Revelations

Our internet is up, finally!  And so, here I am again.

We moved to the apartment the first of July, coinciding with Canada Day and the traditional Moving Day in the province of Quebec.  We didn’t have furniture when we moved, except for the sofa and borrowed sleeping bags and folding chairs.  Then the beds arrived two days after.  We spent our first weekend assembling the furniture: the bed, the kids’ bunk bed, the couch, the night tables, and the dressers.

Revelation #1:  Him – he reads the instructions.  Me – I don’t read instructions; I follow my instinct.  Him – he takes too long.  Me – I am quick.  Him – he set it up correctly.  Me – I have to disassemble the parts then assemble it all over again.  Typical him, typical me.

Revelation #2:  He knows how to hammer!!!  And he now owns his first tool box, something that is not going to happen in Alabang.
Revelation #3:  The kids enjoy the bunk bed, especially the upper bed.  They spend most of the day up there, but none wants to sleep there at night.
Two sets of feet, twenty wiggly wiggly toes.
Revelation #4:  Though he’s the smallest, he’s the most helpful in doing house chores.
Go Gabby!
My little dishwasher.

Revelation #5:  During summer, the sun is still high at 8:30 in the evening.  And the kids refuse to sleep until they see the moon shining so bright.  Their 9pm bedtime in Manila was moved to 11pm.

Revelation #6:  Being on the third floor isn’t so bad at all.  We get to see the city fireworks from our living room.
fireworks
Marco said, “Mommy, the fireworks are like noodles falling down.”

Revelation #7:  Powder puffs at our building entrance.  We rarely pass thru the main door because we usually head to the basement parking.   The white hydrangeas are so lovely IRL (in real life).

My four masters.

Revelation #8:  We actually live in a park.

Within our compound, we have creeks…
07102009051b
…and small bridges…
07102009052
…and fountains.
The boys love to skip on rocks.
And we have a playground, too.
And a swimming pool nearby.  Sorry, no picture yet.
Revelation #9:  If we have stray cats in Manila, they have squirrels here.
Back in Manila, the kids used to see squirrels only in the local zoo.
Revelation #10:  It is actually a much bigger park!  I can imagine what this sloping hill would look like during winter.
The park has everything a boy would want…
Umm… I didn’t mean the girls in short shorts.
The park is huge.
It has a football field.
A skateboard rink.
A beach volleyball court.
A baseball field.
A basketball court.

Revelation #11: Our place isn’t bad at all.  Come and visit us.

———

KQOTD-1.  I told the boys to show themselves to my Mom and talk to her as well over skype, then Marco said, “Why?  So Lola Ana will not have amnesia about us?”

KQOTD-2.  Our rule for the boys is to clean up their own mess.  Otherwise, it’s squat for punishment.  We say things only once.  One afternoon, after cleaning their room, Marco: I miss Alabang.  I want to go back home.  Me: Why?  Marco: Because the rules in Alabang are easier and not plenty of squat.

KQOTD-3. We were invited for lunch at Tito Phil and Tita Mely’s place, then Raf saw the rice.  Raf: Is that Philippine rice?  Wow!  Can I have some more?