week when the CDC said the vaccine was protective against roughly half the circulating strains. In good years, the vaccine can fend off 70 to 90 percent of flu bugs.

Infections from an unexpected strain have been booming, and now are the main agent behind most of the nation's lab-confirmed flu cases, said Dr. Joe Bresee, the CDC's chief of influenza epidemiology.

Those numbers aren't considered alarming. Early February is the time of year when flu cases tend to peak. The 10 pediatric deaths, though tragic, are about the same number as was reported at this time in the last two flu seasons, Bresee said.

The biggest surprise has been how poorly the vaccine has performed.

Each winter, experts try to predict which strains of flu will circulate so they can develop an appropriate vaccine for the following season. They choose three strains -- two from the Type A family of influenza, and one from Type B.

Usually, the guesswork is pretty good: The vaccines have been a good match in 16 of the last 19 flu seasons, Bresee has said.

But the vaccine's Type B component turned out not to be a good match for the B virus that has been most common this winter. And one of the Type A components turned out to be poorly suited for the Type A H3N2/Brisbane-like strain that now accounts for the largest portion of lab-confirmed cases.

Over the years, the H3N2 flu has tended to cause more deaths, Bresee said.

This week, the World Health Organization took the unusual step of recommending that next season's flu vaccine have a completely different makeup from this year's. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is expected to make its decision about the U.S. vaccine next week.

H3N2 strains are treatable by Tamiflu and other antiviral drugs, but the other, H1N1 Type A strains are more resistant. Of all flu samples tested this year, 4.6 percent have been resistant to antiviral medications. That's up from fewer than 1 percent last year.

"This represents a real increase in resistance," Bresee said.

It's too soon to know whether this will prove to be a bad flu season overall, but it's fair to say a lot of people are suffering at the moment. "Every area of the country is experiencing lots of flu right now," Bresee said.

This week, 44 states reported widespread flu activity, up from 31 last week. The number children who have died from the flu has risen to 10 since the flu season's official Sept. 30 start.

Wednesday, February 20, 2008

De-Clutter

I went to the Bookstore tonight. As I entered the Bookstore I saw that there was a discussion and sign up for TLC's Clean Sweep Peter Walsh. The Organizational guru was very interesting and very funny. I surely enjoyed listening to him and I cannot wait to read his book. And assess If the clutter really makes my butt look fat!

Tuesday, February 19, 2008

Rough Morning?

So you think you had a rough morning? Check this video.



BTW, how old are these teenagers? Did I hear it right he was sleeping on the bed and she was sleeping on the floor?

Monday, February 18, 2008

California's BEEF RECALL


CNN: photo

CNN) -- Federal officials are trying to track down the 143 million pounds of beef recalled Sunday, but they say that most of it has probably been eaten.

Keith Williams, a U.S. Department of Agriculture spokesman, said investigators have found no cases of illness related to the recalled meat.

The beef recall came after inspectors said they found "clear violations" of USDA regulations at a California slaughterhouse that has been accused of mistreating cows.

"We do not know how much of this product is out there at this time. We do not feel this product presents a health risk of any significance," said Dick Raymond, the undersecretary of agriculture for food safety. "But the product was produced in noncompliance with our regulations, so therefore we do have to take this action."

Federal officials called the recall by Westland/Hallmark Meat Packing Company the largest beef recall in U.S. history.

Read here for more and check the video and check your kids lunches at school!

Tag, I'm IT II

So here's the second tag:

10 years ago I was: studying for my Physical Therapy Board Exam.

5 Things on My T0-Do list today:
  1. run
  2. do errands
  3. go to the park
  4. pay bills
  5. And many , many more things, I do not have time for
Snacks I enjoy:
Depends on my mood; I like fruits, cheese

What would I do if I suddenly became a billionaire: There are a million things: I know I do not have enough space: I will put money aside for kids education, pay off our house, renovate our house, have a bigger back yard, Pay never ending BILLS, take my family on vacations, Buy the boys houses. Own a Hermes Birkin , And have my cleaning lady come everyday instead of weekly.

5 Places I've Lived:
  1. Cebu City, Philippines
  2. Quezon City, Philippines
  3. Alabang, Philippines
  4. Torrance,CA
5 Jobs I've Had:
  1. Worked at a video store
  2. Physical Therapist Aide
  3. Physical Therapist
  4. Wife
  5. Mom
5 Things You Don't Know About Me:
  1. I love to plan my day, I check my planner almost everyday and cross out what I've accomplished on that day
  2. I played volleyball for the Philippines team when I was 16 and 17 , I know I am only 5'2", but I can jump and spike the ball. We played in Malaysia and Singapore the following year.
  3. I love to SHOP
  4. I love SHOES and purses
  5. I love to travel
Now I tag Tara and Bonnie. have fun

Sunday, February 17, 2008

Tag, I'm IT

So sorry for this late replies so here goes:

What is his name? Paul

How long have you been together? We've known each other for about 10 years and we've been married for 7 years.

How old is he? 36

Who eats more? Well I definitely snack more often, but Paul eats bigger meals.

Who said I love you first? Paul

Who is taller? Paul

Who sings better?Paul is actually a really good singer.

Who is smarter? Paul is good in Math and all other things and his engineering career. And I am good in Science, Anatomy and my profession. We make a great team!

Who does the laundry? Paul> Joanne

Who pays the bills? Paul pays the bills, and Paul reminds me to pay MY OWN BILLS. But I am really trying hard to pay the bills online, ONTIME

Who sleeps on the right side? Paul

Who mows the lawn? Efrain (our yard guy)

Who cooks dinner? I do. But Paul is an excellent cook. And also it depends who is in the mood to cook on that day.

Who drives? Paul

Who is more stubborn? I'm way more stubborn.

Who kissed who first? Paul

Who proposed? Paul of course

Who has more friends? same

Who is more sensitive? I'm more sensitive

Who has more siblings? Paul 4 I have 3

Who wears the pants? We argue about this one all the time. I say it's both of us.

Now 3 random things about me...

1.I am obsessed with TO DO LISTs. I have a planner with me at all times, a pen and paper in the car. I just love writing things down and crossing them out after I've accomplished them.


2. I love to plan ahead

3. I do not like being LATE

Now I tag Bonnie, Kristy and Jenn, Have fun!

Saturday, February 16, 2008

PARTY

Last night was our "GOODLUCK PARTY" for work. Matt and Kimia were so nice to have the party at their house. Thank you again. We had a BLAST!!
There was tons of yummy food and drinks, Melissa's Sangria was a HIT! I did not have one but everyone said it was really good. Coffee, Persian tea and of course everyone's company. Skip sang for us. Who knew he was a good singer? Then everyone sang the Karaoke
"I will Survive!"
Go figure.

We played pictionary and of course talked, talked,talked and
laughed,laughed,laughed
We missed the rest of the dept.

Matt and Kimia


Yummy food


Westley the new OT Supervisor with Suzette, Janis a PT supervisor with husband Ron

O.T.'s
Krista-Melissa-Kathy


O.T. Dept.
Ailene and husband Patrick-Debbie-Kathy-Joanne-Kimia


P.T. Idol
Skip


Debbie and Helen - O.T. supervisor


Itie

Karaoke time
Patrick and Westley singing
I'm too Sexy

Lauren-Joanne-Brian (Rehab Director)



PT Idol - Skip


PT and OT " I will survive"


I have worked with these therapists for 4 years.
And I am surely going to miss this family. I enjoy working and talking with them
about work, patients and family.
The Manager and Supervisors were very nice and very flexible
I remember when they interviewed me for this job, I went to the office and they looked at me
and they were surprised, (I was 6 months pregnant at that time)
I was still looking for a job and not preparing for
maternity leave.

I wasn't expecting to stay with the travel from home and school to work.
But the job and people proved to me how much
fun it is to work there.
I am surely going to miss
my friends, the MD's, Nurses,
Case Managers, Social Workers
and of course the
Rehab Dept.

We all know that healthcare is such a small world
maybe someday we will bump into each other again.

Happy Birthday

Today is my wonderful Husband's Birthday. Yeah babe, Happy Birthday!! Last year for my Birthday, Paul wrote me a very nice Birthday wish . And that is going to be a tough one to top. BUT I will try my best.

There are many, many things I love about my Husband. But here are 36 things I love about my him:

  1. He is a wonderful Husband
  2. He is a great DAD
  3. I love those freckles, honey
  4. The many ways he makes us laugh
  5. The many ways he makes me SMILE =)
  6. The way he reads books to the boys
  7. The way he folds the Laundry
  8. He is the Best Soccer coach I have ever met
  9. He is an awesome COOK
  10. He is also the FOOD CRITIC in the fam
  11. He is a great friend
  12. He is a hard worker
  13. He is very patient
  14. The way he scolds me about SHOPPING and SHOES! yikes
  15. His blue eyes
  16. He loves sports
  17. Oh yeah especially FOOTBALL
  18. College FOOTBALL
  19. He is a fan of BYU and USC
  20. But it is True Blue that runs in his blood
  21. He plans ahead too, such as Birthdays for his family, vacations and FOOTBALL GAMES, especially BOWL GAMES
  22. He is a very good supporter
  23. The way he cleans our closet
  24. He loves Politics and history
  25. He blogs for one of the Presidential Candidates
  26. He loves to play basketball
  27. His example of faith
  28. His wonderful testimony of Jesus Christ
  29. He has his cellphone with him all the time but he will only turn it on to call ME
  30. He enjoys going back to the Philippines
  31. How he loves my family
  32. How he embraced my culture
  33. The way he tells me that he like the food on our table especially when I cook Filipino food and it is not even close to my Mom's cooking
  34. He made me a better person
  35. The way he loves me and the boys
  36. He made our lives complete.

Tuesday, February 12, 2008

It's either you're IN or you're OUT


Project Runway 4 was at Bryant Park last week. Guest Judge Victoria Beckham joined Heidi Klum,Nina Garcia and Michael Kors for season finale on Feb 27 and March 5. Check out your favorite designer on Project Runway 4. FWD, has all the pictures and updates. I have my faves too.

How sweet it ISN'T **ALERT**BUYER BEWARE!!!

Before you buy those candies or chocolates for your loved ones, please read below.

5 Of 6 Bags Purchased In NYC By CBS 2 HD Inedible; Worms Found Inside 'Big Kiss'


NEW YORK (CBS) ― Chocolate is one of the most popular Valentine's Day gifts, with more than $1 billion of it purchased just for that one romantic day alone.

That chocolate may not be as sweet as you think however -- some stores seem to be recycling last year's sweets!
You can't even go grocery shopping these days without seeing shelves stacked with heart-shaped boxes, sugar cookies covered in red sprinkles, or giant kiss after kiss of chocolate sweets for your sweetheart. Yet many of the desserts made especially for Valentine's Day might not look as nice on the inside as they do on the outside. There's a possibility that chocolate may be from old stock. "It's something that should be glorious. It should have a luster to it. It should crack slightly when you bite it," said Brian Buckley of Manhattan's Institute of Culinary Education.

CBS 2 HD did its own investigation, purchasing six bags of Valentine's Day treats at stores around New York City. Of those six bags, five were inedible.
From the finest of truffles to candy bought in bulk, most of these products were expired and showed signs of improper storage, like melting and reshaping. Some of the chocolates had white dots or streaks, called a "bloom," which means the chocolate is stale. "I would not eat that and I would not advise anybody to. It's just disgusting," Buckley said after seeing the results. And though you won't get food poisoning, the rotten chocolate just may upset your stomach and certainly a romantic evening. "It's not saying 'I love you,' it's saying, 'Oops!'" Buckley said. Buckley was shocked that store shelves could be stacked with so much bad chocolate just days before the sweetest of holidays. And CBS 2 HD's investigation grew even more appalling. A luscious looking giant Hershey kiss we purchased had some secret admirers inside: an infestation of worms. CBS 2 HD went back to the store where it was purchased, Nut City on 2nd Avenue, to show the manager, who said they aren't responsible because the candy is purchased from another company.

The store, however, did agree to take the rest off the shelves.
Chocolate makers advise to check for expiration dates. Chocolate has about a year's shelf life. Still, many stores don't enforce expiration dates, so it's up to you. If the chocolate is sub-standard, take it back and demand a refund.

Monday, February 11, 2008

Family Night

We had a fun Family Night tonight as always. This week is going to be a very busy week. It's Valentine's Day, a Party at my work, my Student's last weeks, an inservice at work and it is Paul's Birthday too. So last night we decorated Jacob's Valentine's Box which is themed "Under the Sea" for school.

JT gave us a lesson tonight on honesty. He talked about a boy at school who did not tell his teacher the truth when she asked him a question. And he encouraged us to always tell the truth. For treat and games, Jacob was in charge and he picked the family's favorite - the thimble game. After the thimble game we wrote cards to JT and Jacob's classmates and Jacob picked out his favorite treats. That is with an S folks. We had Trader Joe's Creme Brulee, sugar cookies and ice cream cuties. With all the choices to choose from he picked the sugar cookies.


Sunday, February 10, 2008

Purse-onality

We are going to have a fun Birthday Party next month at Church. It is called "Let us see your PURSE-onality" come out. I have been looking for a Purse Invitation and stationery forever. Went to Michael's , Jo-Ann's, Target, Oriental trading, I surfed the internet, NOTHING. So, yesterday I went to this scrap booking place and asked if they have a stationery or purse die cut. She took me back and VOILA...Purse die cuts. I was so excited. It was so fun to make these invitations. This is really cool for Birthday Parties as well. Because I have 2 boys I never get to plan a GIRLIE Birthday Party, but with this I am surely enjoying it. Thank you to Sugardoodle for fun ideas. Love this site so much
Here are the invitations:
I added a ribbon as a handle and a button
as a lock


I placed them in one of my Summer purses
to pass around

What a Beautiful Day

It was a very Beautiful day YESTERDAY. It was 72 deg!!!
I had a nice run to the beach,
went to the Park,
attended a FUN Birthday Party and chilled out the whole day

Pinata time

Jake enjoyed the 72 deg slide at the park


My 3 boys cooling off and relaxing under the shade and watching the ducks and pigeons



Friday, February 8, 2008

It's friday!!!!

It was a nice day today at work not too busy and this is my student's 5th week one more week and she's done!! Great Job!!! After work Paul and I went to Kabuki in L.A and enjoyed yummy Sushi and Tempura. YUM YUM!!! It has been a long time since we had yummy Sushi.

Then we watched Cloverfield. It was disappointing. It was nothing compared to the Blair witch project. It's like watching a movie for 83 minutes on a roller coaster ride with tons of turns and loops and I almost wanted to puke the sushi. My eyes almost popped out and bled from visual disturbance. The title should have been The Blair Godzilla Project.

Thursday, February 7, 2008

Stress Diet?


Many, many women wants to do it all. We are constantly on the go, but when the day is over we realize we were running empty. Sound familiar? YES!! Here is a very interesting topic I've read. According to Daily Mail, there is a new type of eating disorder called STRESSOREXIA!!

The condition affects those in their late 20s to 40s who are unwilling or unable to reduce their workload.

As they become drained, anxious and stressed-out, they stop eating properly, and can experience dramatic weight loss.

Experts claim that "stressorexia" is different from the more common anorexia.

Most sufferers of anorexia are younger and have emotional problems, choosing not to eat as a way of keeping control over their bodies.

Many have negative feelings about themselves, such as low selfworth, extreme fear of rejection and a distorted self-image.

But "stressorexia" is occurring in older, motivated and intelligent women with high expectations.

It is believed that the disorder may often start with a skipped lunch due to work deadlines but can quickly worsen.

But these women, who live in a world where the lines between the sexes' traditional roles have been blurred, then begin to feel that food is the only thing they can control.

Dr Adrian Lord, consultant psychiatrist at the Cygnet Hospital in Harrow, a private psychiatric clinic, said: "Stressorexia is not a scientific diagnosis that a doctor would make but anecdotally its symptoms are very prevalent among women.

Wednesday, February 6, 2008

Very crafty

I learned something cool last night and I learned how to make pop up cards. How fun!! I went to church and had a fun Enrichment Night. We learned some pretty basic pop up cards such as simple hearts, lips, heart in a box and also more advanced such as swans, butterfly, stars and many more. If you receive any pop up cards in the future, I made them, YIPEE. You will be able to tell with the crooked lines, cut. It is always fun to learn new things and of course be more creative or CRAFTY.




Monday, February 4, 2008

Monday Mania

JT cannot wait to have a yummy treat

We had a fun FHE (family home evening) night . We had the Mish for dinner and we went to Curry House.
The boys loves Curry house, esp the Miso soup. Then we went home and enjoyed a fun FHE and a nice lesson from the Mish. Other than the dinner and the company. Treats and games are the 2 most favorite part of the FHE. We had a yummy Ice cream Sandwich from where else TJ's. The Mish had a nice object lesson. We love object lesson during FHE night. A yummy treat and a fun game.

Friday, February 1, 2008

Universal Studios

It was a free day today for JT's school. So what did we do? You guessed it right. Paul and I took a day off from work and Jacob from school. I know we just got back from our trip, BUT we had requested this day off since this school year started. Anyways, we went to Universal Studios. It was sunny up there, but chilly, and there were not any lines at all. The boys had a great time.

We rode the Backlot tour, where we met Kingkong, the bridge started to shake, helicopter fell, fire started, etc..etc.. They got a little scared so we had to remind them that it is "pretend" or "this is how they make movies". Watched Shrek 4D, played games, went to sound stage and many more. Universal Studios has changed a lot since Paul and I went there BC ( Before Children). It is more fun now with the 2 boys of course. Thank you to Lolo and Lola for the present. We surely enjoyed our day off.

War of the Worlds

Susan Myers home
Wisteria Lane


Lynette Scavo's home
Wistieria Lane

My Marvel Boys

Kingkong

Raiders

Shrek with the boys

Spongebob Squarepants

Jaws

Backlot tour

Animal Actor Show
101 Dalmatian

Dodgers

Flintstones