WARNING: The post that you're about to see if you decide not to walk away after this warning is bombarded with my family photos of over 60 in number. Most of which have not been shared on my conjugal Facebook account with The Hunny. I have been inspired to snap hundreds of photos of our family spending time together making memories while we can. I confess, I overshare, I am guilty but don't shoot me. (Three smiley faces- I have to figure out how to create those haha.)
On the Philippine Islands our seasons go fleeting. One day it is the dry/summer season and the next day it is the wet/rainy season. Tell me, where have all those summer days gone? But when you' re home-educating your children like us, it doesn't really matter what season of the year it is because learning takes its natural course 365 days a year the fact that we're knit together almost all the time. So, it has been a conscious effort of mine to slow things down, step on the brakes and to just live - savor the moment. Those fleeting seasons of precious memories with our children had been captured to age in my memory bottle and like wine, they sweeten through time. I'm counting the ways.
One...is when we close our textbooks, living books, notebooks and park our pens and pencils and push our chairs towards our desks for a while.
Two...is when we dig up for our swim wears which we tucked in the back of our closets from 10 months ago, we check garters and lycra and dust.
Three...is when we check the expiry dates of our sunblock lotions hidden on the back of the vanity.
Four...is when we shop for new flip-flops, new pairs of shorts to be worn for strolling around town especially during the Holy Week.
Five...is when we google-facebook, we stalk, we lurk to see where our friends went on their vacation trips for the summer.
Six...is when we make a plan and identify the places to go, we argue, we set the budget, and at least we're trying.
And seven...is when we drop one to six to create a summer like no other, a counterflow and decide that we'll just be spontaneous all throughout the blazing days and be flexible. And by all means bask in the sun. The beach is calling us and off to Puerto Galera, Oriental Mindoro we go, my beloved hometown. Here's our photo journal if you please?
This is the view from Sitio Boquete where my kids, my nephews, and I stayed for 3 nights and 4 days. I thought this was a wonderful playground for water sports like para-sailing and windsurfing. I've been here a few times when I was a kid but I can't help falling in love with this place over and over again.
Such an idyllic place...
How about nostalgic? That's an understatement...
The Daughter flashing a smile of excitement as we reach Muelle Bay. It was a short 50min boat-ride from Batangas City on a sunny Sunday morning. I remember learning how to swim on this same bay when I was five years old. Back when the bay was still clean and safe for swimming.
Seven-thirty AM. The glistening water with its turquoise color looked surreal...but it's not.
What a windy time to have breakfast at 8AM. Watch out! Our table napkins went flying across the restaurant and our cafe americano can't keep it hot for 2mins!
I brought my kindle with me thinking, aah, what a wonderful time to relax and read a St. Augustine of Hippo- The Confessions...I was wrong. I ended up taking pictures instead, lots and lots of pictures.
On our first night, my oldest brother, Kuya Melchor and sister - in - love, Ate Sylvia, brought us to Sabang Beach where we had dinner at this place called Eddie's Place. It was a nice place to start with and the food was ok and reasonably priced, servers were friendly, with its cozy ambiance, fronting the beach.
When we got there in time for dinner it was a low tide, thus exposing the canal situated right by the restaurant, screaming of stink! What's that smell again? We joked that night that we didn't know this place has dual names; Eddie's Place at high-tide and Eddie's Canal at low tide. ( oooops sorry about that, and I didn't want to be mean here but just in case you plan on going here, you've been warned! Don't go here on low tides. ) Enough said.
Dinner at White Beach on our second night. Ate Sylvia and I were surprised to find out that this new restaurant we chose is open 24hrs a day! How's that for White Beach lovers?
Help me name this sea creature I found by the shore.
A black sea urchin. It could get nasty and messy when it pokes your bare feet with its needle-like spikes. When we were little, our two known remedies to get rid of those black pins which were painfully embedded in your sole were either soaking it in vinegar which will eventually melt them or (gulp) the one crude organic human pee, having someone pee, a boy or girl playmate, on the affected area. Eew...
Have I mentioned I kept falling in love with this island cove...
Over...
And over...
And over again?
A fun pump-boat ride with the Arago boys...
Haligi Beach!
Talipanan Beach at high tide.
Again, Haligi Beach...
In life there's always the first time...
Like this time when The Boy, my boy at seven years old went snorkelling without the life vest! Proud Mother me.
The Boy: Mom, there's a different world down there, fishes and corals of different colors!
Still in Boquete. To your right is the Muelle Bay. To your left is the Manila Channel.
Lovely group picture. But that bottle of beer is a photo bomber. We don't drink beer...just saying.
So, is this boy having a good time? Or, have you met the "Girl From Ipanema" lately? You know...she's tall- and tan- and young- and lovely- the girl from Ipanema goes walking...I can sing about this...
At El Canonero Resort in Talipanan. These hunks just had pizzas and sodas don't you think?
I smell romance at the sight of these sets of tables for 4. Only in El Canonero at Talipanan Beach, and a stone's throw away from another favorite restaurant, Luca's.
I think my handsome nephew got so exhausted from too much jumping off the pool and while we waited for our halo-halo to be served he was daydreaming err blind staring.
Jumpshots here...
Jumpshots there...
Jumpshots everywhere!
And one last jumpshot!
Now when the energy has waned...
And the skin has burned...
From the scorching heat...
Of the sun...
And the flip-flops retired for over-use...
That burn on the skin will surely hurt...
And we have this for our view at night. Cool, cool breeze at night...
But wait! This is us having a good time, and I was just The Nanny...
To these tall little children...
How's this for a groupie? Enough about the beaches of Puerto...
Then my Inay, mother, had a birthday. Simple celebration, childlike and with lots of cakes!
The Boy, The Hunny, and The Me, and The Twix, cute pup! I wish she was mine to keep!
Left to right- Our family friend Heidi, my sister, Ate Imelda-The Nurse, my Inay, and Tita Elvie hanging out at their favorite spot at the veranda.
My Loves...
Colorful paper plates, barbecue sticks, that metal container was filled with ice cream, well, we call it dirty ice cream; the bee-hive glass container was filled with orange juice, and the coals were an ember ready for the BBQ's to cook...were these Filipino enough?
Help me caption this moment? One silly moment? The Lovely Daughter with Twix the fluffy one beside the birthday Girl, Inay...CJ on cue as he popped the confettis.
Did we spoil Inay with these lovely cakes? Or was it my sister - in - love, Ate Jo's doing? It has become a tradition of hers...
To send each of us family member some special birthday cakes...she's spoiling us especially Me and my two children, now with The Hunny she whips up a dish I call Macaroni ala Josephine.
My Ate Imelda looked like she's having a birthday!
Can you tell the temperature judging by the sweat rolling down our photographer, CJ's cheek? And it's not even at noontime, it's 8pm-ish?
Again, let me ask, were these Filipino enough? Colored paper plates, ice cream cones, BBQ sticks, fish balls, squid balls, and in that metal pot was the bilo-bilo or the pinindot.
CJ, my nephew, flanked by lovely girls from our church.
Goofing around...
Fireworks are magical, don't you think?
Ate Imleda enjoying Twix's fluff!
So, this was us. Enjoying every moment of summer like no other. How about you?
That's me, the guilty Mama, happy about opening her family portraits to the world!
Tomorrow, Lord-willing? The Daughter and I will start our sewing project together to welcome the rainy season on this side of the planet. But first, as the temperature continues to go down in the days to come, we will brush up on those basic sewing skills that I taught her way back 2 years ago.
I see a finished project, hand-sewn throw pillow case that would have beautiful patches and stitches and kaleidoscope of fun colors in it to boast. Can't wait...
