NaBloPoMo -- the end

And so it ends -- one whole month of posting every day. Today is the last day of NaBloPoMo and I'm proud to say, I didn't miss a single day.

Win a Makeover!

Hey, all! Who couldn't use some pampering and ME time? The Silicon Valley Moms Blog is sponsoring a makeover contest -- head on over for details and how to join!

Fridays Feast #170

Appetizer: What is your favorite carnival/amusement park ride?
I love any kind of free fall ride, the kind that zooms you up into the air and just drops you. I love that feeling of terror when I see how high we are, and of course the feeling in the pit of your stomach as you drop.

Soup: How do you react in uncomfortable social situations?
I just clam up and look around.

Salad: On a scale of 1-10 with 10 being highest, how much do you enjoy discussing deep, philosophical topics?
It depends who I am talking to and what the situation is. If the person I am talking to is in complete agreement with my views, then I would say 9; if the person disagrees with me but is respectful and engaging in intelligent discourse, then I would say 9; if the person disagrees with me and is a ranting, judgmental bore, then I would say 0.

Main Course: Did you get a flu shot this year? If not, do you plan to?
I don't think I will get one this year.

Dessert: Approximately how many hours per week do you spend watching television?
1 hr. of House + 1 hr. of Greys Anatomy + 2 or 3 hours of something else (random shows, movies, etc..) should only equal 4 or 5 hours per week, but somehow I always seem to watch a lot more.

For more feasts, click here.

Beautiful

Several weeks ago I put up a Love Thursday post about my grandmother, and in it I mentioned that I was putting together a little slide show for her birthday party. I've been procrastinating on this for months, but I've finally put together a first draft.

Now, blogging buddies, I need some feedback -- what do you think? Too shmaltzy? Too long? Too short? Do you think it will bring out the hankies? Or will everyone notice the profanity in the middle of the uncensored version of James Blunt's "You're Beautiful"? Should I switch to the censored version?

This present has no strings attached

Alfie and I spent the better part of last night setting up the new wide-screen tv, so the kids were only able to see the setup in its full glory this morning. The Pea and CleanBoy were suitably impressed, but it seems our 3Po has higher standards.

Me: So, do you like our new tv?

3Po: Yes, but not really.

Me: Why?

3Po: Because it doesn't have any strings. I thought there would be strings hanging from the top of it.

Me: What do you mean?

3Po: You said we were getting a wide-string tv.

Look what Santa brought!

I guess Alfie has been a good boy this year, because Santa has finally given him something that has been on his wishlist for two years.

On Fishing and Happiness

“Give someone a fish and you feed him for a day; Teach someone to fish and you feed him for a lifetime.”

Meet Helina, a 6-year-old girl who lives in Addis Abbaba, Ethiopia, the newest member of our family. No, she's not related to us by blood or marriage or adoption or friendship. But she is going to hold a special place in our hearts from now on, because we are going to help her get a good education. Through the Children of Ethiopia Education Fund, we will be paying for Helina's school tuition through the 12th grade.

3Po, CleanBoy and The Pea are excited to have a new friend halfway around the world whom they can write letters to and send photos and little presents to. The Pea is especially excited because Helina is the same age that she is; she loves imagining that Helina must like the same things that she does -- dolls, dresses -- and must be learning many of the same things at school.

For our part, Alfie and I are encouraged by the enthusiasm our children are showing, and happy that Helina and her family value education as we do, and excited that we can make a difference in one girl's life. As parents, it gives us pleasure to imagine the happiness that Helina's parents must feel -- it would be like someone offering to pay our kids' tuition to Harvard! And we are all looking forward to the day when we can travel to Ethiopia, meet Helina and her parents and take them all out for ice-cream.

Helina has already made our family happier, and we haven't even met her yet. Victor Hugo was right when he said, "As the purse is emptied, the heart is filled".

The Twenty-Four Days of Christmas

We leave for Manila in just 9 days, so I'm trying to compress a lot of our usual Christmas preparations in a short period of time -- shopping for Christmas presents, writing out Christmas cards, baking Christmas cookies, and so on. The nice part is, I get all of it over and done with early, so I can enjoy our vacation to the fullest.

But when I look at the list of things to do in Manila, it certainly doesn't look like it's going to be the kind of vacation where we just lie around and do nothing. So far, we have the following events scheduled within a 24-day timeframe:

Dress fitting for my brother's wedding (for me and The Pea)
Shopping for formalwear (for Alfie and the boys)
2-day trip to Tagaytay
3-day trip to Subic Bay
3-day trip to Punta Fuego beach
Food tour of Binondo (Manila's Chinatown)
Tour of San Agustin Church
Bridal shower
Bachelor party
Wedding rehearsal dinner
Wedding
Birthday party for my grandmother
Birthday party for 3Po and CleanBoy
Birthday party for my niece
Christmas Eve dinner
Christmas Day lunch

And that isn't counting date nights with Alfie (since we'll have unlimited babysitting while we're there), shopping sprees, invitations to lunch, playdates for the kids, etc.. etc...

And here I thought that vacations were supposed to relax you.

Photo Hunters: hot

We are going someplace HOT, very soon -- only 10 more days!

For more hot things, click here.

Go forth and buy, buy, buy

(Nov. 23, Black Friday, 5AM, in stores all over the US): Rrrrrreaaadyyyy...... Seeeet....... Gooooooo!!

(Nov. 23, Black Friday, 5AM, in the Bongga household): Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz...........

The Friday After Thanksgiving -- the beginning of the Holiday Shopping Season, aka Holiday Buying Frenzy -- is the one day when you can be sure that I am not out shopping. I tried it once, long ago. Even at 11AM, it was still madness. The crowds were unbearable; going with kids would be unthinkable for me.

Now, I'm the biggest cheapskate in the world, and I love a good bargain, but even I don't think it's worth the hassle. Why fight the crowds? Is it really worth lining up at 3AM in order to snag the Early Bird Deals? Are the bargains really that much better anyway? And are there really items so popular that you need to punch and kick everyone else away in order to get one?

I am forced to conclude that this must be a tradition, a ritual that some families enjoy, like going on a jolly good scavenger hunt and having some hot chocolate afterwards. And if you absolutely must go out on Black Friday, here are 10 tips for surviving the day with all your fingers and toes intact. Happy Shopping!