Caroleen’s Treasures

We had free merienda and free dinner today! What a great way to live life. LOL Whoelse will give us free meals but our family. Thanks to my sister Crislyn for the Red Ribbon cake. I bought some jellos that I made this morning. Manang Inday was also there at my sister’s place chatting the afternoon away to forget about how she misses her hubby who just left last Saturday. We had no plans of staying until dinner but that is what happened. She sent us to buy fish and durian. Oh how I love the food tonight. She fixed delicious paksiw and steamed milkfish. I was so full and I will never mind having it for the next several days or even weeks!!!

Since Ella started going to SPED school, my fear of letting her eat her lunch without us has vanished so quickly when Donald explained to me that they have a teacher aide that assists them. Well, Ella can already eat alone. At two, she feeds herself and uses spoon and fork without problem so at 7 she is already pretty used to it. My fear is her going out of the classroom and running around the playground….bumping to another kid and hitting her head hard or getting her knees skinned. But I was also told not to worry about that thing because they are not allowed to get out of the classroom. They have their pillows with them for their nap after they eat lunch. That made me feel comfortable sending her everyday to school.

Then one day she told her Daddy not to accompany her to her classroom. Donald brings her huge school bag inside the campus to their classroom door because it is very heavy for a grade 1. With all her books, notebooks and her snacks, water and lunch on the smaller bag – I won’t let her do the carrying alone. But during the PTA meeting, parents were told that there will be no parents and guardians allowed inside the campus during the morning. We can only enter during the afternoon when the classes ended. At least it is a good training to the children to be independent but I think they should remember that these 1st graders are still so little to be pulling their trolley bags that weighs more than half of their body weight.

Anyhoo, what makes me feel sad again is that during Ella’s Nutrition Month Celebration parents were not allowed to stay. Donald asked if he can take some photos but the teacher told him that it’s an activity exclusively for the students. The teacher told Donald that she will just tag us after she upload photos on Facebook. So the photo above is the only reminder of Ella’s Nutrition Month Celebration in our camera (the picture of an apple serves as her props for their presentation which I missed. hayts!)….and also this one before they left for school that day :

Sorry photos are just too big. I am too lazy to resize so I am using the photo uploader in WordPress.

EDITED: Photos are not just too big….but way way toooooo big that it went past the widget. LOL So I resized it and hope it fits perfectly.

After much deliberation from Donald that we should get a new digital camera, I gave in and bought a new baby. But we cannot do that unless we sell one of our laptops. I told him to post an ad in Davaosale and see if someone responds. Well I am not really serious about selling it but I was so surprised that it was sold. Someone responded a few hours after the ad was posted and it was sold the next day. Well. since Donald was right about me needing a new camera for my little business, we spent the proceeds for a DSC-W360 from Sony and I am loving it. I still have to play a little more with it so I can get the photos I wanted. Our old but reliable DSC-W80 is still our baby. I am still carrying it in my purse whenever we go out so it won’t get jealous. LOL

Features:

• 14.1 megapixels – Captures very high quality images, allowing detail-packed enlargements
• 4x optical zoom/26mm wide angle – Vario-Tessar lens with 4x zoom range and 26mm wide angle to cover wide range of shooting situations
• 720p HD movie – Captures crisp, detail-packed HD video clips plus stereo sound at 30 frames per second: can be viewed on HD TV
• Sweep Panorama – Just press the shutter and sweep the camera: automatically combines a burst of images to create extra-wide panoramic pictures
• 7.5cm/3″ Clear Photo LCD – Clear Photo LCD screen (230k dot) offers excellent detail, high contrast and wide viewing angle
• BIONZ processor – Powerful image processing ensures clear, detailed, low-noise images and quick, responsive shooting
• Self-portrait mode – Detects correct composition when holding the camera at arm’s length, firing shutter automatically for properly-framed self portraits
• Double anti-blur – Optical SteadyShot and high sensitivity ISO 3200, with Clear RAW Noise Reduction for high quality handheld images with less blur, even in low light
• Intelligent Auto – Automatically adjusts exposure and other settings for optimum results in a wide range of shooting situations
• Face Detection – Automatically adjusts focus, exposure and white balance for clearer portraits: priority selectable between children and adults
• Smile Shutter – Automatically fires shutter when subject smiles: with adjustable smile threshold and priority selectable for children/adults
• D-Range Optimizer – Adjusts exposure and contrast for natural results in high-contrast scenes and backlit portraits
• HD output – View video and still images on HD TV (requires optional cable). PhotoTV HD enhances still image viewing on compatible BRAVIA
• HD Slideshow with music – Fun image display with effects and music on LCD or connected HD TV
• Easy Shooting mode – Fuss-free operation for beginners with simplified controls and easy-to-read on-screen instructions
• PMB Portable – Built-in transfer software allows quick, easy uploads to image sharing sites when camera is connected to any web-enabled PC
• In-camera retouching – Fun in-camera image retouching functions including trim, red-eye correction and unsharp mask

What made me choose this is the wide angle lense and the fact that I can take panoramic shots without me manually stitching several photos. When Donald bugs me about something, he really knows how to lure me into buying it. Of course not all. He cannot get me into buying gadgets and stuffs for hobbies like atv riding
. Maybe he could when we have all the money in the banks.

Thought I won’t be able to blog tonight. Julie posted on my wall about not accessing blog and that it shows GoDaddy ads. It flattered me somehow that she bothered to ask…..she is one of the three readers I have. LOL Well I am checking the traffic and it seems more than three are visiting…but they are not commenting. These visitors are looking for cloth diapers and such. I am now planning to relaunch this blog by running a blog give-away. That idea was born when a fellow blogger and FB friend, Ate Arlene, commented on one of my handmade jewelry photos about trying his best to win it if I will give it away as prize for my blog give away. I am excited! I would like to know how many will respond. Maybe four? I hope not. We’ll see.

Earlier today I read a couple of FB friends are so much into “online window shopping”. I got little curious but I didn’t ask. Was thinking they are browsing the online stores of some signature brands in the US. Of course I cannot afford it and so I just went about my own activity for the day. Then late in the afternoon I found myself browsing to an album of shoes that an FB friend was tagged into. I found a pair of sandals in brown that I wanted. The design is what I am looking for. Comfortable and stylish. The price is a bit expensive but if you know me, I have a hard time finding the right shoes in the department stores so spending a little more is better than walking barefoot. When shopping for shoes I spend a lot of time searching and searching from store to store. If I find the design I wanted I would always get a reply from the salesperson “Ma’am this is already the biggest size” or “Ma’am this is the last pair.” each time I ask for my size. You see I am blessed with a size 9 feet. So I was really very sure that I would get that brown sandals I saw. It’s pre-order and the seller is from Baguio. I asked Donald if I can have it and he said yes. He liked the style and he will let me get two pairs. Yay!

So before I could place my order, I went back to my FB homepage and saw the same person who posted about getting so crazy over this online store posted the link of the store itself! I clicked it and realized it is where the seller from Baguio is getting her stocks. Wow! I was about to have a heart attack at the wide selection of wholesale apparel. I would be saving in our paypal so we can get the stuffs we are eyeing. Donald has a few items in mind that he wanted to get but I was just soooooo disappointed that they don’t have my shoe size!!! This is unfair. I am hating my feet again.

I think I would get a dress instead that I could wear to SIL’s wedding then I would just scour the city for a dress shoes that could go with it. But hey, I still couldn’t get over the shoes that I really really wanted. They have it also in black, white and yellow.

I wish I still can do something about my feet. I guess it is better off to be shopping from the online stores in the US. They sure carry my size or better yet cut my tootsies. Good luck to me!

Today Ella wore her school uniform the very first time. We bought the fabric last week of June and it’s been almost a month before we were able to get it from the seamstress. It was a little hard to juggle the money that we are getting from our blogs and our little business after a couple of trips to our hometown last month and all of us getting sick. We have to get the most important things on top of the list (doctor’s check-up, laboratories and medicines) and so the uniforms were put on the bottom. Ella was so patient and understanding. She was actually the only one in her class who is not in school uniform and though she is not forced to wear one since uniforms are not compulsory for public school pupils it could still make a different impact to a child. To make her not feel odd, we dress her each day with decent clothes that were referred to as “nice malling clothes” by the teacher. We didn’t take it offensively but rather proudly that at least our daughter wears nice clothes. Those are not expensive ones and they are not new either.

Funny thing is that when Ella asked me one day when could we get her uniforms, I told her not anytime soon since the seamstress got sick. The other day the teacher asked her when could she wear a uniform and she told her the same thing. What’s more funny is that Donald approached the teacher and gave her the same reason. :lol: Poor seamstress!

Now she will never ran out of school uniform since she has 4 pairs of school uniforms and one PE uniform.

I was so lost in making pieces of jewelries that I have added to my collection of Handmade Jewelries. I just made myself a set of necklace, bracelet and pair of earrings. I was actually against of owning more than one piece because I want to sell all of them. But one told me I have to wear it so people can see. Well, after much thought….I brave the guilt of spending some money towards my own sample pieces. I still have to take photos tomorrow when the sun is up. I need all the sunlight I can get to get good photos. You know how a point-and-shoot can do compared to DSLR’s. I have an idea how to get great photos of my jewelries and I already told Donald to make it for me and buy two lamp shades. Will blog about how it went soon.

Last Saturday I met my high-school best buddies, Stephanie and Karen. Steph ordered several sets of my handmade jewelries that I made before meeting them at SM. She will be selling it at their store in Kabacan. I promised her we will be early so we can have a long chat over some food but I finished all her orders at 2pm.

Of course I tagged along my family. You know I cannot go out without Eman who is still breastfeeding. If I bring the little guy, Donald must come too. I cannot come up with the same energy level as Eman so Daddy is the one chasing him all over the place. Ella can come with us or be left with my sister Crislyn but we brought her too because Steph is with her daughter York.

Karen is a nurse who just came home from working in a hospital in Saudi Arabia so it was a pizza treat from her. We got to talk about a lot of things and Ella was really surprised to hear us call each other “bayot” (gay). Well we call each other that since highschool, it’s our endearment but Ella was like; “Mommy, why are they calling you gay? I thought you are a girl.” LOL

That afternoon was filled with so much laughter. We talked about so many things – a supposed to be “girl talk” was made even more fun because Donald was reacting from time to time. LOL They are comfortable with him around and Donald easily blends in and treats them as his own friends too. We had to end the conversation though at 5:oopm because Steph and her family are going back to our hometown. We spent another one hour at the terminal chatting and laughing our hearts out while waiting for all the seats to be filled. Then Karen and my family went upstairs at the World’s of Fun. It was a treat for Ella for getting good scores in their quizzes the previous week. I wish we could do it more often. Loving every minute that I am with these two crazy gays and of course with my family.

I was so stressed today. Eman has been giving me scare from sun up to sun down. I am talking about big scares, not just the little ones so you only can imagine how my heart beats so fast and how  the blood rushed to my head. He loves climbing up the couch with the remote in his hand, the dining chair checking what’s left during lunch and the bed…..and what could you expect from a 15 month old? He is not yet pro and doesn’t have an idea that it hurts when he falls. I think I have screamed out of fear more than 50 times today. Well I think I should have not screamed because it might cause his fall but who can stop it when you are really that nervous mom?

This afternoon while I was taking photos of my new set of Fresh Water Pearls jewelries, Donald put him inside his playpen and he started moving boxes and such from our bedroom and the living room to the other room. I didn’t know what they are doing at that time but I looked behind my back and saw Eman trying to lift his body out the railings. It happened so fast. I screamed and Donald was there in an instant. I froze. Eman’s head is about to hit the floor and thank God Donald was able to hold his feet. He has tried bungee jumping without the harness, no cable and other safety gears. He was like being held upside down by the doctor to measure him right after birth.

This little guy could really get me to the ER. He has so much energy and if only I can get him into sports, that will surely help release his extra energy and that will save me from wrinkles and acne break out and make me live longer.

Just a few moments ago I checked my PayU2Blog account not really expecting any task. I got a huge surprise to see 6 special tasks! What a great way to end a week!!! I will try to be good at updating my blog and completing tasks as soon at it appears on my dashboard. While I was writing this post I also checked Donald’s account and I can’t believe he got 8 special tasks!!! Well it’s just a small number of tasks compared to what others are getting but it’s not bad for someone who only have one blog. I am now inspired to get more domains for Donald and I.

We love you Sheriff! Keep on sending blessings our way. Dump every expired tasks on us and we will gladly receive it open arms. LOL