Cleaning Out the Closet

I'll be cleaning out my son's closet today. And by that I mean getting rid of the "old" stuff --- although they're not really that old. 

Miguel celebrated his 5th month a week ago and to my surprise, most of his clothes don't fit him anymore. Of course these are infant clothing, those that we've had months before he's even arrived. I have an office-mate whose wife is giving birth in August. He asked me if I had things, clothing and toys that I might want to sell him. So i said, yeah! Why not!?

Now that I'm thinking, I actually do have some stuff that I want to get rid of already. That carrier we bought has gotten too small to hold him. And those side-tie shirts he used to wear to sleep can't even be tied anymore. Socks and mittens that either no longer fit or no longer needed. And a lot more.

I can use the funds to get him a new bouncer (I'm getting rid of the bouncer he got as a gift, he can actually twist to the side and make it tumble over). He needs a bigger one now.

Lots to do! I'll be taking photos once I gather the stuff and post them on ebay or email a catalog to my friends. One way to make my Saturday night fun without having to wear a dress, put on make-up and go to a pub. Plus, it gets rid of the clutter and I get to earn extra cash. Now that's way cooler than a drink!

A Desperate Housewife

I've watched every single episode of ABC's Desperate Housewives from Season 1 to 5. Every episode has a theme, and each theme will leave something for one to think about. 

I have a DVD Collection of all seasons of Desperate Housewives. As a mother and wife myself, I see me in more than 1 character of the show. I see me in Bree van De Kamp, a domestic goddess, queen of the kitchen and Fairview's number 1 homemake

r. And I see me in Lynette Scavo, a tough soccer mom, smart career woman, and Tom's partner in love and crime.

However, most of all, I see me in Gabrielle Solis, in the latter seasons of the show. 

Gabby is the youngest of all housewives, an ex-model and was a very independent woman who had to hand over her freedom of thinking and choice when she marries millionaire businessman Carlos Solis. She goes through a lot in the show. She experiences culture shock and a change in lifestyle drove her nuts to the point that she could hardly keep it steady. She struggled to prove herself and everyone that she can do, whether she's with her man or not. Through these experiences she learns and becomes stronger. Gabby proves that nothing else teaches better than hands-on experiences. And yes, Mary Alice was right when she said "someday we all must become responsible adults. And no one knows this better than the young."

Love the show. Can't wait for the next season.

Dinner for Ten

For the first time in a long time, I'll be serving dinner to ten people on Saturday. My Uncle and his family from Detroit is home for a visit.

Planning the menu wasn't really difficult. I like serving and feeding people. I like entertaining. And part of the planning is making sure they don't get fed the same food they have been eating since they got here. They spent 2 weeks in Ilocos Norte, a province in the north before they hit Manila. They're actually asleep as I blog away. (3:25am Manila Time)

I plan to do grocery shopping on Friday afternoon. My menu is all set. No "adobo" --- they must have eaten that 13 times in 14 days. Entertaining people includes making sure they feel that the hostess exerted a little --- if not all effort to make it special for them. Especially when they visit once in 5 years and fly 19 hours to do it.

Nothing fried --- my recipe for my Proud Chicken perhaps (blogged about it in a previous entry). It's roasted.

Mashed potatoes instead of rice. I'll give it a French twist, so spices are all listed down.

I plan to get mushrooms. Not sure what to do with them yet, perhaps I'll look up a few recipes and take it from there. Mushrooms go well with anything roasted. I think.

Vegetables? Maybe spinach if i can get them fresh. But then there's always the household favorite broccoli, carrots and baby corn --- Kenny Rogers style.

When it comes to preparing for an occasion, I always do "half planning" instead of getting everything ready. It gives me space to make mistakes and then adjust on the way. Better than getting everything ready and ending up wanting or changing something. It saves me more time than messing the plan up and starting all over again.

Same rule applies to picking what to wear to this dinner. 

1st Birthday Theme Ideas

My son won't be celebrating his 1st birthday until February next year (2010). But I've started thinking of themes as early as now. 

Here are a few ideas I've come up with so far:

1. Soldier Party 

2. Aviation Party (baby as Pilot)

3. Football Theme Party (2010 is FIFA World Cup year)

4. Sesame Street Party

5. Cars (cartoon) Party

If I go with the Sesame Street Party, no one will have trouble thinking of something to wear. We'll just color-code it. Yellow, blue, red and green shirts and dresses only. Oooohhh the kids are all going to look like M&Ms!!! And the photos are going to come out great!

If I go with the football theme party --- and my son does not end up playing or even liking the sport, his 1st birthday won't have as m

uch significance to him when he gets old and looks back --- but it's a fun theme to put up

 and prep for! Plus, it's an all-man's game!

I can go with the Soldier Party, my grandfather was with the US Army. That will have a bit of significance, it's a theme that's all-man, too. Plus, a point comes when most boys (not all) wish or imagine themselves as soldiers or heroes of some kind. 

The aviation theme party also sounds like fun. We can have guests dress up with costumes 

different countries, the venue may be dressed up as an airport where different nationalities meet and someone may win a prize as best-dressed. Parents may also participate by dressing up as their children. Daddy and son, Mom and daughter. Cool!!!

I remember the years when themed birthdays were not a thing. I never had a themed birthday --not even as an adult. Now, planning a themed birthday (even for kids) is not only done for the memories but simply because it's fun to prep for it. 

Although there are always the challenges in planning a themed party. Will write soon about these challenges, so do watch out! 

Barbie Doll Princess Party

On Sunday, my son is about to attend the 1st birthday party he was ever invited to. The theme is: Barbie Doll Princess Party. The invitation says: Come in your best Barbie costume. 

I have a feeling that there will be a lot of pink. What is he supposed to wear!?

This is one of those mommy problems I haven't really prepared for. But then again, I never expected my boy's first party to be "girly" themed one. Obviously i will want him to dress up as Ken. Pink dress shirt with a white bow-tie, perhaps? White or gray shorts or slacks? White leather shoes? Won't he look like a mini-me of Frank Sinatra or something? Hopefully  not. 

Squeezing my brain to come up with a picture in my head of an outfit that won't make my little man look like a little old man. This is so not fun.

OFFICE FUN

The other day, my friends at work (4 gay men) and I were online during our lunch break. We came across this site that allowed you to take a quiz to find our your gay name just for fun. Without hesitation, my friends took the quiz. I did too. The names were hilarious! But no pun intended...

According to the quiz, my gay name is Andasa Potilyachenes. I don't remember whose name is which but I remember equally funny ones such as, Merlat Shulupi and Cassandra Bumabarney.

Work is exhausting. But when you have times like these with friends like these, it becomes funner than you can even imagine.

My Mom's 2nd Shot at Motherhood

My relationship with my mother can be described in many different ways.

But one thing is for sure: our attitude towards almost everything is the same. And instead of complimenting each other, we clash. Although we laugh about it, most often we do not.

Since I gave birth to my son, my mom has become extra "everything". Extra strict, extra hot tempered, extra careful, extra watchful, like I said, extra everything. But I think I have an idea why. I am an only child. And it has been 26 years since she felt like a mother who is in control of her child's life. As we bud, our parents gradually let us go to let us grow.

I realize that my mother is not trying to stick her nose to how I'm raising my son. She's not meddling with my parenting style or contesting it. She's not trying to cross the line. She's drawing another one for herself. Which, is perfectly fine.

Being a grandmother is my mother's --- every mother's 2nd shot at motherhood. This is their 2nd chance to do things right. Every mother may have regrets of what kind of parent they were or they became. At some point, they have thought of "could have beens". "I could have been this and that", "i should have done this or that" or "if only I were this and that".

This --- being a grandparent --- is their chance to be parents again. This is their 2nd chance at motherhood. She misses it. She misses being needed. She misses hearing "Mom, I want more food." or "Mom, read me a story."

So I will let her. Because someday, when my son is grown and is a dad, I know I will want the same 2nd chance my mom wants right now.