MATI'S 2020 BIRTHDAY!!!!

My big guy is "sweet 16" na!!!!! GRRRR.... 

I'm sure that it's a term he'll violently veer away from (ha ha ha) but yeah, he's really a teen now.

DRATS.

Currently, I'm in a place where I am torn between letting him have fun and enjoy being a teen, to keeping him safe and teaching him discipline.

HAY!!! Lately he's been asking me many times to go out with his friends. I don't want to be a party pooper but I'm also worried of how he'll manage outside! I know that the Yub and I have trained him well but still, times are different these days and there are many "stranger dangers". To think that there's even this virus going around!

NGIIII!

Oh well.... I know that I have to let him go sometime and the Yub and I promised that we will always be there. So yeah, he may go out with his friends but his Daddy and I will drive him to the place and wait for him somewhere. OR, if we're at work, our long-time driver could act as his "bodyguard". It's not that we don't trust him. It's more like we just want to be there for him until he grows up and be really ready to face the world alone.

Though I doubt if I'll ever be ready to do THAT. Ha ha ha ha ha!

But yeah, I'm sure Master Mati is on his way because from what I (and other people) see, he's growing up to be a kind and independent gentleman.

An example is his birthday celebrations: he's so used to having about 3 weeks of fun where we'll have foodtrips here and there, getogethers with friends, and staycations! But this year, he knew that my budget was tight  that when I asked him if it's okay to have a simple birthday, he was like "Of course!"

"My only wishes for my birthday is to go to Greenhills to shop, eat at Shabu shabu, and have a day with my friends."

AWWWWWWW......... 

And that's what we were able to give him.

His celebrations this year may not be as grand or super long as what we would have before but it still made my big guy so happy. I guess, even if I'm not ready to accept it, he is indeed growing up and appreciated spending time with his true friends and family more.

And, like with Andrei, even if the celebrations are simpler this 2020, it is still filled with so much love and gratitude for this super awesome guy that we proudly call our son.

We love you soooooooooo much dear Mati!!!!!!

(Belated) Happy Birthday dearest!!!!!

ANDREI'S 13TH BIRTHDAY CELEBRATIONS

If you're a regular reader of this silly little foodie blog (what is wrong with you??? He he he he), you would know that birthdays are such a big thing for us!

For Andrei's birthday last December though, we somehow shortened our usual 2 week celebration because we had a trip to Japan and we gave him a party, so budget was a bit tight. I'm proud that my bunso, unlike other kids, understood everything and said "It's okay" with a smile. Awwwwww.... He's really growing up na! Either that or he had a lot of fun for his birthday celebrations that even if it's just for a few days, it's already more than enough for him.

I would like to think it's a little of both. He he he he he!!!!

But really, even if we had a 2 week or a few days for Andrei's birthday we know that in every celebration (or even our mere Powerplant mall dates) it is filled with so much feelings and gratitude. I can't stress enough how much I love my baby bunsoy and how I'm so proud of the kind, talented, innocent, cute, and loving guy that he is. My favorite thing to do is hugging him tight and showering him with kisses. And I won't stop doing that just because he's already a teenager.

(Belated) Happy Birthday my dearest! We love you sooooooo much!!!!!!

My baby bunsoy is not a baby anymore!

HMP!

ANDREI'S SURPRISE 13TH BIRTHDAY!!!

When my big guy Mati celebrated his 13th birthday many years ago, I gave him a simple surprise lunch and swimming party with our close friends. It was so fun that when it was over, the little bunsoy Andrei took me aside and shyly told me that when he turns 13, he hoped to have a surprise party too.

"Of course!" I answered then.

Fast forward to 3 years and even if the little bunsoy didn't demand it, the Yub and I were already planning silently his surprise birthday.

You might wonder why we need to make a celebration when our kids turn 13 (and not when they're 18 or 21). During Mati's time, we did it because he's so excited at becoming a teenager (mostly because he'll get to watch PG-13 movies na) that we also got excited for him. It's like, this will be an important life event that he'll want/need to celebrate with us (because when he turns 21, he's most likely to plan a low-key getogether with friends and family that's more on the "inuman" side). At least we'll be saying goodbye to his "baby-hood" with loads of "family-friendly" fun.  At the same time I thought, I've been giving surprise parties to almost everyone I know (friends and family) that I feel that I should give it to my ultimo VIP!

Days nearing the event, I was nervous that the little one is already guessing that we have something planned for him. Earlier that month, we gave my Mom a surprise birthday too (since it's her 75th) and with the gimmicks that we had for her my bunsoy would always say "Is that for my partyyy??"

I would always answer "Sorry baby, no party muna for you because Mommy and Daddy don't have enough money now."

"Okay..." He'd answer nicely.

For Andrei's surprise bday celebration, I was able to have many accomplices and one of them was his class adviser. Since we just finished a party for my Mom where the alibi was we have blogging, we needed to have a different reason why he needs to go somewhere where Mommy and Daddy couldn't take him. Also, he's very familiar with with Valle Verde Country Club (where my brother is a member) and we're scared that he'll suspect something if he knew that we have to meet him there.

With that, we asked help from his teacher to tell him that he had to attend this seminar in Valle Verde Country Club because he missed a lot of tests when we went to Japan.  His teacher agreed to write a note which Andrei showed me with ultimo seriousness "I have to attend this." He declared.

The Yub and I were "supposed" to take him to the seminar, but lo and behold, his Daddy suddenly had an attack of gout (kuno). Yun lang trust on reliable Yub to stick to our alibi so much that he FORGOT he had gout that morning!

"You're walking straight Daddy!!!!" Andrei shouted. "See? You don't really have gout! You just don't want to attend the seminar!!!"

Well... That's a YES and YES! He he he he!

So the Yub and I suddenly had to go to the ER ( Kuno... he he he he) while Mommy, Kuya Jon, and Cio will take Andrei to his seminar. Awwwww....

Read on to see what happened to Andrei's surprise birthday!

SURPRISE!!!!!!

The venue for Andrei's party was in BARAS room in VALLE VERDE COUNTRY CLUB!

MOMMY'S SURPRISE BDAY PARTY (2019)

It's my Mom's birthday and even if she's not the type to have a grand party, my sister and I thought of making her celebrations MORE special....

We're going to give her a SURPRISE PARTY!

It's Mommy's (belated) birthday!!!!!!

CAUSEWAY TOMAS MORATO (2020)

During Master Mati's birthday week, we asked him where he wanted to have dinner for our Fridate.  The Yub fetched them then they were going to pick me up so that we'd have a family dinner.

The big guy chose Chinese food and without further adieu, the Yub and I both knew where we should go....

CAUSEWAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!

OUR VALENTINE'S (2020)

And how was your VALENTINE'S? Or as I call it, VALENTIMES!!!

To be honest I was not really expecting much for VALENTIMES. I was angry with the Yub for something and didn't feel like going out AT ALL. Plus, I'm sorta lazy with the plans for that weekend.

Then on the day of VALENTIME'S I saw THIS again -- my Dad's last card noting it as "From a secret admirer," and I remembered how he made such a fuss about VALENTIME'S every year.

When we were still little brats he would always give my Mommy flowers and box of chocolates (the one that Forest Gump loved -- assorted). Tee hee... I remember my siblings and I would look hungrily as my Mommers opened her box of chocolates and she would just give it all to us to devour.

As we grew older, my Daddyowzers would then order flowers and have it delivered to me "from a secret admirer." (I was an ugly duckling then so I guess he took pity on me. Ha ha ha ha ha). I

Even after I developed into a ravishing young lady (he he he he he) he continued sending me flowers with the usual "From your secret admirer" or "From: Roger" (his codename).  Sometimes he would even request our driver to give the bouquet of flowers at my work so that my officemates would see how I had "somebody". Ha ha ha ha ha ha!!!!

So yeah. My Dad is the reason why I'm such a romantic. VALENTIME'S was such a big deal to him that he would give flowers to all of the girls in the family and household (yep, his secretary and help included) and be extra mushy to my Mommy.

That's why I realized, I shouldn't be such a crab this VALENTIME'S. This is one of the events where Daddy made it more meaningful for me and I should honor his loving efforts  by having fun this day of hearts.

I'm sure he would've loved it that way (pun sorta intended).

Sharing with you my VALENTIMES' celebrations this year and I hope "naka-iskor" kayong lahat!

Tee to the hee!!!!!

HAPPY VALENTIME'S!!!!

EWWWWW!

CIBO WITH THE BUNSOY

One Sunday, our little guys were rejoicing because they didn't have classes the next day. With that, the Yub and I invited them to go out (since we don't have date nights with the boys as much as we wanted to) to go to our favorite Powerplant Mall.

Master Mati bowed out because he'd stay with his Lola since my brother is going to Greenhills. (I'm sure my big guy also plans on using the computer as well). Traitor!!!!

So it's just me, the Yub, and our baby bunsoy who'll go out. When deciding where to go though, we all made pompyang to help us choose. I won our little hand game but I realized that we should just go for wherever Andrei wanted to have dinner. Even if I'd rather go here or there, I know that what would make my night is making the bunso happy. I'm sure if you're a parent you'd agree that your child's happiness is your happiness na din.

So with that, we ended up in CIBO. Normally I would rejoice but I just had Italian food the day before. Kaya, ick!

It's okay! Seeing my baby bunsoy's excited face made the repetition of cuisine worth it. Great thing too that CIBO never fails to cook up delicious dishes that I STILL had a wonderful dinner in the end.

Yooo to the HOO!!!!! 

CIBO!!!!

ARISTOCRAT WITH THE FAMILY (2019)

My Lolo recently received an award for his efforts in pioneering/promoting our religion in the Cavite area and it's a good thing that my titas, Daddy's sisters, were here from the US to attend the event. They were actually in the Philippines to visit my Dad for all Soul's day so it was a delightful surprise that our Lolo, their Dad, will be given such recognition by our church the same time they're here.

Of course, my family will be more than happy to receive the award but knowing how proud my titas are of their tatay, I know that they wouldn't want to miss it for the world!

I wonder if my Dad had a "hand" in arranging this so that they could be here? He he he he he!

So for that night, my titas wished to eat/celebrate in their favorite ARISTOCRAT after the event. The ceremony will take place in one of the theatres in CCP and would probably finish by about 8pm. It was a by-invitation only (if we wanted to watch, we have to pay P1,000.00... ay!) that my Mom said they'll just be the ones to attend and we could just meet them at ARISTOCRAT for dinner.

Syempre, masunurin kaming mga bata. Ha ha ha ha ha!!!!!

Of course, we're more than happy to wait in ARISTOCRAT because we loved the food there.

I'm sure my Mom wouldn't mind if we start eating already though.

Tee to the Hee! 

ARISTOCRAT!!!!!

DOUBLE DATE NIGHT AT CONTI'S

One Friday, our kiddies were left at home as the Yub and I had a couples night with good friends Aning and Jonahs.

Aning and I have been good Best Buddies (or BBs) since college and we're happy that now, even our boys are close buddies too. Yun lang everytime we plan a meet-up, hindi pwedeng wala sila (mga asungots... kidding!)

But one night, we had no choice but leave them at home as it was so traffic and the Yub came from Pampanga pa before picking me up at QC. So even if we would have loved for them to join us, the Yub and I had an instant couples night with Team Virrey.

And you know what? We missed "this"! Of course, it would be more fun with the boys around but this was a nice change. And we felt like we were back in college again.

So yay! The Fabulous Fridays' Freaks lives on!

Yup that's what we called ourselves back then. Baduy no?

:P

We're at CONTI'S!!!!

BENCH CAFE (GREENBELT)

One night, ERICJAZ FOODIES set out to meet up with Team Mina for dinner. After a looooooooooooooooong discussion where to meet up (mostly from Manong Fred), we ended up in BENCH CAFE!

I have heard many raves about BENCH CAFE that my hungry and curious tummy got its force awakened (he he he he). Originally I was going to veer away from Filipino food tonight (because I was watching my carb intake) but since I wanted to try this out SOOOO much, I forgot about my initial aversion to rice.