By CD, I mean “compliment in disguise”.  It’s no secret that I have two other blog sites, Mapped Memories (a photo blog) and Cafe Munchkin (a food blog).  Those of you who have been to these sites on a rather regular basis may have noticed by now that I regularly join a weekly photo meme called Wordless Wednesday (among others).  One of my most avid readers is my beloved Mommy. :)  But she doesn’t visit those two other sites as religiously as she does this one.  And while we were chatting last Wednesday, she mentioned that she visited my two other sites.  One thing you should know about my Mom is that she is very, uhm, honest.  She’s very generous with praises and when she doesn’t like something, she’ll either just keep mum about it or she’ll tell you outright.  Oh, why don’t I just let you eavesdrop on our conversation (via chat).  The blog entry we’re talking about here is Water Riders at San Antonio Sea World.  It’s just too bad you won’t be able to see the emoticons we used in our conversation, but I’ve included the emoticon shortcuts just in case you’re familiar with them…

Mommy Emy: tiningnan ko kanina yung ibang links mo munchkin cafe at photo ekek
Weng: hahaha. puro pictures lang yun. Mommy Emy: nakatuwaan ko lang tingnan
Weng: photo ekek =)) (rolling on the floor laughing)
Weng: kunyari magaling ako kumuha ng litrato. Mommy Emy: yung latest mo, di ko gusto kasi alam ko hindi mo kuha yun
Weng: alin? wala akong pinopost na hindi ko kuha.
Weng: akin lahat ang pictures na yun.
Weng: yung “water riders” sa seaworld yun.
Mommy Emy: ah ganun ba, di kasi kapanipaniwala yung kuha. :”> (blushing)
Weng: hahaha. totoo yung mga kuhang iyon! akin yun! bakit naman ako magpopost ng pictures na hindi ko kuha! :)) (lol)
Mommy Emy: ang ganda nung mga kuha!
Weng: ngayon maganda bigla! :)) (lol)
Weng: nkakatawa ka tlaga.
Mommy Emy: maganda nga kasi kaya akala ko hindi ikaw ang kumuha, parang galing sa magazines
Weng: hahaha! salamat!
Mommy Emy: saka hindi kasi kilala yung mga characters
Weng: hindi nga. mga surfers yun. idadagdag ko yung sea world sa title.
Mommy Emy: dapat nga siguro nalagay mo yung sea world
Weng: gagawin ko na ngayon.

My Mom just cracks me up sometimes.  Hee hee!  That was actually one of the greatest compliments I got as a wannabe photographer.  Nyahaha!

oOo

Para naman sa bahaging LP ng aking panulat…

Nais kong ipaalam sa inyo na sa darating na Huwebes, ika-3 ng Abril ay magsisimula ang pinakabagong lingguhang palaro, isang photo meme, ang Litratong Pinoy (LP).  Ito’y magaganap tuwing Huwebes at ang malaking pinagkaiba nito sa mga photo meme sa kasalukuyan ay ginawa ito para sa mga Pinoy at mga banyagang marunong ng wikang Pilipino (Tagalog).  Ang nilalaman ng mga lahok (entries) ay kinakailangang nasusulat rin sa wikang Pilipino.  Ang panuntunang ito ay hindi sana maging hadlang sa inyong pagsali.  Hindi naman po kinakailangan ang malapambalagtasang panulat.  (Huwag niyo akong gayahin.  Likas lang akong, ah, maarte!  Nyahahaha!)  Ngunit hindi rin namang masama ang ilabas ang inyong galing sa paggamit ng ating inang wika.  Aking paniniwalang maganda’t romantiko ang Tagalog lalo na kung magagamit ng tama.   Maaari naman ding paghaluin ang Tagalog at Ingles (Tagles).  Kaya don’t be takot to sali because you can halo naman your English and Tagalog.  (Eeeew! )  Matatagpuan ang kabuuan ng mga panuntuna’t mga karagdagang impormasyon tungkol sa pagsali dito.  Nakalista na rin sa website ang mga tema para sa susunod na apat na buwan.  Para sa unang araw ng LP, ang tema ay “bilog”.
Kaya tayo nang sumali!  Ako’y nakakasigurong ito’y magiging masaya at isa na ring magandang pagkakataon upang makapagsanay na muli sa pagsasalita sa wikang Pilipino.  Magkikita tayo sa LP sa darating na Huwebes.
Mabuhay at hangad ko ang maligayang Sabado’t Linggo para sa ating lahat.  Patnubayan kayo ng Diyos!

I took this video yesterday and I just had to share it already.  Enjoy!

“Sipit namimilipit” and “pilak namumulaklak” are quite a tongue twister, I’m telling you.  Hahaha!  We’ll continue working on the song.  Promise!

Enjoy the rest of the week, y’all!  God bless!

Today’s date is 24 March 2008.  It’s about time I write something on this page…

Hi there!  I’m Munchkin Mommy. *flashes biggest smile*  I discovered the wonderful world of blogging in May 2005 but blogged on and off.  I’ve grown more diligent since then. :D  This site is my personal online journal.  I thought when I started blogging that it would be nice to write about my little girl, Abby, who was then about 9 months old.  Fast forward to today, I’ve talked about almost anything and everything under the sun.  From that fateful day in May 2005, I now have two other blogsites, Mapped Memories and Cafe Munchkin.  God only knows if I would come up with another one…or two….or three more.   Hahaha!

Welcome to my home on the web and I hope you enjoy your visit.  Cheers and God bless!

Today’s date is 24 March 2008.  It’s about time I write something on this page…

Hi there!  I’m Munchkin Mommy. *flashes biggest smile*  I discovered the wonderful world of blogging in May 2005 but blogged on and off.  I’ve grown more diligent since then. :D  This site is my personal online journal.  I thought when I started blogging that it would be nice to write about my little girl, Abby, who was then about 9 months old.  Fast forward to today, I’ve talked about almost anything and everything under the sun.  From that fateful day in May 2005, I now have two other blogsites, Mapped Memories and Cafe Munchkin.  God only knows if I would come up with another one…or two….or three more.   Hahaha!

Welcome to my home on the web and I hope you enjoy your visit.  Cheers and God bless!

Happy Easter!!! :)  I meant to post my Easter greetings earlier (last night actually!) but while my mind was willing, my body was not.  Why?  Two words…Easter Vigil.  ;)  Anyway, this greeting isn’t really that late.  It’s only the first day of Easter, which is 50 days long!  I promise to come up with a more proper greeting or message towards the end of this entry.  For now, allow me to tell you about our Holy Week…

Homesick.  That’s how I felt for most of Maundy Thursday.  And my Holy Week entry last year can give a clear picture why.  I can say I’ve done well in keeping homesickness at bay.  But Thursday, whoa, my mind just kept drifting  off to Pinas.  It was bordering on bad, really.  I don’t recall being like this on Christmas and New Year.  I kept looking at my watch, thinking about what I would probably doing at certain times if I were home:  Mass, Visita Iglesia, Pabasa.  In that exact same order.  Part of me was feeling a wee bit sad and I have to admit, I was grumpy!  Hee hee!  It’s common knowledge that the country where we are right now is not predominantly Catholic.  Thursday and Friday, were just ordinary days, so to speak. So if one’s looking for more tangible signs of Holy Week, one won’t find it.  That is, if one doesn’t know where to look.
While I know and realize that the solemnity and observance of Holy Week is, in a great way, up to me really, I was terribly longing for an honest to goodness “feel” of the day’s importance.  Am I even making sense? :)   And I did find it…in church, wherelse?!

Abby and I went to church on Maundy Thursday for the 7pm mass.  Hubby couldn’t join us because of work.  That’s another grumpy point for me!  Anyway, the moment Abby and I sat down in church, I started to feel better.  I was surprised to see a good number of people present in church.  And I found it very comforting.  The mass, although not as elaborate as the ones back home, was very solemn and heartwarming.  There was “Washing of the Feet” and at the end of the celebration, the Blessed Sacrament was brought to the Altar of Repose, where it was exposed upto midnight.  Yes, just like at home!  And I realized, if all Catholic churches followed this practice of adoration of the Blessed Sacrament, we may be able to do a Visita Iglesia nest year!  That’s definitely something worth looking into.  And throughout all this, Abby was a very good girl in church.  Thank you, God!
The three of us attended the Good Friday service as well, again at 7pm.  It was a 2-hour service but time was hardly noticeable.  And yesterday, we attended the Easter Vigil, like we always have.  It was 3-hours long but nobody seemed to mind.  Not even Abby!  The lighting of the candles, the blessing with holy water and the baptism of new Catholics kept her interested.  :)  It’s the most beautiful Mass celebration I’ve attended away from home.  It was very helpful that every part of the celebration was explained briefly.  It’s as if I was attending and learning about the Easter Vigil for the first time.  

I guess what I loved most was the message of hope that Easter brings.  Fr. Isidore, our parish priest, gave a heartwarming homily, which I’m sure, most of us will appreciate.  We, too have our own “Good Fridays”, our problems and all else that keeps us from having peace of mind.  But as Jesus Christ was resurrected on the 3rd day, we too, shall have our own personal resurrections, when our despairs turn into hope and our sorrows into joy.  It usually takes more than 3 days before we see our miracles, but we should always remain hopeful and take comfort in God’s love for us.  That is the practical application of the power of the miracle of Christ’s resurrection.  To this day, Christ’s miracles continue to manifest.  I bet you have a story or two (even more!) to share of when your Good Fridays became Easter Sundays.  And should that story of yours give hope to someone else, specially someone you know and care about, why not share that story with them?!   *sigh*  Easter, the greatest proof that God is indeed good…all the time.
And with that, I wish you all days filled with joy, hope, love and peace, and everything else that’s good that you so desire and wish.  Happy Easter!

“Let the resurrection joy lift us from loneliness and weakness and despair to strength and beauty and happiness.”  ~Floyd W. Tomkins