10 Rules of Borrowing

This was published last May 3, 2023 and updated again today January 18 2024. 

1. Borrowing a car - make sure you fill up the gas at the same level (better if more or full tank) when you borrow it. I heard a complaint before, na masungit si xxx kasi pag manghihiram ka kailangan mo pa i-carwash and lagyan ng gasolina. My take, kung hiniram mo at nadumihan mo it's your duty na linisin yun, yung gasolina/diesel na nagamit mo tama lang na ibalik mo sa dati. You would have paid for a fare have you taken a taxi. 

2. Borrowing make up - I think for mascara, eyelash curler and eye liner borrowing them is safe. But for foundation, blush on, lipstick hmm no no siguro. If you are super close, siguro pwede pero kung hindi naman and may zits ka na visible, better use or buy your own.

3. Borrowing books - use a bookmark and do not put crease on the page, never never highlight and write on the book. Ask if you need to return it back asap, do not assume you can borrow it as long as you like or borrow until you finish it because you never know if you can really finish reading it.

4. Borrowing tools - this I need to take note as well as I am likewise guilty.  Everytime you borrow a tool, say wrench - take a picture and send the lender that you borrowed such and will return it to xx date. Once you return it, take a picture and a proof so that you will remember, make sure you send the picture to the owner for trail. It's really hard to find a tool when you don't know who borrowed it and if they returned it. It's sometimes even embarrasing to ask if the tool is with them or not. We have 2 drills now because we did not know who borrowed the first one and where exactly is it. We borrowed a tool for the car before and returned it, then a family member borrowed it again - we didnt know about it until the owner asked for it. Kakahiya kasi we said we returned it already but he said xxx borrowed it again

5. Borrowing phone or laptop - do not browse their photos or read their messages. If you are too curious, at least ask for permission. Do not go in their FB account and post things that they wouldnt post. I don't know why some of this generation likes posting a message in their friends FB wall, you should know your boundary or if you are the one they hacked - at least let them know that you don't want that again. Say NO! haaaays, They often cry out for privacy, consent, body shaming, equality and all the churvaloo and that's fine we get you, but then you also do stuff like posting without permission, taking vids of other people for fun - come on guys this social media thing made most a slave for likes and following. Nako naman ang layo na sa borrowing of phone and laptop pero ramdam mo ko?

6. Borrowing shoes, or any article of clothing - siblings are always guilty with this one. They usually borrow clothes/shoes from their bro or sis without permission. While this is okay for some, some are very picky with their clothes. If your feet smell, or your ua smells  - skip from borrowing things - just wear your own clothes/shoes. I got other kwento her but .... i'm tired.

7. Borrowing oil, patis, soysauce, vinegar or anything in the pantry - ask first if they will need it for their food. Grabe ka naman if you borrow all the garlic and ang plan pala nila lutuin ay Adobo.

8. Borrowing name for loan - or co borrowing is a NO NO. You should never ever ask someone to co borrow for you, nor let anyone make you a co borrower. Why? Watch K-dramas na lang baka dun makita mo why most people got bankrupt or remain poor even when they are really working hard to earn. If religious naman, look up Proverbs 11:15.

9. Borrowing for Business, for investment, for something that will yield in return - way back my rule here is to invest only your excess. But I learned in financial economics class that a negative cash flow can yield positive when used in business the right way. So borrowing for business is not really bad. But borrowing without studying the business itself is a huge risk. If you just want to join your friends who are already earning, e.g. crypto, pyramid, nft, this can lead to a big problem. Banks and loan sharks have high interest rates, surcharges and penalties once you missed payments. So be very very careful. 

10. Borrowing money - pay back as soon as possible. ASAP doesnt mean paying after your leisure trip to Batanes or wherever. Pay even if you really really want to have that IPhone 14 because all of your friends have it. Pay even if it means you need to work double. Pay even if it has been years since you borrowed the money. Put some interest if possible because if he didnt lend it to you, it would have earned an interest at least. Pay in installment if paying it whole is too hard. Pay even if the lender doesnt seem to need it now, because that's not how it should be. Just Pay.

2023

 It's April already. How can I describe the first quarter of the year... hmmm let me think.

Me and Alvin went out on an end of December to close the year with a date. Vista Tala is beautiful, but like all of the places we've been, we always survey it first before taking our family especially Thea. While it is a nice place to go, surrounded by nature, colder and a pool with mountain view, we can't take the family there because the parking is a bit far from the lodging. The walkway's slope is steep for Nanay's aching knees, plus the stairs to reach the rooms would cause additional burden. So it is an X for the family but it would be good for dates. 

January came and I still don't have my word for the year. I looked into all my previous words - excel, blessing, strong, more, but I couldn't come up with an appropriate word. Until the plan for the cafe didn't push through, I then decided that the most appropriate word for me this year would be TRUST from Proverbs 3:5-6 

And like a test, everyone started getting sick - I had a flu, Euan and Leb had it too then Ate followed.  For some, January was too long but mine was short. February was a challenge because Alvin got the bug albeit not serious some other issues arose. Several visits to doctors and they still can't figure out what's wrong - after all the tests and scans what worked were (just) vitamin B12 and thydin  (saging pa more) :D Going to doctors is a must, but we really need to go to the right doctor so we would get well and diagnosed correctly. The last doctor is good albeit mataray and konting sungit but we were grateful to have met her. 

Also it was Feb when everyone got stomach flu, una muna si Caleb, tapos si Ate then si Euan na! When it was Euan's turn tuloy tuloy suka and nanghina na sya so we needed to rush him to the hospital, they inserted an IV to replenish lost fluids. It was super super heartbreaking to see him crying while nurses inserted the needle, grabe saksak puso yun ang sakit sakit para sa mommy heart ko. I even doubted myself kasi baka di naman need tapos hinayaan ko magka trauma anak ko. The doctor said he needed that because madaming nawalang fluid, his lips were still cracked and dry. While there, I felt my stomach churn too, Alvin felt it too. Haaay so everyone got it and we suspected the water and the broken sink pipes, and the food that we ate, lahat na. (The only one who didnt get stomach flu was our kasambahay Ate Tess, who had severe toothache a week before and was on antibiotics when all this happened ). After the hospication, we only drank distilled water, changed the sink pipes and cleaned everything. After 2 weeks we were back to drinking purified water (delivered by the gallon) and we're all good. Hooray for Maxicare and Erceflora.

It was also Feb when Nanay Dolores got ER'd for hypertension and Kuya ped got hospitalised for 2 weeks due to appendicitis. Kung meron suntok everytime may ma-oospital sa amin baka knock out na si Alvin. With God's help and all the prayers from loved ones and friends we were able to survive the chaos of February and face March anticipating blessings and joy!

March was like RESET. We really pleaded for deliverance and that God to finally release us and let us rest and enjoy the summer. Guess what? March is like unwrapping a gift, so many good and fun things transpired, He gave us time to enjoy nature, time to bond as a family, time to relax. Time - a very valuable thing we possess, once given to someone you cannot take it back. It is a rare commodity that many people neglect and just use it on non essential things and then calling them self love. (Self love is not wrong but too much self love is.)

here's what happened last march

• Subic Funtastic Park - a 3D park  http://funtasticpark.com/ it felt like an exclusive trip wala kami kasama sa loob :D 
• Subic Blue Turtle Cove - the two young boys got to enjoy the sand albeit medyo malansa daw sabi ni Alvin, me and the boys still enjoyed our time
• 3.14 we got Terry Pi Picache aka Vera 
• The Manor for 2D1N
• Zero Meralco bill
• Early April was our family day at Happy Place Vacation Home at Angeles City - happy memories were made    

(Will try to load the videos here but for now narrative muna :)

Thank you dear Lord for the good and the not so good things that happened. Help us to always trust in Your plans and ways. 

Train Up A Child

Proverbs 22:6 "Train Up A Child in the way he should go, so when he is old he will not depart from it" 

Reciting it now that I have 3 kids feels different. It felt heavy, hmmm not easy... yes difficult but doable. 

How can I raise someone without breaking them? How do I show them the way? How do you make them feel loved while you discipline them? How do you teach them to value the things that they have, to appreciate and acknowledge that they are indeed blessed. How do you make their childhood memorable without spoiling them rotten. How do you raise and tell a child with autism that she is loved? 

What is the formula in raising an intelligent, sharp, honest - brutally honest, loving child? What is the gauge in giving them time, do you give them all your time, do you need to stay away from them sometime, do you need to play spy mama and look at their messenger if there are weird people trying to corrupt them? 

 

WHen should you get involve when they are hurt? When do you pick them up when they stumble? WHen is the right time to let go? 

Heavy heavy heavy are the tasks of a parent. Yet here I am loving this awesome phase in my life and my pay are tiny hands holding mine, sweet kisses, and hugs. HEaring them laugh makes my heart giddy. It's time to go down now and serve my champorado to my son who need to be at school albeit online by 7:50. 

Leaving you with these school pics of them.

happy morning everyone xoxo

Almost half year

How fast was 2022? Parang lightning lang ah. after the slow down 2020 and recovery 2021, 2022 zoomed in and it was June already!!!

 Alvin turned 43 this year :) Lunch at Misto was superb, pricey pero sarap naman. Uulitin ba? Maybe pag special occassions haha, pero yung "tara misto tayo" levels, no no no! 

 March 8 also was the first dose of vaccine for Thea and Caleb. We were blessed to come at the time when kind staff were manning the booth, the doctor, a staff, and the nurse all went to the car to check on ate's BP and inject the vaccine. After that I asked if Caleb can also be given, at first only Malolennos are allowed. So I tried asking, got rejected, so I asked again, rejected again, during q&a for thea's vaccine I told them it would be better to have Caleb vaccinated too so he could tell us if it's aching, that way we can give him medicine and thea as well. After much asking, pakiusap to the max, the head of the team came and the nurse told him about my request and he granted it. Lesson to learn here is to just keep on asking, nakakahiya na minsan pero sige ask lang ng ask kung para sa mga bata go lang at mag request. Walang ibang mag champion para sa kanila kundi ikaw lang na nanay nila. Remember this nyemnyem when they get old and they desperately need something. Besides, right naman ng mga bata to be vaccinated, they are actually mandated by the government to vaccinate everyone. 

 We had the best Mango harvest this year. It was soo good, Teacher Don's mom asked him where he bought it. Tatay said it tastes like the one they use for prime dried mangoes. The masseuse asked if they can buy 2 kg. Maintenance team of the village kept asking for it, we did gave them some pero nung paubos na sabi ko yung indian mango na lang kuhanin hahaha. So we have indian mango, apple mango and pico - pico for the win!!! 

 We had an anay situation at the house so the ceiling were replaced and a lot of renovations were done. The Master's bathroom were fixed too, yey for bath tubs!!! 

 Euan has grown a lot, he drives us all happily crazy over him. Mimics a lot, so we are super careful about how we talk lest he says it too. He knows animal sounds, sings a lot of nursery rhymes, knows body parts, knows (acts) feelings, likes his books - Eric Carle for the win but his current fave is Guess How much I Love you. One lunchtime after praying we are about to eat, Euan cupped his hands again and murmured "Trust in the Lord with all of your heart", kala nya prayer yun :D Turning 2 in 3 weeks time and this mama hasnt prepared anything yet. okay got to go haha 

 Last May we went to Taal Vista, how I wish I can just paste the pictures here easily without having to go to several apps. Hopefully I can find some time to add those pictures here. So help me… :) It should have been a JUNK date but lo we cant leave Euan so we took him with us, even bought a car seat (yeah kakabili lang namin) for this trip. Nagsuka sya sa skyway, paikot ikot naman kasi dun, pauwi nagsuka din!!! First time ko maexperience sa mga bata ang nagsusuka, Thea and Caleb loves travelling and car sickness was never a problem. Both ate and kuya rode airplane before they turned 2. This little pandemic baby get sick in a car going to Tagaytay!!! Hala sya!!! I bought the rooms with a voucher, the voucher pala is forest view which is street view -hindi masaya!!! So we asked for an upgrade for 1.5k and we were transferred to Taal View!! Ang saya makita ang taal from your room, di makikipagunahan sa upuan sa restaurants to see the volcano. It was a fun getaway for me and a very nice experience for Euan who was able to see the light show at Sky Ranch (he thinks they were fireworks), actually that's just the ferris wheel but he was super fascinated with it! 

 Also last May the Mariano peeps went to Zambales for Nanay's birthday. It was a fun fun bonding with the sibs, parents, nephews and nieces save for the malumot and makati na beach floor hahaha. Alvin got traumatized kasi super slimey. Everyone enjoyed the time together so kebs na sa slimey floor :D 

 June 8, caleb moved up from grade 3 and is now ready for grade 4. He got a distinction, conduct/behavior award, and music, etc smart. Thea finished her modules and ready na for submission. Aru, kadami ng module nya!!! kakaloka. Teacher don started going back for ABA sessions starting December. 2x a week 2 hours each. Mahalia pero kailangan eh, so there. ALvin got promoted at work this May. I still am the CFO of the Regalado household :D There's still tons of stories to tell but not much time to spare. Euan is calling and food needs to be prepared. 

 How's your half year 2022?

Btw, There are times na I think I lost myself in the midst of being a mom, wife, daughter, sibling. Being a SAHM aint easy I tell you. Yes I have extra cash from my BIR clients to buy myself some stuff but it still feels not enough. Especially when I look at my husband sleeping late nights for meetings and waking up early again for meetings, I wish I can do more, I wish I can contribute more. WHen I see my parents and I want to give them something, I always hope I can give them better things. I wish I can give them more of my time. But I am in this Mama with 1year old kid season and balancing act is insanely difficult. That's why I am thankful for my husband who assures me that what I am doing is enough, my parents who doesnt ask for more and they even lovingly give me and my children gifts, my siblings who support and help me. 

I hope you had a great half and will have an even greater half of 2022. I pray that you have your constant person beside you, not the lulubog lilitaw kind of friends. I hope that you can be a constant person to others too, someone who builds other up.

live, love, laugh

xoxo,

nyemnyem