love is the answer...

After wallowing over something and worrying of things to come, i think it's about time i face life and all its glory and see its real beauty.  after all, what i cried buckets of tears for are things of the past and what's important is the good things God has to offer. 

It's Mama Hen's Thanksgiving Thursday over at her blog mamaslittlechick.blogspot.com and i feel like i'm okay and well enough to appreciate the things i value the most or even the littlest things i have..

i'm very much thankful for...

1.  the love that we have within our family (my love for my husband and his love for me and our love for our 3 wonderful children and how they show they love us back)..
2.  the kind of person God has made me to be (weak yet strong, ironic huh?)
3.  this scripture which somehow helped me through the week
     "You will hear but not understand, for your hearts are too fat and your ears don't listen and you have  closed your eyes against understanding. For you don't want to see and hear and understand and turn to me to heal you." Acts 28:26
4.  the kind of life we're living right now
5.  peace of mind and heart...

Life is good and i'm sure we all know it..we;re just blinded by our own fears..hehe...

Oh, and here's the 6th one..i'm thankful for this award Mama Hen shared with me! i'm a little bit shy though as i don't consider myself foxy (blushing!), haha..

lucky number 7

"Day 07- A picture of someone/something that has the biggest impact on you"

that would have to be my mom!

she is my personal life icon! she lost her husband at the age of 25, leaving with her 3 children ages 5 (me), 3 and 1.  She was just right at the beginning of building a career that time, fresh out of college..so naturally she was unemployed..inspite of that, she persevered and was able to get hired then rose from the ranks while taking up her master's degree. She got an early retirement and decided to start her own business while taking up Law. It may seem ordinary but what she was able to accomplish was admirable to me - because she did those all by herself (of course with moral support from her parents but minus the financial aspect since she's also supporting them). Up until now she supports us in any way she can,name it..she believes that a parent will always be a parent no matter how old one's child has become. She is also a giver..she has a big heart. she was able to help a lot of people and still continues to do so.

i would love to tell you more about her (my list is quite long) but i'm weak right now, emotionally that is.  i'm going through something and she is the person i really need a tight hug from right now (unfortunately we're thousand miles apart). =(

time for six...

i missed my blog regimen (that is reading all the wonderful posts of blogs i follow!) this morning since we need to get out of the house early to attend some activity..

before i proceed to my 6th task, let me just say Thank You to Mama Hen of mamaslittlechick.blogspot.com for the Blogger Buddy Award..honestly, Mama Hen's blog gives me lots of insights about parenthood- the simple yet priceless joys of motherhood to be exact..and being a SAHM, her blog never fails to give me positive energy to start my day right and deal with my lovable little monsters, hehe..

now on to day 6: "favorite superhero and why"

i would love to say my favorite superhero is supergirl because she represents my inner strength, confidence, blah blah blah...but i would be lying.. haha..

i grew up drooling over this nerdy man..

so yeah..my favorite superhero is of course, none other than SUPERMAN!

why? because of the very shallow reason that he's HOT! hahaha!

note: superman images from http://www.chrisreevehomepage.com/gallery.html

i forgot where i got the supergirl pic (sorry..)

dear husband, that's why i love your wavy hair and eyeglasses - because you're my very own superman! =)

number FIVE...

Day 05- A picture of somewhere you’ve been to

if it's up to me, i'd rather be in the comfort of my own home watching tv, reading a book, thinking of decorating ideas or probably redecorating a portion of our house. but all my four boys love the water..so i would like to share pictures from a beach trip we had last January 2010, few days before my husband went back here in Riyadh ahead of us..

here are pics from Caylabne Beach, Philippines...

i practically fell in love with the place!



the kids were excited!


what i love about the place is that it's semi-private so there's not much of a crowd which i tend to avoid (crowded places usually make me shy and uncomfortable).


isn't it so serene? i can actually read lots of books here =)


my husband and i..


me and my mom..she's the one who treated us to this place, hehe =)


marveling at the wonderful scene...


already taking a dip! (the little girl is my only niece and is a "mini-me", haha..)

here comes four..

"Day 04- A habit that you wish you didn’t have"

When I was younger I used to dream about the same thing over and over..that i would place all my ten fingers in front of an electric fan and watch as my finger nails grow ..

weird, huh! well that's because i used to nailbite.. i still do but no longer on a regular everyday basis, hehe! i think i stopped when i was in college..to this day i nailbite whenever i'm bothered..and i focus on only one finger nail unlike before when i would bite off all my nails until blood comes out (gross! i know). I'm thankful that my husband is there to stop me everytime i'm about to put my finger in my mouth.. =)

what's your bad habit? ;)


(http://www.fotosearch.com/IGS021/is900-981/)

ready for three...

"a picture of you with your friends"

it may sound very simple, but i find day 3 quite difficult (i want to post pics of all my friends)..
though i'm not really miss congeniality, i realized just now i have so many friends - in different aspects of my life..they are not just 'friends' but people who are really close and dear to me..i have quite limited pictures since i didn't have a back-up when my laptop broke down and i lost most of my photos..

here are some of them..

my college "best" buddies (up to know we still get together whenever possible..the other one (included in the 2nd pic) was in Dubai that time..


actually, i have quite a number of college friends (around 10 or more) but because of physical distance and changes in family status, i don't get to see them..but we still do keep in touch..


these are my friends in school when i was still teaching..most of them are older than me..i have the best company at school..these peeps are for keeps..most of them are godmothers of my sons..the picture was taken the last time we got together (i was in the Philippines that time)


one of my co-teachers and is a very dear friend of mine..i consider her my best friend at work..


two of my church friends (they are sisters)..we have been friends since i was 13 or 14 years old..we rarely see each other but we do keep in touch..


new friends my husband and i have made here in Riyadh and we're looking forward to more happy times with them..

I feel truly blessed to have such wonderful friends..i know they are all true to me and they love me and my family..

task #2

"the meaning behind your blogger name."

While it's true that eversince i was in highschool i have always pictured myself as a loving housewife and a doting mom to my would-be family, in real life you'd get sort of a rollercoaster ride of emotions while you're at it..

I named this blog "A Drama Queen Housewife's Tale" because for one, i'm really a cry-baby, i tend to be paranoid, i usually worry a lot (most times about things that shouldn't bother me at all), second, as a SAHM this blog gives me something to do for my self, i could vent out if i want to, and leaves me a sense of identity (what i want, how i feel and who i am apart from being a mom and wife), and lastly, i want to share what life is here in the kingdom (atleast from our family's perspective).

Have a great day everyone!!! =)

task #1

So here's day 1 (or maybe I'd change that to TASK #1) of the 30 Day Challenge..
"A recent picture of you and 15 interesting facts about yourself"

this is my recent photo with my husband (taken last July 16 at a friend's pizza party)..very glamorous indeed, hehe..it's not a very good picture of me but i don't wanna cheat and take a profile/headshot just for the task..

I don't know if these are interesting but they sure are facts as far as I know, haha!
1. i love anything sweet.
2. i don't eat rice (but i will and i can if a have to).
3. i don't eat beef (because i have a slow metabolism).
4. i can eat 1 whole cake in a day.
5. i learned to eat bell pepper only last June 2010 and I'm loving it (thanks to my husband).
6. i'm super scared of ghosts and other supernatural stuff but i love watching horror flicks.
7. i love to shop (yet i'm not shopaholic).
8. i couldn't sleep alone up until now.
9. i get goosebumps everytime i see a kitten - i don't know why..
10. i love to sing.
11. spaghetti is my comfort food.
12. i learned to REALLY cook only 2 years ago.
13. i got married at 22 and had my first child at 23.
14. i didn't dream of becoming a teacher/educator yet i taught for about 7 years (i find it tedious yet very fulfilling).
15. i didn't like coffee until i got married to my husband and now i'm a certified coffee-addict averaging 4 cups a day! =)

Kalas! (finish)
Now i'm excited for the next task!!! =)

this is exciting...

I saw this 30 Day Challenge from lovely Aisa of ipaxme.blogspot.com and want to give it a shot myself..i'm excited..plus it gives me something to write about everyday (if not, whenever i can, hehe)..I'll probably start tomorrow though (or tonight) =)

Day 01- A recent picture of you and 15 interesting facts about yourself DONE
Day 02- The meaning behind your Blogger name DONE
Day 03- A picture of you and your friends
Day 04- A habit that you wish you didn’t have
Day 05- A picture of somewhere you’ve been to
Day 06- Favorite super hero and why
Day 07- A picture of someone/something that has the biggest impact on you
Day 08- Short term goals for this month and why
Day 09- Something you’re proud of in the past few days
Day 10- Songs you listen to when you are Happy, Sad, Bored, Hyped, Mad
Day 11- Another picture of you and your friends
Day 12- How you found out about Blogger and why you made one
Day 13- A letter to someone who has hurt you recently
Day 14- A picture of you and your family
Day 15- Put your iPod on shuffle: First 10 songs that play
Day 16- Another picture of yourself
Day 17- Someone you would want to switch lives with for one day and why
Day 18- Plans/dreams/goals you have
Day 19- Nicknames you have; why do you have them
Day 20- Someone you see yourself marrying/being with in the future
Day 21- A picture of something that makes you happy
Day 22- What makes you different from everyone else
Day 23- Something you crave for a lot
Day 24- A letter to your parents
Day 25- What I would find in your bag
Day 26- What you think about your friends
Day 27- Why are you doing this 30 day challenge
Day 28- A picture of you last year and now, how have you changed since then?
Day 29- In this past month, what have you learned
Day 30- Who are you?

good boys

Everyday i need to always remind the boys to fix their beds upon waking up. But today is different. After giving them instructions, Paolo told me that they've already arranged everything..i grabbed my camera just so i would always remember this day, hehe..

i love how they arranged their blankets differently - shows their individuality..
Matti's bed is the one on the left, Sammy's in the middle and Paolo's bed is on the right..

If I were to fix their stuff it wouldn't be like this..but who cares if it's not perfect, it's their work and i love it! besides, it's their room, haha..

I'll rest the case (pillow cases) and rest my hands as well!

I wasn't feeling well yesterday and only dragged myself into getting the important daily routines done (like cooking, feeding the kids and attending to their needs while they study). For the rest of the afternoon i just sat in front of the tv set and while i find it hard to move around, I got bored and decided to just make use of the idle time to do something productive.

This is our spare pillow which has been sitting in the closet for 2 years now..

I cut it into two to make decorative pillows..

then I put out the fabric we bought from IKEA last April (2 dollars a yard) and hand-sewn 2 pillow cases..

I was so into sewing that i was able to make 3 more pillow cases for the boys' small bedroom pillows..


After almost 3 hours, my eyes were tired and I had tons of needle pricks which made my fingers hurt..but i was happy!

I'm thinking of buying a portable sewing machine since i discovered sewing satisfies me a lot..plus, i'm planning on making my own clothes and repairing old ones. Actually i made a skirt about a month ago but it doesn't fit right since i don't really know the basics of cutting fabrics. But i'm excited to start again since i got a good tip from a pretty blogger named Linda when she posted a DIY skirt tutorial in her blog. Here it is.. http://littletinsoldier.tumblr.com/puffyskirt (note to self: must learn how to insert links!)

Have you done some DIYs? =)

tired but not brokenhearted...

It's the mid-year sale season here in Riyadh. It started, i think, from the 2nd week of june and will last probably up to the 2nd week of August or right before Ramadan. In our first trip to the mall (Hyatt) during this time, I was like a mad woman and shopped to my heart's content (but within my budget). I was a happy camper! =) But there was a particular item that i wasn't able to get so when i found out that there'll be further reductions in a number of shops i convinced hubby to go out and find that item again. This time we went to Riyadh Gallery. I was really excited(hyper-ventilating, haha) when we left the house but after 1 and 1/2 hours of hopping from one store to another, i gave up..i still couldn't find IT. So we just decided to go grocery shopping. We went home by 12:30am, each of us ate a slice of cake (at 1am) and i decided i'm gonna stop looking for the clothing item and just make one (or 3) myself starting this end of the month..and i'm excited once again!!! =)


i realized i'm more comfortable posting my outfit photo sans my face, hehe..

i'm wearing: a shirt bought from a mall, hubby's office pants which i cut out (i get to have new clothes without spending money!),new look belt, manels nude shoes, gold accessories from my mom (thank you, mama!)

after grocery shopping..

stopped by to get some drinks (we all look tired already)

this is how i look like everytime we go out..so yeah, sometimes it doesn't matter what i wear since it'll be covered by the abaya anyway..but it feels good to know you love what you're wearing under it, right? =)

Sweet Sammy

As of this writing everything's back to normal..
Our two older kids, Paolo and Matti, got sick 3 days ago..it started with an itchy throat which i thought was due to their staying up late the previous night.
the following day both boys woke up with fever, cough and colds. We wasted no time and brought them to the hospital for check up.
All of our 3 kids had asthma when they were born but Paolo and Sammy eventually outgrew it. Only matti (and his dad) remains to be asthmatic til now so he was nebulized right away after his pediatrician checked up on him.

Inside the hospital, our little Sammy went with his dad to the pharmacy to claim the meds..upon their return, sammy was alarmed when he saw that his brothers were lying in bed - he thought they would be confined..he was really concerned.


sammy checking up on his brother Paolo..


sammy holding his brother Matti's hand on the way to the parking lot..


the following day Sammy woke up surprisingly early than usual! He assisted me in giving his brothers their meds all through out the day. =)

so now that everything's normal again, they are back on getting into each other's nerves atleast twice or thrice a day! haha!

Fun Weekend

Last weekend the kids joined a half day activity where they learned songs and listened to small talks, played games and socialized.

The program started at 1pm and ended by 7pm. Since my husband had work from 9am to 1pm, the original plan was for him to drop us off at a friend's house by 8:30am and by 12:30 the kids will be picked up and taken to the venue (without the parents) then my husband will fetch me by 1:30pm. We need to be at the venue by 4pm so that we could join the kids in a dialogue and letter-reading. Unfortunately, something came up that i need to stay at home and we had some change of plans..

The kids ended up going to their dad's workplace and stayed there until 12nn..






by 2 in the afternoon my husband got home and did a quick shirt-change.. then off we went to buy some food for potluck. on the road, we felt weird since it's the first time here in Riyadh that we didn't have the kids in the car with us..

Here are some photos we took after the program..


they made new friends and were happy =)


now for some outfit post, hehe..

i was supposed to wear this..

i already had it on but..

after eating 6 slices of Egg Pie while waiting for my husband to come home, i felt really uncomfortable..
so i changed into this.. (knowing that there's gonna be a lot of eating after the program)haha!