I’ve been hearing a lot of things lately about Erate . It seems that a lot of US schools have started to participate in the program and they have been seeing good results come out of it. It is a School and Libraries program of the Universal Service Fund that provides discounts to assist most schools and libraries in the United States to obtain affordable telecommunications and internet access. The success of the program also lies in the service provider that would be chosen for a certain school. Trillion has a team of E-rate experts who can greatly help a school district or library. It’s great to have programs like this that aims to provide students more access to knowledge and information. For a teacher like me, it sure looks good.

Just when we thought we finally hit the jackpot this time with mateo’s nanny, we were once again disappointed. You see, a few days ago, the yaya went to andrea to tell her about the news she received from her aunt. According to her, her aunt just informed her that her brother died. At first we were skeptical about the whole thing, but later that same day, we saw her weeping inside the room so we figured it must be true.

This morning however, we called up the agency and found out that there were no news of death that came to them. Andrea grew suspicious. She questioned the yaya and the yaya slipped. Not only was she not able to confirm the truth about her brother’s death, she also messed up with her answers about certain things - things like her true age for example. She’s not 18 as what her papers claimed to be. She was only 16 years old. I told andrea that we should let her go no matter what. (Hiring minors is not exactly legal in this country.)

Upon further investigation, we found out that even before the death news, her aunt already received complaints from the yaya about the work. It wasn’t the other way around. Apparently, the yaya was finding it difficult to handle mateo so she wanted out.

I don’t get it? Why didn’t she just tell us. Why did she have to result to lying just to get out. We would have willingly let her go. I mean we don’t want anybody taking care of mateo who would feel uncomfortable doing so.

And what’s with our baby? I know he can get annoying and very irritating sometimes, but I don’t think his mischief and tantrums are beyond the range of usual babies. He has his good sides too. As a matter of fact, our co-workers in school find mateo adoring and funny. Do I have to put a gold chain around his neck just so his nannies could withstand his antics? I don’t think so.

Anyway, that’s our yaya problem right now so we’re looking for another one. We’re praying that somebody better comes along. We’re not after a perfect nanny! All we’re asking for is someone who would love mateo almost as much as we do!

Ever since my colleagues in school have started playing basketball, I’ve always had Fridays to look forward to. You see, Andrea and I have been cooped up in school and at home for quite some time so we barely have enough opportunities for ourselves or for exercise. With the establishment of the Friday basketball games however, every Friday after work, I can play from 4 in the afternoon to 7 in the evening. All I need to do is to leave Mateo to the care of his Tita and yaya and then I could immediately proceed to the court to shoot some hoops.

Why in the world do I bother? Why now? Well, I’m not exactly getting any younger nor am I becoming fitter as I age. I just thought that if I don’t do anything to keep myself healthy then time might catch up with me sooner than expected. Secondly, I play not just because I have to but also because I want to. You see I used to shoot hoops every weekend back in high school and in college because I like basketball. That hasn’t changed even though I haven’t played the game for a long time.

For me right now, playing is the most convenient and the healthiest way to get in shape. No need for a weight loss pills. No strict diets. And especially no surgical cosmetic procedures to worry about. Not to mention it’s also fun, cheap and readily available.

I’m so hooked on basketball right now that I wish I could play on Wednesdays too. Haha!

Finally, the science expo eliminations has come to a close. We’re done with the presentations, the judging and the setting up. All that’s left is to tally to scores and determine the best projects in each division.

Of course, I have my biases. I can’t wait but hope that my advisees make it to the top of their divisions. I am genuinely proud of most of them. But, alas, I can’t do anything about the scores. The outcome depended purely on the judges’ call from the moment that the presentations began. Now, all I have to do is to bear the suspense and wait for the official announcements.

I can only cross my fingers…

and Mateo will get his first airplane ride and boat ride, his feet will have its first feel of soft, white sand. Andrea and I are excited for our Boracay trip next week. We are feeling happy and grateful for the people who will be making this possible for us - our parents (and of course the friends who will be getting married there). We’re also both first time Boracay goers so we can’t wait to see Yahoo Travel’s #1 most popular beach of 2007. Let’s just hope for our sake and our friend’s sake that Bora will have the perfect weather next week.

One of the things that Andrea and I would love to enjoy together is traveling. We wouldn’t mind spending for travel if ever we get some extra money. Of course, we’d like to bring Mateo along. There’s no match to the rich life experiences that travel can bring. We have a lot of destinations we dream of visiting. One of our dreams is to go on a Hawaii cruise vacation. Andrea loves beaches and a Hawaii cruise is a must for any beach-lover. It’s great that there are now sites like TravelStoreUSA.com and Cruiselocators.com to help any traveler book vacations to various destinations around the world. I hope we get to fulfill our travel dreams. There are just so many places worth going to before we grow old.

Andrea has been immersing herself on a project. She decided to make Mateo’s first year album lay-out. She’s been cramming it since the little boy is past his first year already. Lately, I’d often find her engrossed on her laptop and would sometimes call my attention to ask my opinion on what she’s done so far. She’s hoping to finish the 40-page lay-out before April and then she’ll continue on our long overdue wedding album lay-out. I guess she can’t be disturbed for the next few weeks.

For several weekends already, Andrea and I decided not to travel far to visit our parents. We have several reasons for doing so. One, our gasoline expense is one of the things that we’ve identified to be negotiable. Since the summer is approaching, which means less pay for teachers, we know that we’re going to have to make adjustments with our budget if we’d like to survive the next two months. We could cut down big time if we don’t visit our parents. Two, we would cut down on our beloved red car’s wear-and-tear if we avoid using it for long drives. Not to mention that we would avoid any possible accidents on the road. Three, we wanted to enjoy our weekends at home. We love spending quality time at home especially now that Mateo is very active already.

That’s why it’s no surprise that Andrea’s parents decided to visit us this long weekend. Not seeing and spending time with their grandson for more than two weeks is a definite no for them so they will be the ones doing the long travel this time. It’s great that they will be bringing food with them too. I guess we will be freeloaders in our own house too!

In order not to be late for the prom, andrea and I left home at around 6:30. I figured it would take us around 30 minutes to get to the place and I was right. We were there by 7. Unfortunately, I forgot that this was the type of event that usually starts late.In fact, it was almost 8 when the students started filling in the vacant seats and tables. But this post is not about what happened after the prom started. It is about what happened before.

You see, I didn’t even get to witness the start of the prom. Because when it started I was somewhere outside the venue. I was near the gate of the subdivision where the prom was being held helping out a colleague in trouble.

Anyway,  this was how it started.

A few minutes after we arrived at the venue, Sir Leo, a co-teacher of ours in hedcen, came. He and andrea started taking pictures of the place, the food, and some of the students who came early. Then, after some time, he came back asking if we know any convenient stores nearby - where he could buy batteries from. Andrea said she saw a small store just near the entrance to the subdivision. So Leo took off to buy some batteries.

Nearly half an hour later, a call from Leo came in. He asked if we brought a cable that he could use to jump start the car. Apparently, his engine died near the gate and he couldn’t get back. So I searched for cables from the car and from the drivers of the other cars in the area but no one had any cables. That’s when I decided to just go to him and check out what else we could do. When I got there, I saw the car. Leo and I tried everything we could but there was nothing we could do. So we just agreed to push the car and park it somewhere for the meantime. We’d just ask for help later. So after checking that the car was secured, we headed back to the party.

When we got back, it was then that i realized andrea and i didn’t come too early for the prom. We just came on time…

This valentine’s day I didn’t plan anything for andrea and me. The reason why is because my hands were kind of tied down because of two important factors - work and money. I know it sounds too common to be true, but it is. I’ve seen and heard the same thing in so many movies before, and like the many (valentine) movies where the same lines were said, I too want a romantic ending for this day.

So instead of figuring out where to eat out, or what gift to buy her, I am posting this as my valentine gift for her. So even at the risk of sounding corny, cheesy, and a trying hard poet, I’m posting this collage of pictures of her for her.

We started out as friends. We were in the same buddy circle (barkada). She used to be no more than a buddy. Used to be…

I developed feelings for her. We grew close, dated and become more than friends. What we had, we cherished and allowed to blossom into something beautiful.

Despite what we had, we worked in different worlds. She chose the corporate industry. I stayed behind and taught.

Eventually, I asked her to share a life together. She said yes. And then there she was… the most beautiful bride I ever saw.

Our love blossomed even more. What once was two now became three.

And through it all, you were always there. And when the time comes when mateo leaves us, I hope you will still be there with me… my love… my life… my one and only valentine.

Happy Valentine’s Day!