Josh is 17! Josh is 17!

Unbelievable! My Bunso is now 17. How did it ever happen? We have a special date at least 2x a month, we go to a sushi place or sometimes just eat quick at a pho place but it’s special coz it’s just me and my Bunso. 

Here are a couple of pictures after we picked him up from school. 

For his 17th, he said he’d go out with his friend after school. I agreed and asked him to be availabable for dinner. 

Since it’s a school day and Chris has work, we went to dinner late. 

Here’s a photo of a magazine where Josh was pictures for Boston Children’s Hospital—- isn’t he so cute my darling baby?

I am super blessed to have my children but I’d like to say that having Josh as my Bunso is a sweet punctuation to my journey to motherhood. 

Happiest bday to you my Bunso! I love you to infinity. 

KC Updates

Hey! Thanks for reading my blog, uhmmm rather, my nonsensical daily ramblings. 

Here’s a little update on KC. Aside from college, yes, haven’t you heard, my daughter is in college. In fact, while we’re at it, I have 2 kids in college! 😂. KC has a grand 18th bday, which I think I blogged about 2 weeks ago even though it happened in 2018. She’s done here last dance recitals last May and it was beautiful. Her competition dance team also got so much better last year they got high gold 2x!

She’s had Ana amazing last year in high school! Oh, by the way, she’s got 2 major awards—- something in design and she was one only  4 in the entire graduating class ( almost 400) to receive the Presidential School Spirit Award. I am truly proud of my daughter. We’ve had a few fights here and there throughout highschool but I have to say, she and her siblings have not given me any major headaches or heartaches. 

So on to college. She was accepted to a few reputable schools but she narrowed it down to Dean College in Franklin MA and Johnson and Wales in Prividence Rhode Island. She was offers great academic scholarships by both schools but in the end m she chose JWU! Again, FAFSA did not help us at all. Middle class is screwed. 😂 

Dean College has a beautiful campus and really thought she’d choose it. I do know deep in my heart she wanted Brown but I was surprised she never even applied. We’re familiar with JWU/Providence as we visited Brown for Pherry and then RISD fod KC. She immediate liked the vibes when we visited and like me, my kids love the urban feel. She’s attracted to the restaurant scene, the young crowd and the surprising fact that JWU does not hold classes on Fridays at all! 

I actually went to her first day of school. Ok okC let me take that back. Her dad and I went with her the whole day on her first day of school!

I have stories for that whole day if you follow me on social media. 

What she’s been up to? Wait, did I tell you what she’s majoring with? Marketing. Digital Arts Marketing or something like that. This time kids have so much option. Pherry is BS Math, Computational Marhematics. Those were not options in my time. 

She’s joined the dance troop, she’s been really independent and at least in my eyes, in the short weeks she’s a college student, she has gained so much confidence. Her dance team got athlete classifications so they’re considered student athletes. 

She’s been taking the Commuter Rail or the Amtrak or most days her dad drops her off and I pick her up. She did not move to a dorm as we asked her to defer that as the payments would be too much for her and  Pherry. We are lucky parents to have such understanding daughter. 

She’s still the same old wacky crazy princess who is totally fully made up some days and wearing sweat pants the next. 

Here’s a picture of her on the first Friday of her first week of her college. 

And oh, yes she turned 19 last month. 

That’s all for now and hopefully I can continue this blogging streak so I don’t have to remember to update this blog. I gotta say, my daughter is turning out to be such a responsible young adult. Also, i am loving my 1 hour drive with her every Monday and Wednesday. Oh wait wait, let me share a story that touched my heart. As we were headed home almost 10pm, she was playing 2000 playlist and Bubbly by Colby came up. We both looked at each other and she blurted “ remember when I used to ask you to print the lyrics of songs?” I sure do Anak, I do my little princess 👸 it’s all in my heart. 

And here’s us today after church. 

Stories for Today

We were going to visit Pherry next Saturday on my birthday but he’s participating Hackaton again so he invited us to see him today. 

First story: Kc and Pherry were annoying each other while eating at the dining commons. 

Pherry: Your shirt is whack. 

KC: No, your face is whack. 

Pherry: Your teeth are whack. 

KC: No you’re just jealous coz mine came out better ( referring to their braces)

Pherry: No, I came out better. 

KC:You’re chin is whack. 

Pherry: Your double chin is whack. 

KC: you can’t tell me something I don’t have. 

Pherry: You’re height is... wait, you don’t  have, never mind. 

🤣🤣🤣. Kc: Mom!!!!

Here’s a photo of Pherry and Josh at the dining commons. 

After eating late lunch, we went to downtown Amherst to just walk around and enjoy the city and to survey the place for our dinner 😂😉. First stop? Why would you not guess it, it’s a bookstore of course! 

While perusing around, Pherry told me that this where he went to meet the author of his Korean book. Then we saw this:

I read all of these in the individual books, he said. I was like, I bought them? I would not buy scary books, trust me! 😂 And he was,no in elementary at Ms. Roybal’s class!  So thank you Ms. Roybal for giving all the books and magazines to Pherry as a way to keep him busy instead of getting bored in your class! I love Ms. Roybal. 

I saw some interesting stuff but this is the most interesting:

After the bookstore, we went to ViVi to get our Asian fix—- bubble tea! And trust me, where there are board games and anything fun, they’d try. Me? I’m just looking at them enjoying my family. 

Then we head to dinner. Wait, let’s backtrack. When going around town, we saw a place where oysters are $1.00 each from 4-6pm. So we hurried to make sure we order all 2 dozens to get the price! We’re Asians after all. 😜. The place is a bistro so it’s a tiny one. 

Appretizers

First dozen of oysters. No photo for the second one. 🤣 

Mr. Hubbs and I shared the blackened scallops with yummy bacon risotto!

KC and Josh shared what’s in the menu as Crazy alfredo. KC didn’t like it as much, Josh didn’t like the sausage with it. 

Pherry ordered the lobster chowder which he also didn’t like as much because it isn’t milky enough for him. He likes the Legal Seafood version. It was such an enjoyable dinner nonetheless. The ambience is great. 

While waiting for our food, the kids played guess that vine where they act out old vine clips. It was funny but I can’t relate. 😂 Then we all played Consolation United Nations. What this is 

You choose a category and each one player answers until you run out of answers. So you strategically choose categories that you know first of all, then make it so that it might end When it is your opponent’s turn. Say, name states that starts with M! Anyway, it was fun!

Here’s few snaps inside Bistro 63 in Amherts. 

Then the sad 😢 part is always dropping Pherry back to his dormitory. But before that we have fun taking pictures! At some point KC flagged down a couple walking down the street. 😂 Here’s my family. We don’t have much but we sure have fun. 

Llaga family. 

Questions I Ask That No One Can Answer

First off, why is it hard to have manners in social media?

How is it October already? 

What happened to 2019?

Is anyone productive this year?

Who can tell me why in 2019 is it still taboo to ask for salary expectations?

Where is my sanity? If you find it please return to sender. 😜

But most of all, why is Joshua working-age already?

Why? How? Seriously?

Anyway, if you have answers, please don’t hesitate to respond. I already told KC to take photos of Josh as tonight is his first day of work—- ever!

 So here’s what she took! 

While driving home, I hear a text message alert and KC said, that just me sending you the pic. Right before turning off the car, I hear another alert. 

Here’s that text message. Oh my Lord, he knows me too well. He knows I’d secretly ( not) take photos so he graciously took one for my files. 😂😂😂

So yeah, anyone have questions for me. Please shoot me those questions coz this Mama ain’t got no answers. 😭😭😭 My kids are growing way too fast for me and the only defense I have to create a facade of “ I’m not hurting” attitude is to pretend I don’t miss them. But I do! Why must I pretend to be the strong person at all times? 

Feeling Alone

Pherry’s in college. 

Karmina’s sleeping over at her cousin’s coz of her dance camp. 

Josh’ at a military encampment. 

You know what that means? I am alone since last night as Mr. Hubbs is working tonight too! I wish I can say I’d just enjoy it, pour myself a glass of wine and binge watch on Netflix or put on the most horrid facial mask without anyone complaining! Contrary to that, I feel helpless. So helpless I am writing this at almost midnight!

Mr. Hubbs and I did go out to a lunch date at a pho place. This place we go to is good—- simple and no fanfare. Not exactly a wall in the hole type of thing but simple. 

I had the beef and tendon combo. 

My sister-in-law I coerced to order sour soup with salmon and pineapples! Yummy!


Mr. Hubbs has his usual boring beef and tripe. 


I certainly appreciate having “ me time” but I prefer the chaos of having my kids around. 

Happy weekend everyone. Keep smiling. Always be kind. 

Gosh! Josh Got a Bank Account

I was feeling emotional 😭 today as Josh asked me to join him in opening a bank account. He wanted Bank of America which he calls BoFA Hahahaha but by the time I get off work the BofAs bear are closed so we went to Citizens Bank. 

How can it be that 3 of my kids are old enough to have bank accounts on their own! How? Paano naman nangyari yon. Ano yon kisapmata? Baka bukas makalawa lola na ako? 

Not so long ago, he was just this cutie little boy, who’s the sweetest of all! 

Here’s our family the second time we went to Disneyworld. Look how little my kids were! Pero pansinin niyo din, little din ako dati! 😂


Don’t tell the two older ones, but here’s my phone! 😉


How’s your Monday my lovies? Stay kind and always smile!

Update in Life

Ok, so I can literally get back to blogging in really time I have to do a phone dump. Literally, it means I can I’ll talk about anything at anytime since the last update not in chronological order but just about anything I can remember. 

We had a party for KC’s 18th bday. It’s called a “debut” pronounced as DE-BOO back home. I had so much prep that during the party, I didn’t have any good pictures. Here’s a few I love