Boo!
Scaring mommy with a magnifying glass! 
Treasure Island
Since Sky and I are quarantined from the outside world for a week, we’ll be spending Halloween in the comforts of our own home. My little man was supposed to dress up like a pirate, but I guess we can always make up for it next year 
Or maybe not!
After watching Jack and The Beanstalk last month, watching a swashbuckling play of pirates and ships will surely captivate Sky’s interest! It will be shown at 3:00PM of November 8, 22 and 29, 2009 at the Insular Life Theatre in Alabang for only 463.50 pesos! I just hope that D can fix his work schedule so he can join us in any of those dates. Otherwise, it will be a Mommy and Sky date for sure… And I’ll dress him up like a pirate too! 
Please click on the photo for more details!
Stroller Mommies!
I was doing stroller fitness workouts by myself when Sky was just a baby. So this year I will start holding a small class for mommies out there needing a much needed endorphin boost. Please click on the banner (again! )for more details!
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Need I say anything?
I Reached the Finishline with a Kenyan…
…in an ambulance!
It was barely an hour into my hopefully official 42K, and I was COUGHING so hard every 2-3 minutes or so. I was not conditioned at all for the Subic marathon last Saturday. My pace was a far cry from the LSD’s and the QCIM 21K just a week ago, deep in my heart I knew I had to stop or pass out somewhere along the dark SCTEX road. So I chose the former.
I was all primed up for THAT Saturday, until Thursday morning came – when I woke up with a runny nose. I had been taking care of Sky a couple of nights before that from a cold – then I GET the bug.
My husband D was trying to convince me to re-think my plan. He didn’t think I was in no condition to run a full… Being my stubborn self that day, I told him I can still do it… But now I hate to admit it, but HE WAS SO RIGHT.
While I thought of just doing a walkathon for my first marathon after 30 minutes, I opted not to and get myself into an ambulance if my cough didn’t go away within another 30 minutes… I was struggling. And I think Ben of Photovendo saw it too. He and his female friend cooled my Gatorade flask in the cooler in their pick-up and told me that they would stop every 2Km, just in case I need it again. Just to lighten the load off my fuelbelt.
But after WALKING more than running. I decided to STOP. I hate that word, but it’s either that or something worse. I figured I can do my next full marathon early next year. I can’t afford to go back to my boys WASTED – it defeats the purpose of being a Fit mommy and wife. Even if I hated it.
I hitched a ride with Ben and he graciously dropped me off the nearest ambulance… As soon as I sat on the stretcher – I started to get CHILLS. My Blood Pressure was normal, but my Pulse rate was 138bpm, which is unusually high for someone who was walking. The Red Cross guy looked blurry when I first started talking to him… Then, after being administered Oxygen for 5minutes – my vision wasn’t blurry anymore…
A few minutes after I got settled, the ambulance started speeding to one of the female Kenyan runners who passed out somewhere past 25K. I got off the stretcher and sat by the side instead. They loaded up the mythical female runner on the stretcher, unconscious.
I have to tell you that I was still in awe of the runner resting on the stretcher before me. She looked immortal to me… But when she started mumbling in her state of exhaustion, I came to realize WE ARE ALL HUMAN doing the best we can to run a formidable feat of finishing a 42K.
I came out of the ambulance at Remy field and saw my family playing in the field while they were waiting for me. As I walked over to them, Sky came bolting towards me with a smile. I wanted to cry right then. But when I heard D tell Sky, “There’s our winner Mommy!”
Then I started to laugh when Sky gave me one of the tightest hug I ever got from my little man. And then I got a kiss and a protein shake from D…
And then Sky tried to pee on my shoes, then I didn’t mind at all anymore. There will always be a next time… 
Come Monday morning, both Sky and myself were feverish. My fever is gone for now, but I think I’ll lose my voice any moment now. But, I’m well enough to take care of Sky. Thank you for all the prayers! I’ll be running again soon!
Buggy.
Sky loves to use the “buggy” shopping carts when we’re doing the grocery. Unfortunately, he likes to ride on top of it and not inside behind the wheel. Fortunately, he seems to have good upper body strength and agility to hold on while we wheeze along the aisles… But we’re alert just in case.
Island Cove
We had 2 days to go somewhere several weeks ago. We wanted to go someplace outside Manila, but was a wee bit impossible with another typhoon on it’s way at around that time. So, I scoured net for possible places to go – and we found Island Cove. It was just a 40-minute drive from our home. So we went, expecting nothing really – but a time well-spent in each other’s company.
We checked-in on a Sunday and the rate was reasonable. The resort had a rustic feel to it. Nothing fancy, just a pool, a zoo and a fishing wharf. And not as clean as I thought it should be. The room was nothing great… And I thought when I organized our stuff in the room, “It’s going to be a ho-hum stay.”
Nonetheless, we explored what the resort has to offer with much ardor. D and I looked at everything from Sky’s perspective. And then the surprise hits us. It was one of the best times we had for a long time… Sure there were weeds all over the zoo, which transformed into a “jungle” in one of our adventures. Every interesting stone and leaf was not left unturned by the “three kids” that played all day.
Island Cove is a definite place to spend a day or two with a child in tow. And we will definitely visit this “unexpected” resort again…
Catching Up.
It’s been quiet around here. We’ve been busy moving back to the South, training for my first full marathon and going on “dates” as often as we can. We missed a lot for the past few months and we’re catching up on the things that we didn’t get to share. It has been a roller coaster ride. We know this was just the tip of the iceberg, there will still be hurdles and the usual heartaches at times. But what’s important now is moving forward together and of course, learning from our mistakes.
When we trip, there is no other way but to stand up and walk right? In my case, I RUN… But, not too fast that I might miss the little things that really matter in Life.
D has been telling me countless adventure stories in his flights to Vancouver. He’s been in love with that place for as long as I can remember. I haven’t been there, but looking at the pictures – I don’t blame him. We’re both wildlife and nature enthusiasts. Cities and buildings bore us to death. And aside from catching up, we’re making plans too.. We’ve decided on settling in Washington State in a couple of years – the closest we can get to Vancouver – and something like it. Let’s see how things go around here… Most of the time we make plans but God has better plans for us. We do our part in planning, but praying for guidance sets us on the right path.
Sunshine.
“The Darkest nights blossom into the brightest mornings.”
The glee plastered on both my boys faces just made my days brighter than ever. Prayers do get answered in God’s own time and on his own way that deems fit for you. Overcast skies didn’t stop us from enjoying each other and moving on.
One thing holds true. Family IS everything.
For all my friends in the blogosphere, thank you for the prayers and we will share glimpses of our small family’s adventure!
Trivial.
This morning I passed out during my run… I was a bit shaken, but I was still able to finish a 6-miler. I was just running around our village. And there were still a handful a people cleaning up and some were even gathering debris – perhaps to use the old plywood’s to rebuild their small homes again.
On the last mile of my run, a boy of around 9 years gives me a thumb’s up sign and tells me. “Galing niyo Ate. Paulit-ulit na kayong umiikot.” (You’re good. You’ve been running around non-stop)
And all I can say was, “Salamat po.” (Thank you.) with a thumb’s up and a smile too.
Right then, my fainting episode didn’t matter to me anymore.
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