Yesterday, we decided to head off to the mall again to buy a few things. And in the mall, while andrea was busy purchasing mateo’s vitamins from the pharmacy, my son and i went to look at the nearest hardware variety shop. (being the kind of men that we are! haha!)

Anyway, there were tables and chairs on display at the entrance to the hardware shop. And since I was chasing mateo all around the various sets of outdoor furnitures there, I got to scout some of the cool items on display. For example, several tables there looked so perfect for card games. In fact, they looked really comfy that I could almost imagine them as poker tables surrounded by me, andrea and a lot of our poker friends.

Plus, there were also other appliances on display like those vacuum cleaners that are being shown on TV, or the magic grills that promise to get rid of all the bad things about grilling.

It’s amazing how much you can see while running after your kid, isn’t it?

Just a few minutes ago, andrea and i were happily discussing our grand plans just in case we win today’s lottery draw. She was bent on using about 80% of the would-be winnings on charity and special non-profit ideas with educational, health and environmental agendas. I, on the hand, was blissfully entertaining more personally rewarding options. Haha!

I was considering more self-serving ideas, just like buying an SUV that we could use for family outings. You see, since we promised to enjoy the beauty that the Philippines has to offer, I figured we’d have to do a lot of traveling. A reliable SUV should be an essential part of that. It doesn’t need to be expensive. It just has to be sturdy enough to handle possible off-road conditions, big enough to accommodate around 6 people with baggages comfortably, fuel-efficient, not too bulky to make parking easy, and of course decent-looking. Also, if possible, I hope it comes with vehicle tracking as well so it would give us a bit more peace of mind, since we won’t be sure of the people and places that we’ll be encountering.

I told andrea we don’t need to replace the red car. We could keep it and restore it to its once glorious form since it has been a vital member of our family from the very beginning. The SUV will just be an addition…

IF WE WIN THE DRAW! Haha! Okay! That’s it! I really better stop here before I get too carried away with the idea. That’s my dream car and it will stay that way until we get enough money to make it a reality!

Recently, Andrea and I fixed things around our house. Her sister will be staying with us during weekdays starting this April because she will also be teaching in the school where we teach. Since we need to allot space for her in one of our bedrooms, we moved some things around. Andrea then exclaimed that when we get our own house already, she’s going to need a lot of room and space. She wants a small library/work area for us and a playroom/play area for Mateo. Not to mention a separate storage room for all the things that we don’t always use. It got me thinking about any additional room that I would want. I had a flash of inspiration and then decided that I want an entertainment room. In my mind, this room would have the best home theater system, a big LCD TV, a PS3, and a Wii. I just bet we’ll be spending most of our time in that room. It would be great if we could have home theater seats even if they’re discount home theater seating. We could even put a small space for storing snacks and cold drinks. It would be a blast hosting a party there. But then again, we don’t even have our own house yet. Nevertheless, I’m not losing hope. There’s still the lottery.

One of the not-so-nice things about living in a high place is that water remains cold even during summer. You see, when I used to live in the suburbs, faucet water easily changes temperature depending on the season. It’s usually hot during summer and bitterly cold during the holiday seasons. So there’s no need to use heaters during the hot seasons. But when I moved here, in the mountainous regions of Antipolo, I couldn’t help but notice that water almost always remains cold no matter what time of year it is.

What the heck am I complaining about? Well, this afternoon, after coming home from work, all I could think about was taking a shower in order to cool off and wash away the sweat I got from a humid summer day in school. But instead of enjoying the shower, I was surprised to find out that the water was really cold - disappointingly too cold for a simple wash-down. (But of course I wouldn’t be complaining this much if we had a tankless water heater, but since we’re just renting the place, I had no right to blame that.) So I had to go through the trouble of heating up some water to enjoy a nice bath. It’s really a mood spoiler.

But anyway, since our house makes up for the cold water in so many ways, I guess we’ll just have to bear with cold showers the whole year. Who knows? Maybe really it just needs some getting used to.

During the long break, andrea and I talked about our plans in the future - about having another baby, about getting a permanent place, buying a new car or simply having a complete car makeover. (That’s what’s so nice about the Lenten break - it’s usually not too festive and busy but it’s long enough to give you time to put everything in perspective.)

You see, in the last months, we’ve lost sight of where we’re heading. Exerting so much effort just trying to make ends meet, we’ve focused so much on mateo and our expenses that we’re basically just going with the flow. It’s a little bit depressing, but it’s the sad truth. Since we’re not financially gifted, andrea and I have to be both creative and persevering to keep our family afloat and unidirectional. It’s taking both our full strength and attention to keep everything together. That’s why sometimes I can’t help but wonder about getting an insurance plan myself, just to make sure we have a backup in case something happens to me or andrea. (Every now and then, without andrea’s knowledge, I compare life insurance quotes to get an idea of how much more we would have to earn to accommodate a policy, because our child’s and his would-be sibling’s future depends on us.)

This Lent we were able to finally regroup and lay down a path that we want to follow. And although it looks a bit too far-fetched or too difficult to realize, at least we know where we’re heading. Sigh!

The day before yesterday, andrea, mateo and I went to the mall one last time to relax and cool off before the Lenten holidays. It was then that I happened to pass by the lottery outlet and saw the whopping 202 million pot. That night, it was all that andrea and I could think about.

If we won 202 million bucks, what are we going to do? I mean, with that much money, what are we supposed spend it on? Fortunately, after several hours of blissful imagination, these are the top 5 things that andrea and I came up with:

1. Buy our very own house inside the subdivision where we work. It doesn’t have to be extravagant-looking but it would be big enough to accommodate a space for a swimming pool, a basketball court, and a small gathering.

2. We’d buy at least 2 cars - a sedan for the everyday travel and an SUV for family outings that we’d like to have inside the country.

3. Also, we’d immediately want another baby, preferably a daughter, so we can reach our target of 4 children before we reach 35.

4. Fourth, we’d get all of them college plans so that they’re guaranteed good education no matter what happens to me or andrea.

5. Lastly, we’d like to visit all the different tourist spots here and around the world. We’d like to eventually go on caribbean cruises and European tours. We want to see the world at least once.

Of course, we plan on doing so many other things but if I talk about all of them then I wouldn’t see an end to this post. Besides, I don’t think 202 million would be enough to cover everything we talked about! Hehehe!

I grew up thinking hotels were simply for travelers and for wealthy people with nothing to do with their money. Why? Simply because hotel stays usually cost a lot.

You see, I grew up in a not so well-off family. We’re not exactly poor but we’re not rich either. My parents were very practical people who usually spend only for necessities. To them, there is no reason to stay in a hotel if you have a place of your own. To spend money and time in one, especially if your place of residence is not that inaccessible, is to waste important resources.

Fortunately, after having experienced a few hotel stays myself, I changed my mind. Yes, I agree thatthat hotels can sometimes be costly, even expensive, but for special occasions where a change of venue and relaxed living is desired, it is quite an appropriate place. It’s not something to be apprehensive about, nor something to be ashamed of.

That’s the kind of mentality I want mateo to acquire when he grows up, not only because I don’t want him to dislike hotels, but also because andrea and I plan to travel a lot with him.

We want to eventually visit Las Vegas and stay in hotels Las Vegas style. We’d also like to go to Europe and tour the various stops there, but first we’d like to check out Singapore, Hong Kong and the neighboring Asian countries. In short, we want to travel the whole world. And in order to that, all of us have to be comfortable in hotel stays, right?

Now that mateo is more than a year old, he’s been showing off more and more tricks lately. He’s been deliberately playing hide-and-seek with us, waving goodbye when he’s about to leave the house, saying a few more words like fish, cat, and sometimes even guitar, and deliberately asking for food with his hands. He’s certainly come a long way but if there’s one thing he never forgot, it’s his love for his wooden horse.

You see, every once and a while, when he gets bored with all his plastic and rubber toys, we bring out his favorite wooden horse. His face would just instantly light up and then he would ask us to carry him on top of his wooden rocker. He would then just rock the horse so lively and enthusiastically that sometimes we even get scared that he might actually fall off from it. He loves it so much we sometimes consider buying him some equestrian clothing to complete the whole look. I guess deep inside, he just has the heart of a horse-lover.

Now that summer is finally unleashing its fury, I can’t help but think about going back to Tagaytay to cool off. I just bet the summer sun won’t be enough to ruin that place’s relaxing and almost surreal ambiance.

You see, Canyon Woods, the residential resort we stayed in in Tagaytay, is like a huge village with several properties that can be either rented or bought. It is placed in a very remote area of Tagaytay, where nature grows harmoniously with the residents. It’s a perfect getaway from the busy urban  life, just like the Thousand Hills Golf and Conference Center in Missouri.

Unlike all the other Branson hotels, the Thousand Hills Golf and Conference Center offers several cabin and condo rentals similar to Canyon Woods. It’s a great place for a summer escape with a different feel.

Whenever we get the chance to buy him new balls, we always do. This is because Mateo loves all sorts of balls. At the moment, he already has a soccer ball, a basketball, a lawn tennis ball, a football, a table tennis ball, several plastic balls and a lot of other squishy rubber balls.

You see, his face seems to light up whenever he receives a new one especially if it’s of a different type. This is why andrea and I are thinking about which type of ball would be best to give him next. Actually, among the balls that we saw, we thought about giving him a volleyball but I don’t think his arms are strong enough for that. We also considered golf balls, but unfortunately, until he learns not to throw them at breakable appliances like the TV, we’ll have to postpone that. Even baseballs and softballs are bumped off because of the same reason. Frankly, I think we’re running out of options. I can’t think of any more type of ball that he can safely play with.

Anyone have an idea?