A Wedding and a Proposal

I'm Yours. A photo from our wedding by Sandra Dans

Pipo and I just came from the lovely wedding of one of his good friends from college. Part of the program was a video sharing the story of Johann's proposal, which interspersed clips of the couple narrating their experience with actual footage of the fateful day. His proposal was grandiose, beautiful, and funny - with him renting a sky lounge, staging a musical, and proposing in between songs. I loved the part where Johann shared that even before he had popped the question, his then-girlfriend Tin had already figured out his plan and was openly crying beside him. At that time, he was gripping the ring in his fist. He was so nervous that he mistakenly opened his hand, thereby revealing the ring to her. Tin said yes, even before he could ask his question.

But he still wanted to ask her. He then professed his love and his intent to be her protector, her provider, her lover, and her husband, got down on one knee, and asked her to marry him. Within a nanosecond, she said yes again. And so their happily ever after began.

Their story made me think back to my own marriage proposal. It was without frills and fanfare, without dramatic timing or grand sweeping gestures, but full of a quiet sweetness and humor that I would not trade for any other moment or proposal in the world.

I'm Back!

Hello! I'm back! 

Joyful (via Lizi)

I have missed coming to this sweet little space to reflect and write very, very dearly. I am happy to report that I am very much alive and kicking after having gone through a difficult week wherein both my heart and my body were, well, pretty much broken. 

It started with a struggle with self-doubt, wherein a chance encounter made me question myself and certain decisions I had made. My spirits sagging, my body then succumbed to a terrible flu (complete with chills, a sore throat, aches all over – the works). Feeling sad, sick, and very, very small, I hid under the covers, and found solace in popping vitamin C tablets and watching chick flicks. (Monte Carlo was one of them, a story I’ll tell you about later.)

But come the second half of the week, my situation greatly reversed, with doors opening unexpectedly, the Lord answering prayers even before I had the chance to utter them, and more blessings falling into my hands than I ever could have imagined. Faced with such hope and blessing, my heart and body had no other thing to do but heal.


It is good to be back.

And it is good to be grateful. And so I want to give my heartfelt thanks to the following for seeing me through this week:

• Numero Uno: God’s faithfulness and love;

• A husband who gives super good massages and adjusted his schedule so that he could bring me to my appointments for the week;

• A little girl who sings to me and makes paper flower bouquets to cheer me up, and does little chores around the house to help make things easier; 

• Wonderful children who remind me that what I do is a privilege, and that I am so blessed to be perpetually surrounded by their talent, their laughter, and their light;

• Partners, colleagues, and friends who make the load easier and,

• The ability of the heart and body to heal and start anew.

I'm back.

There are so many stories I wish to tell. And yes, I will be coming to this space several times this week to tell them :-)
 

Pink Friday on Pinterest: Nicki Minaj Inspired Style

Scored free tickets to Nicki Minaj's Pink Friday concert yesterday, thanks to the wonderful sister of one of my best gal pals. While I am not exactly a fan of Nicki, I had a blast during the concert. I will write more about my experience during the show in a future post; in the meantime, I will share some of my Pinterest picks inspired by the feisty singer-rapper's love for pink and playful fashion. While my picks are not as far-out, fierce, and zany as her usual fashion choices, these picks show pink love mixed with the fun, flirty, and girly, which I think is the true spirit behind Nicki Minaj music and style :-)

Glitter Heels via Amanda

Pink Faced via G. Scarleth A.B

Pink Wig via Annah W.

Fun Tulle Dress via Kaidie

Purple Halston Boots via Jill

Eyelash Jewelry via Candice

Pink and Black Nail Art via Vixen Nails

More Sophie Says

There are conversations that I have had with Sophie that either amuse or astound me. Here are two conversations that I've shared with her over the past few days:

Conversation One: On Girly-Girlishness
Scenario: I am dressing up for an event. 

Sophie: (Eyeing me critically) Mom, change your clothes.
Me: (Puzzled) Why, what's wrong with it?
Sophie: Just change your clothes, Mom!
Me: (Defensive) But I like what I'm wearing!
Sophie: It's not complicated enough, Mom. I want you to be fancy. (She chooses a dress for me to wear.) Wear this.
Me: (Resigned) Fine. (I change into her suggested outfit.)
Sophie: (Clapping her hands, her eyes lighting up) That's so much better, Mom! I want you to always look fancy.

My 2012 Bucket List

Perhaps not this 2012, but someday soon.

Alas, where has the first half of 2012 gone? It flew by too, too quickly.I was reading through my good friend Phoenixfire's Life Lists (her very own bucket list) on her blog and was inspired to do the same. As I am all for making the 525,600 minutes (in this case the more or less remaining 262,800 minutes) count and for measuring life in lo-ooovvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvveeeee (belt it out with me!), I am drafting a bucket list zeroing in on the last few months of 2012. Perhaps by having a specific deadline and by declaring it to a virtual universe, I shall feel compelled to hustle to turn some long-put off plans into reality. So (drumroll please as I take a deep breath),  here goes:

Before 2012 ends, I will --

1. Cut, color, and curl my hair. - Some friends of mine will attest to the fact that I have been talking about this for years and years. Yes, literally years and YEARS.  And so friends, be very very proud, for I am finally taking the plunge and changing my look THIS year!

2. Learn to drive. - And once I am able to bring my husband to work for the very first time, I will make a huge, huge fuss about it. I will brown bag his lunch, make a "Have a great day at work!' banner, bring confetti, party poppers, and squeeze tears out of my eyes as I wave goodbye. I will make an equally huge fuss when I pick him up.

3. Use my zumba gift certificate. - I bought it last May, so it's been sitting (perhaps forlornly so) in my bag for two whole months. It's valid till September, so off to the gym I must go! (If I'm able to do this, I shall move on to poi or arnis or both after.)

4. Prepare a sweet, intimate, magical princess birthday bash for Sophie's 7th birthday this August.

Always a Great Idea

Art work by Sophie

"Look at my drawing!" Sophie said as she proudly presented the above to me a few days ago. When I asked her to talk about her work, she said "I had a great idea, then I took your hand and Papa's hand. I put them together. Then you got married!" She smiled up at me, mighty pleased with herself, as if saying to me, I was the genius behind you and Papa getting married!

I admit that there is much truth to her thinking. While Pipo and I did not want to get married immediately “just because” we had her, she had so much –and everything - to do with our eventual choice. I remember looking at her and thinking to myself, What a wondrous, amazing, beautiful creature she is.  If I had somehow managed to make such a wondrous, amazing, beautiful creature with Pipo, who knows what else would be possible for us to build together through our love? In my mind's eye, I saw a family with more incredible (and hopelessly energetic and kulit) babies, our very own "castles in the sky," and a life full of dreams that do come true, to bring joy to us and to all those we love.

I loved him, and because of him, I had Sophie. And with him and Sophie and our love, we could have so much more. The possibilities were – and are limitless.

The Great Idea. Photo by Sandra Dans

I will keep her drawing close by and look at it often. It will serve as a reminder that no matter what I’m feeling, no matter how difficult the challenge we are facing, no matter how annoying he can get, and no matter how annoying I know I can certainly get, our marriage always has been and always will be a good idea.

The lovely little genius thinks so, and I will never for a second doubt her wisdom.

Thank you, Sophie.

Beautiful Rain: July Inspirations from Pinterest

Cool soothing walks, soft leather boots, dances in the rain, steaming cups of coffee and good books, and hiding under sweet blue umbrellas make up my inspirations for the month. Have a lovely blue July, everyone :-) 

Walking in the Rain (via Nalan)

Learning to Dance (via Shir Lee)

Dancing Girl (via Sandrine)

Soft Leather Boots (via Galaxie)

Coffee and Composition Books (via Louise)

Blue Umbrella (via Amy)

Walking in the Rain

I fell in love with the rain when I was fifteen years old. It was during the summer, in one of those days in May when the rain drops in like a long lost visitor to remind you that it still exists, and to let you know that you will see more of it in the weeks to come.

It was also during a time when just a little bit of rain would immediately cause a power outtage in our village. It was thus too dark for me to read or doodle, and as a young, energetic, restless teenager, I had yet to discover the joys of sleeping in the whole day (a rare luxury that I, in my "old age," frequently yearn for but hardly ever get.)

In other words, I was very, very bored.

I had gazed morosely out the window and to my astonishment, saw my two friends Christian and Francis walking up to my front door. Both were soaking wet and smiling. I flew out the door even before they could knock, thanking them for saving me from the endless ocean of my boredom. They invited me to go out for a walk in the rain. 

Will You Marry Me?

We were getting ready to leave the house this morning when my husband remembered that he had left his wedding ring on his shelf in our bedroom. I ran up to get it for him. Trying to be cute, I ran back downstairs and solemnly stood in front of him. I held out the ring, took a deep breath, and asked sweetly, "Will you marry me?"

Pipo was quiet for a moment. He then took the ring and said, "But I married you from the moment I met you."

Boom. To think I was just expecting a simple yes. His reply completely overshadowed my cute little stunt. Which reminded me once again that when it comes to poetry and romance, one can never, ever beat THE Pipo Lina.

I'm one lucky gal :-)

Stories about a Peter Pan I Know: Mike Shimamoto

The duo called Where’s The Sheep?, a conduit for praise, worship, and inspirational songs, successfully launched their album last weekend (Friday at Eastwood Mall and Sunday at the Venice Piazza at McKinley Hill). I attended last Sunday’s album launch with Pipo and Sophie and was inspired, touched, and blessed by their music. I didicate this post to the singer of the duo, Mike, whom I regard as an anak and a dear, dear friend. (Incidentally, I use didicate because he slipped during his pronunciation of the word ‘dedicate’ during one of his spiels at the album launch. We all screamed with laughter, but really, it just added to his boyish charm.)

Taken about two years ago, during a poolside master class ;-)

1. I meet Mike, a young, chubby adolescent boy who insists on joining our church youth group even before reaching the minimum age requirement of 13. (I believe he was eleven at the time.) He is fair, chinky eyed, and chubby, and the earnestness and dedication he shows towards the group is touching. We pinch his cheeks, tickle him, and call him “Bee” (short for Big Mac, also the name of our friends' cute and chubby dog). As a response to our assaults, Mike would softly squeal, smile with his eyes squinting, and shift to his side. 

“Leave my lamb alone!” His shepherd orders us. (In our community, newbies are called lambs, and are placed under the guidance of a shepherd). Needless to say, we ignore the shepherd and the pinching, tickling, and consequent squealing continue over the next few years.

2. I am tasked to direct a play for our church community, which would allow children with disabilities and mainstream children to interact and become friends. I choose to do a re-imagining of the fairytale Snow White and the Seven Dwarves. In a fit of inspiration, I cast him as a flying kiss fairy, one who hops and leaps and squeals, and serves as the bridge between Snow White and her prince. I also have him double up as a bumblebee, and ask him to wear a midriff top, shorts, and tutu skirt all painted black and yellow. He is hesitant, but agrees. He is a hit, and good-naturedly handles all the teasing that ensue due to his, um, interesting attire.

Overheard

Whether it's the supersonic hearing that is automatically activated when one's offspring is on the loose or the power of clear, youthful lungs, I frequently hear Sophie's conversations with her neighborhood friends as she plays outside. Here are two conversations heard this weekend:

Conversation Number One: On Crushes

Neighborhood Friend One: Sophie, put your hands out.

Sophie: Like this?

Neighborhood Friend One: No, like this.

Sophie: Okay. (Is silent. I suppose she's figuring it out.) Like this?

Neighborhood Friend One: Yes. (Speaking quickly) Who's your crush? Who's your crush?

Sophie: (Laughing) Owwwwwwwwwwwwwwww! That hurts!

Neighborhood Friend One: Who's your crush? Who's your crush? Who's your crush?

Sophie: (Still laughing) Owwwwwwwwwwwwww! Stop squeezing my fingers!

Neighborhood Friend One: Tell me! WHO'S YOUR CRUSH?

Sophie: This is so funny!

Neighborhood Friend One: But who's your crush? Who's your crush? WHO'S YOUR CRUSH?

Sophie: Owwwww! (Shrieking) But what's a crush? Is it something funny?

Neighborhood Friend One: (Sounding deflated) Oh never mind.

Pipo would be terribly happy about how that conversation turned out. I was quite amused.  Mental note to self to explain to her what a crush is. She has crushes, quite a number of them actually, but doesn't know what they're called. 

Sophie's Art Workshop

"Come on kids, let's do art!" Sophie shouted. She was playing with her neighborhood friends inside our compound.

Art work by Sophie and friends :-)

In the house, I groaned. My little girl was a ringleader who enjoyed rounding up willing kids and bringing them into the house to play with her toys, decorate masks, make stick puppets, or whatever inspired her at that particular moment. The kids in the neighborhood were well acquainted with our "art cabinet," a small cabinet with paper, scissors, glue, sequins, feathers, embellishments, and other art materials, and welcomed any chance to come into the house to participate in our little arts and crafts activities.

I was looking forward to a relaxed, quiet Saturday morning. Much of my work happens on weekends, thus a free Saturday was a rare gift, and highly treasured and appreciated. I had planned on sleeping in, or curling up in the sofa with a cup of coffee and a good book. That's not going to happen now, an inner voice whispered. Oh well.

Stagelights Theater in Salcedo!

Make Believe returns to Imagine That! Creative Playspace Center for another run of its Stagelights: Theater for Kids Class!

Join us for a free demo on Saturday, June 30, at 4:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m. The magic begins on Tuesday, July 17 - so sprinkle yourself with some fairy dust and soar with us! Inhabit different characters and visit the faraway lands of your dreams. For anything and EVERYTHING is possible in the world Imagination and Make Believe :-)  

Imagine That! Playspace Center is located at 2/F Three Salcedo Place, Tordesillas St., Salcedo Village, Makati City. For inquiries, please contact Cora at 09397875136 or imagine.that.play@gmail.com.

(Oh yeah, and that's Sophie in the poster. Isn't she a cutie? Sorry, this stage mom couldn't resist! :-P)

Empty Nest?

Sophie joined my mother in law for an out of town trip early this morning. She was so excited, she started composing a song as I walked her to her grandma's house:

Oh I'm so excited

I don't know what to say

But the birds are singing

Just for you today

"Bye mom!" She sang in closing. I laughed and kissed her goodbye. I then turned and walked back to our house, and felt my heart sink slowly. I opened the door and as I entered, our little house immediately felt different. It felt so quiet, so solemn, and so much bigger than what it really was. It felt strange not to hear her foot steps as she moved about her room, her spontaneous little songs, her inevitable, insistent cries of "Mamaaaaaaaaaaaa! I need you," to which I, oftentimes in the middle of some chore, would find myself thinking "What is it now?"

I oftentimes sigh and complain that she is quite a handful for a little girl, but the truth is, we feel lost whenever she's gone. It's as if all the sunshine, laughter, and noise - oh the blessed, blessed noise - are swept into a vortex of a little girl and all that is left is Breath. Silence. Stillness. Waiting. Longing for the beautiful, powerful, joyful tempest to come back and wreak all her wonderful havoc on us and our home.

It's just been a few hours and already we miss her terribly.

Funny Car Conversations

Sophie and her Papa!

The three of us were in the car the other day. We had just passed a billboard of Zac Efron, and Sophie said that she liked him. When I asked if she found him handsome, her answer was yes. This prompted me to ask another question, which then sparked a series of hilarious conversations:

Part 1

Me: Sophie, is Papa handsome?

Sophie: Just a little bit.

Pipo: A little bit? Why just a little bit?

Sophie: (smugly) Because I'm prettier!

Pipo: Fine.

Sunday Creativity at Fully Booked Part 2 (or, When Children Make Awesome Stories)

The heroines of 'The Fourth Princess Rescue'

We capped off our demo class for The Creativity Project (read my previous entry for Part 1 of the class!) with the 'Make Your Own Adventure Challenge,' where we asked our participants to come up with a fairytale story of their own. I was interested to see how this group would take to the activity and I was so pleased with how they responded to it! Once I had gotten the ball rolling through an opening narration, they were soon offering their ideas and suggestions, and putting twists and turns in the story I never would have expected.

These impressive kids reminded me of how easy and effortless it is for young children to create, once put in an atmosphere that encourages them to let their imagination run wild and just BE! We whipped up the story in less than 10 minutes, and acted it out afterwards. It was a terrific show and I had a blast facilitating the activity :-)

Read "The Fourth Princess Rescue: A Fairytale Adventure" after the jump -

Sunday Creativity at Fully Booked

Who wants to join The Creativity Project?

We spent a lovely Sunday afternoon at Fully Booked promoting our upcoming class The Creativity Project. We wanted to give kids a taste of the class and explore opportunities to express themselves through fun, exciting, and different ways.

We had a wonderful group of open, game, and extremely creative girls and boys. Here are some snapshots from the demo class:

We started off the afternoon with arts and crafts.

Happy artists with Teacher Marika :-)

The Gift of Faith (A Tribute to My Dad)

I will now make an attempt to reconstruct an essay I wrote more than a decade ago for my college English class under the amazing and inspiring Doreen Fernandez. It was about my father, and it was one her favorites out of all the pieces I had written for her class. (She had us write an essay a week for an entire year, as she believed that practice, practice, and even more practice was key for all budding writers.) So here goes:

Nights at the dinner table are always filled with my father's stories, his witty remarks, and his boisterous laughter. He would preside over the table (as heads of families are wont to do), and regale us with anecdotes of his adventures and misadventures as a young boy, his outwitting of would-be muggers he would encounter in Central Park or on the subway on his way home from work, his close brush with death when my brother and I were mere babies. I listened to him in rapt attention, oftentimes with my mouth gaping open in amazement, oftentimes giggling till my sides hurt, and always, always thinking that my dad was the coolest, funniest, most awesome guy on the planet.

But that night was different. The atmosphere at the dinner table was solemn and quiet. And as my dad began to speak, his entire demeanor changed. His face was aglow with a serene light. His eyes were bright, clear, and deep. He had transformed into a sage, wise and philosophical.

On Tocino Smells and Gratitude

A few days ago I had a bad bout with the flu. While I am usually a morning person who gets up first in our household, there was one particular morning where I could not move nor open my eyes, I felt so drained and weak. I distantly discerned my husband speaking to me, but all I heard were slurred, unintelligible sounds uttered in painful slow motion and robotic intonation.

I drifted off into a feverish sleep. Soon after, I was woken up by a little girl who shook my shoulders and said quite urgently, “Mom, wake up.”

I squinted. Between slits, I saw an earnest, set little face. Sophie usually is quite chirpy and bubbly in the morning, so something must have been up. I struggled to get up. I forced my eyelids open and looked at her. Her eyes were as wide as saucers.

“Yes, Soph?” I asked.

“Mom, we have a big problem. Huge.” She said dramatically.

I fought the urge to laugh. She really was a drama queen. (I wonder whom she gets it from?)  “What is it this time, Soph? Mom’s sick.” I said sternly.

“Mom, you have to get up now. Our whole house stinks.” She pulled my hand as she said this.

Chalkboard Reminder

I chanced upon this lovely photo while browsing Kids Style Hub: 

And it's so true, isn't it? When we think of all the wonderful, magical, unforgettable moments in our lives, we know these happened because we were brave and daring enough to go beyond ourselves, because we were courageous enough to defy limits and gravity. 

Here's to more exhilarating adventures out into the dis-comfort zone. We will make mistakes, fall flat on our faces, and feel hopelessly awkward, but we will have the time of our lives. Cheers! :-)

Missing My Old Cave (An Ode to Merville)

My husband Pipo and I went apartment hunting today. As our lease in our humble yet lovely start-up home ends in November, we are now exploring our options. We both agree that we'd prefer for our money to go towards the monthly amortization of a home not borrowed but owned, and thus we are looking for a convenient, cozy, and reasonable space for our little party of three.

He is reasonably excited about one place we've been to. I, on the other hand, feel a little bit lost, a little bit blue, and a tad bit heartbroken.

The Creativity Project

Please check out the new class we cooked up in cooperation with Fully Booked starting on Wednesday, July 4. Get a free sneak preview of the class on Sunday, June 15 at the Children's Section of Fully Booked Bonifacio High Street! Our theme for the demo is Silly Fairytales and will include arts and crafts, interactive storytelling of an adventure told through the eyes of a rat turned coachman for Cinderella, and impromptu story making with the kids!

THE MAKE BELIEVE CREATIVITY PROJECT

Make Believe and Fully Booked invite all budding young artists to celebrate the joys of expressing in THE CREATIVITY PROJECT, a 5-week creative arts workshop for kids!

The Make Believe Creativity Project will allow children to stretch themselves and explore the full extent of their creativity by being exposed to different art forms:

• Storytelling and story making
• Arts and crafts
• Singing and simple songwriting
• Creative Movement
• Theater

Towards the second half of the workshop, students will chose an art form they would like to focus on and design an individual (or even group) project they will work on for the remaining sessions. The program will culminate in an arts extravaganza celebrating each student’s unique brand of artistry and creativity. 

Class schedule is Wednesdays and Fridays, 2:00 p.m. - 4:30 p.m. at The Forum, 4/F Fully Booked Bonifacio High Street, from July 4 - August 3. For children ages 5-13.

Interested parties may message me or contact our Workshop Program Officer, Teacher Celina at 7295899 or nini.torres@makebelieve.com.ph.

Our Choice for Sophie

Me and my beautiful, perfect little girl (who will also be my student very, very soon!)

After months of exploring school possibilities for Sophie (she is incoming Grade One), my husband and I have chosen the exciting, awesome, petrifying option of homeschooling her.

You see, Sophie is one the most fantastically creative people I have ever met. Yes, part of this is biased because I am her mother, but it does not take away from its truth. She comes up with songs and raps in an instant, stages her own fairytale stick puppet shows in our living room, choreographs and directs (she's a tyrant when directing me and her Tita Ninang in her very own dance extravaganzas/ house shows). She will think up creative movement pieces in the mall and insist that I be her dance partner (whether these entail me lifting her in the midst of a crowd or bumping sides with her while lined up at an ATM machine doesn't matter). She will break the routine of her Kumon drills by coming up with story lines about the pictures in her worksheets. 

She is a creative force of nature. She is talented, bubbly, and full of life. She also was diagnosed with a speech delay at the age of three, and is a late reader.