Checking In

The hiatus was intentional. I was not missing at all, I'm still in the circulation. I may have taken a rest from this space but I was all over the messy, happy place that is the cosmic universe. I've been throwing photos taken from this city all the way to my one thousand plus Instagram followers. I've been cooking simple meals at home and sharing its recipes with my followers on Facebook. I pin for sanity or for the girl's upcoming party. Lastly, Twitter has absorbed all the unnecessary one-liner randomness I can think at the moment. Mostly showbiz stuff, not biggie controversies. I know I bid goodbye to the blue bird some months ago but you know, I kinda miss it. Yes, the bird. So I tweet my stupidities when I'm bored. It's not an avenue to showcase intellect, after all. 

I'm not sure how many of my past Bebengisms readers are still here. Just want to say hi and that I miss you. I miss this. I miss us. Whoa, it's like we got into a long romantic relationship that didn't end well! Ugh, too much teleserye. Pangako *coughs* Sa'yo. LOL. Seriously, whenever I'm here, although I know I won't see your reactions, I feel like I have thrown my thoughts in a big box of party where there are people waiting for me; for whatever I have to say. Or so I hope. 

I was daydreaming one day and decided that this blog will be full of stories. No whys, no reasons. 

If there's one thing that makes me crave for this blog more is that I have the freedom to write what I want to write. I can still go and have sponsored posts here (like that of Lysol) but the brands and collaborators are fully aware that my readers will hear my voice and not someone else.

I'd like everyone to know that I am happier now because I am blogging in my terms. 

Indeed, when you stay true to your purpose, whatever it is that you do (in this argument, this blog), blessings, the kind that is rightfully yours, will naturally come your way. It can be gifts from sponsors that you timingly need or a partnership that can put food on the table. But the best blessing I have received because of sticking to my guts was love. 

I felt more love when I promised to be genuine in every thing I say or do -- more love for myself that was forgotten at some point years back, married kind of love from my husband, sweet love from my baby girl, and understanding love from the people who accept me for who I am.

It is love that makes this ordinary blog extraordinary.

King & Queen: Year 3

His Caption: Throwback. I love you Denise Redrico Rayala! Happy anniversary beb! 

It's our 3rd wedding anniversary today, Cpt R and I. Sadly, he was not home. Yesterday, I was sick. No, I was sick since Saturday. My joints were aching, I felt terrible I easily cried. I might be PMS-ing. Whatever, we celebrated today our way. And what better way to do so but by posting photos on our social media accounts. I woke up really early than usual waiting for whatever paandar or pasabog he might have for me. Waley. 

Queen B: Tulog ka pa?
King R: May pinost ako sa FB. Hihi.

So that's what he posted! That's it? LOL. Okay, I appreciated it. Infer naman to my solja boy, it was something more than what he usually does. 'Cause he uses Facebook every day but he doesn't regularly post mundane what-nots. However, every time we have this "posting spree", I'm a bit competitive. Har har. So this is what I posted on my Instagram.

My caption: Mapa-sexy, drama, action o rom-com man; hindi maikakailang bagay tayo. Ahihi. #rhambeng

1) Sexy -- Sundutin Mo ang Booger Ko 

2) Drama -- Mahal Kita, Amoy Araw Ka Man 

3) Action -- Sumuko Ka Na, Kumander B 

4) Romantic-Comedy -- Love is Blind

Yup, our relationship, our marriage had experienced different scenarios like that of movie genres. I'm sure you and your husband had at some point, too. There are more actually, like heavy drama and X-rated (hihi), but these are what we call as box-office hits and are for general patronage. ;)

Since today is a very special day, I cooked Pork Pochero for dinner only because I have chorizo. I knooow, that's something else! LB and I went to the nearby market after school and bought pork, pechay, potato, saba and some wet market stuff. I made this extra special as I call this Pork Pochero with Love. Yes, that's a heart-shaped pechay. Sigh. My little kumare and I enjoyed our dinner, which I think would be more special had we spent it with our king. Anyway, he'll be home soon as he promised he'll watch LB's Christmas presentation next week. Yay! And then we'll spend the first part of the holidays at his post. You'll get updates on my IG (@bebengisms), so follow me! ♥♡♥

How about you, royalty? 

Have you celebrated your wedding anniversary without your husband?

How was it like? Share it with us in the comments! 

Her Superhero

To our King, the fried rice master ---  

who bathed my daughter when she was a baby,

who swaddled her better than I did when she had a fever after a vaccine shot,

who lulled her to sleep in Smashing Pumpkins,

who washed her feeding bottles in all his might,

who gave her his shoulder to ride on,

who danced with her whenever she wanted,

who downloads games because he knows it could make her happy,

who loves pink now because we do,

who tries to memorize the characters of My Little Pony,

who proudly asks his men to make a kite for her,

who lets her hold the steering wheel and prepares her for EDSA,

who rattles in fixing his bunks because his princess will arrive,

who laughs with her like there's no tomorrow, 

who values his job because he wants to give her the life that she deserves,

who plans beach trips because I gave birth to a water baby, 

And most of all -  who proved to her that loving her mother is what he can do best for her. ♥  

 

To my lifetime partner she calls Tatay - HAPPY FATHER'S DAY!

*The video was my Father's Day gift  last year.

Men, According to My Man

Sorry mommas if I have been accidentally on blogging hiatus. Blame it to my husband. Hehe. Well, the previous post was already mostly much about him (and the dining table), so I thought of writing a highlight article about what and how R is (and there you go saying, "again?!" Lol). I'm striking whilst the iron is hot, ya know. My marriage with my Army kind of guy is going through such a good time so let me share with you some realizations/facts/tips about men and how I fared with my own.

But wait, I will do you a favor. This will not solely revolve around my confession of love for him (did I hear you say yay?!) but something like making men happy. If I have a reader who's NBSB, this could be like an insider of sorts. I think I have told you, ladies before that I had a few guys in my life prior to my soldier so I kinda know a bit about these male homo sapiens. I am not making it sound like I'm an expert here, but I will base my write-up on how my man showed his entirety to me. No pun intended. 

This is to You, the Military Wife

I just want to share this article with you my fellow military wives that I came across upon doing my regular affairs with Google. Some parts were US-based andwar-related, most made me shed a tear and gave me a lump in the throat. It's a long read but  really, really worth your time.

THIS IS TO YOU, THE MILITARY WIFE

By Ashleigh Baker 

This is to you, the one who married the uniformed man. To you, the one who stands beside him. You, the one with whom he links arms, but not hands, because, of course, intertwined fingers aren’t authorized while in uniform. 

Rayala Dialogues Special: My husband can sometimes be a jerk but he's a great father!

Well, we're still here at the camp and so far, nothing so spectacular happened yet; just a few extraordinary moments. The officer's been talking to his men like they're honeymooners. Well, he's doing his job. I love that he's so into it. Guess I'm lucky to have him, right? At least he's not a bum or something like that. Anywayyyy, he has already planned about our Hundred Islands trip. One of the staff has his family here, too, so we might invite them to come along with us. LB and the 6-year-old boy have begun to be playmates; this can be a great chance for the two to play more. I just hope that my girl's cough will soon be gone. I gave her her well-deserved massage while she was watching Little Pony vids on my phone before bedtime, plus some Vitamin C tomorrow; that might do it.

Speaking of my girl, she just gave me a dilem-mom I will never forget.

THE RUNAWAY PRINCESS. We bought her a swimming vest then I looked for my swimsuit. While I was scouring the skimpy bikinis and mustering enough courage to buy one, LB ran away and Rhambo couldn't find her. I threw the black maillot swimsuit I was eyeing and helped him look for our runaway princess. It was the most terrifying 5 minutes of my life (next is a flying cockroach). I was panicking, my heart was beating so fast and I feel cold. Most of what I thought of were bad things I've seen in news. Media, you are killing me. Thank Jesus my husband saw her at the counter! She was paying for the big shovel and rake she picked for her sand castle session she's planning to do at the beach --- only she got no money. Hahaha! It was the cutest sight ever but I was in no cooing state. I immediately carried her and gave her a hug. I wept. I almost died but the girl was not worried at all. The thoughts of going to the beach was all over her, her door was closed for any negativity. The innocence of a child is breath-taking but nerve-wracking. Btw, I didn't buy myself a swimsuit. The husband said something like "pambata ba yan?" I was totally discouraged. And to be honest, my body was not beach-ready so forget about it. Sigh. He's really, really something else of a lover, noh? But you know what? He's a great dad.

FATHERHOOD BECOMES HIM. We were on our way back to the camp when LB asked where we're headed. So when I told her "camp, baby", she gave us an unforgiving crazy wail, nonstop. Rhambo, who was suffering from a real bad toothache, turned to be the most handsome father ever. He asked her princess if she wanted to drive with him. Of course, my adventurous tyke didn't say a word. She just sat on her pop's lap and held the steering wheel like a pro. I'm sure she will never forget that, too, like I can never forget the moment I lost her for 5 hell minutes. Rhambo may not bathe or feed LB now like he used to, but he's doing special things our daughter will surely remember. I'm loving him more because of that. But what can you say about the next paragraph? ;)

MY INNER (AND OUTER) BEAUTY. I was watching Dove's experimental video last Tuesday when I thought of what Martine of Dainty Mom has posted months ago, something like "dressing up for your husband". It said something like showcasing the body parts that your husband likes most; that left us with this conversation:

Bebeng: Beb, anong favorite part mo sa body ko? (while flirting with him)
Rhambo: Eto.. (sabay hawak)
B: Bilbil?
R: Hindi, eto. (tinaas ng konti)
B: Ano ka, masahista?
R: Ano ba, katawan ba?
B: Ay ganun, inner beauty lang ba meron ako?!

We were on laugh trip for the next 10 minutes of our bickering/cajoling then he said "hindi ko nga gusto inner mo eh". I was super shocked. He said he was just trying to see what my reaction would be. Well, I was saying the whole time "a-hole ka talaga". And we just laughed again and again. Natural high, it is! 6 years of togetherness made me realize he likes my curves and behind. It's not as wholesome as eyes or shoulders, but at least there's something in my body that he likes. It's not just an inner beauty. Oh, I don't think I have that anyway, haha!

Gotta Love the Army, Gotta Love my Hubby

R and I had a short talk about this couple who are very close to us when he was home last Sunday. This couple has a tampuhan/fight/issue. We don't know the real score but they're obviously not okay. Then earlier while doing the laundry, I realized that I'm blessed to have my husband.

Clockwise from left: Cadet no more, first time to hold his baby, one random day in the bunks and Sophia's 1st Simpsons-themed party.

Don't get me wrong, we're not a perfect couple. He's not a perfect husband. He is actually somewhat an a-hole.

I'm My Papitoyni's Bebeng

Today marks my 20th year of being father-less. So if you still have a Daddy, Papa, Tatay, Itay, Amang, Pop or Pudrabelle --- make sure to tell him you love him before it's too late. 

This is the letter I wrote for Papa for Father's Day, two years ago --- 

Dear Papa, 

Sabi ng nag-iisa mong apo na babae sa Tatay niya "Happy Far'rs Day!" Ako po gusto ko lang magpasalamat. 

Salamat sa height, kahit pa'no hindi ako matatawag na petite; sa sense of humor na minsan nagagamit ko pag problemado at ayoko pa munang i-solve; sa 8 1/2 yrs mong pagiging cool sherpats sa'kin. Dahil sa'yo, nakilala ko ang Beatles at si Mel Gibson.  

Ang iyong pagkanta ng Maging Sino Ka Man sa stereo natin gamit ang Vicor Records mong cassette tape ay hindi ko makakalimutan, kasi sinasayaw mo pa ko nun. At nung pinakanta mo ko ng Kung Kailangan Mo Ako, sabi mo kaboses ko si Aiza Seguerra. Siguro, kung kasama ka pa namin, baka yang Sarah Geronimo na yan eh sumasali pa din sa mga contest.  

Potato and Cheese Omelette

Very gasgas na the line "a way to a man's heart is through his stomach". I think for married ladies, it has to be "a key to a lasting marriage is cooking his eggs creatively". Oh, relax lang. As in pagkain ito mga mothers ha. Hihi.

My soldier is not that pihikan but he if he has a choice, he chooses talaga. Like, he'd rather have simple fried tilapia than sweet & sour tilapia. Or he dips fried talong in soy sauce with calamansi instead of in bagoong alamang. And he loves dishes that are smothered with butter and/or cheese. 

Recently, he was home to have his Physical Fitness Test for promotion. He was in a sort of diet that he made for himself. Unfortunately, I was not prepared for it. Buti na lang, I have grocery basics in the fridge. I cooked Potato and Cheese Omelette for lunch. You see, I love breakfast food any time of the day. Kaya nga I told him na we should try Early Bird Breakfast Club in The Fort eh. Anyway, I'll be providing a recipe for this dish, which turned out to be the king's favorite. Akala ko pa nga he was being sarcastic when he requested for this. Yung feeling na ito lang ang na-prepare ko for him. Hehe. Yun pala, bet niya talaga. So here na, malay mo magustuhan din ng hubster mo ang itlog dish na ito. :)

The Little Popstar Sings for the King

It's Rhambo's 28th birthday tomorrow. And we're not sure yet if we can spend it together as a family. So to make LB aware of her Tatay's special day, I asked her to sing for him before going to sleep the other night, thus this video. Lo and behold, we both got into the mood of making chika. Howmaygad --- I was so loka-loka laughing at her for revealing that I'm not a good mom --- always on my computer! Yuhh. I was crazy like that. Well, she loves me so much she said Rhambo's in the camp in front of his laptop, even before revealing mine! Hahaha! :p

Happy birthday to our king, Tatay Rhambo! ♛

My Little Girl Loves Me

Today is a very typical day for me and LB. Monday. School day. Woke up, fix bed, breakfast, argue, clean up mess, argue, bathe, dress up, argue, school, finally some alone time for 2 1/2 hours, back to school for the student who wants to play for extra 30 minutes, argue, went home, late lunch,argue and goes on. BUT! We spent today with less arguments. Yes, like out of 10 usual arguments we have every.single.day, we only had three. Not bad, eh? Disclosure: I am to blame for the arguments half the time. I just don't let her win, that's why. And upon realization that she's indeed growing up fast, I changed gears into how I talk to her. Yup, there's still baby-talk. I can never do that when she turns 13 already. I still smell her kili-kili if I want to (or when she wants to!). However, there's this hint of adult-ish conversation happening around at home once she starts talking. Momma, she's definitely my daughter! OA sa daldal. :D

So earlier at school, I observed how attentive she was during story time; and cheerful the next when she saw me outside waiting for her. She even blurted out a very bonggang "I'm so proud of you, Nanay!" For whatever reason she said that, I'm super thankful she did. Ooh, I'm now teary-eyed. LB's not a baby anymore. But I feel just how much she needs my care and love. That every time she's about to go home, she's excited to see me! Kahit madalas kaming mag-away, she clings to me like a koala bear does to a Mongol pencil (Haha! so 90s).

Dear Ex-Boyfriend

Hey, 

I miss you. Again, Philippine Army has you. But I hope I have your heart today. Cool, aren't we? I long for the days when I was your only girl. It's different now. You have a demanding little girlfriend who beats you when you talk to me. Can you tell her you were mine first? Please? She's kinda annoying; adorable but annoying. She looks like you, actually. Just cuter. She eats squash and you don't. Do you miss us and washing the dishes?  

I'm sure you'll be coming home soon. I love you like anything. 

Blah-blah-blah,

Your ex who can't move on

P.S. 

I can't find the photos of what we had in February 04, 2007. So this is what I have. We visited one of your mistahs who was assigned in the Presidential Yacht. Then we went to UP for the UP Fair Concert. Bliss. ♥

Love Doesn't Cost a Thing

I'm not going to shake my booty and make birit a la J.Lo here; though I would love to 'cause I can. Charot. And by the way, I changed it to DOESN'T, because this isn't a song but a blog post.

Okay, I'm here to tell you what I really want. 

I've read a few FB statuses, tweets and blog posts about Valentine's; so I actually thought about it, too. Rhambo and I don't usually celebrate it. Perhaps, because there's more celebration-worthy than the 14th --- MIL's birthday, togetherness anniversary and his birthday --- all fell on February. The last time we actually acknowledged the day was in 2007. I was at work in the TV Network when my mom texted me that I have a huge gift from Rhambo resting at home. So when I got there, it was a Blue Magic stuffed toy --- a giant mouse! 'Cause you know, Rhambo has a very unique (better term for a flaw, hihi) pair of ears that resemble the mouse's. So I guess that's why it's what he gave me. 

Outfit Extraordinaire, Not Expensive

If there's one more thing I'd like my little girl to know when she grows up (because I have tons to tell her, actually), that is, to be brand-unconscious when dressing up. I do not have anything against those who could spend a thousand bucks or more for a simple shirt; when in fact, you could buy one with the same quality at a more affordable price --- they could afford, they can't help it because they're rich. Well, if I have the means too, I'd love to see my very hyper preschooler donning her Gap leggings everyday at home so her legs are covered; that when she goes out, she can have Guess shorts for grocery-shopping. But mother, those leggings and shorts are enough for her month's food allowance. Gotta be wise. Or else, my husband's eyes would pop out from insanity.

Her outfit in the photo is special not because it's above her regular outfits for school, but because of how she got it. And doesn't she look so girly and pretty? ♥

When Rhambo Met Bebeng Part 3: Eyeball

I never had the guts chance to update about this. Bakit nga ba? Lazy ni Bruno Mars ang peg ko ngayon sa pagkukuwento eh. Kaya inabot na ng 2013 hindi pa din kasalukuyan ang eksena ng series na ito. Actually, dapat agad-agad na part 3 kasi kumukuda ang mamang sundalo. May mali daw sa part 2! Kulang na lang  nga sabihan ko siyang mag-blog na din eh. Ngengeelam kasi masyado. :p

Well, ano daw ba yung mali? So, may boylet akong nabanggit dun sa part 2 di ba? Na ang version ko eh magkatext muna kami ng kawal before si seaman. Ang version ni kawal: nauna talagang dumating si seaman bago siya at hindi pa daw kami sweet-sweetang puso before kay seaman. Ang masasabi ko lang, sinoplak nga niya ako na let's cross the bridge when we get there; so malamang ako lang yung nagpapa-sweet. At siya hindi pa. So tama pa din ang version ko. Haller vhakler. Bakit ba ako nageexplain sa sarili ko? *hingal*

Source

Heniweys, natapos ang 2006 ng matiwasay. Payatot ako. Payatot siya. At mukhang mahal na nga namin ang isa't-isa. Chaaaaar. So siyempre, hindi ako magtitiis na hindi ko man lang masilayan ang kulay kamagong na fez niya (aylabyuakingirog!) at magtiyaga sa text at tawag. Buti pa mga manok at bibe sa kampo nila, nakikita siya, ako hindi. How papetik naman. So sabi ko, "come home to Mandaue Foam!" Ayun at nagpa-book ng flight to Manila. Walang sabi-sabi.

Enero sa Kampo Highlights

One of my many pending posts. I think I'll let the photos do the talking. Captions are provided below though. Enjoy!

1. Left over lechon turned 50 shades darker. 2. The king bathed Prince. 3. Horseback riding rehearsal. 4. T/Sgt Repato is a neat-freak and traditional father of the camp. 5. Kitty Fairy. 6. My wisdom. 7. Mr. & Mrs. Flavored Alcohol.8. Sleepy senyorita. 9. Everything he does is beautiful. ♥ 10. Oh, shoot. 11. Ramon + Monique = Love

When Little Bebeng Met a Little Gentleman

I feel guilty for not going to church every Sunday. It is my obligation as a Christian parent to bring my child to Sunday School to learn about the Bible and Jesus. LB basically knows who Jesus is and what He can do for us as I have mentioned here. But I think it'll be more exciting if she'll meet Jonah, Samson, David, Peter, Paul, Mary and Martha --- characters and heroes a lot better than Woody, Merida and Puss. Anyway, we really wanted to let the sunshine touch our skin as we've been in house arrest and locked up in our own home after our umbrellas were stolen at the facade of the house (yes, we were scared!); so we went to Marikina Sports Complex (MSC). 

Aside from the really nice running track it has, MSC designated a small part of the place to be its playground for tots who can't jog and run continuously in an oval with their parents yet. That's where I brought LB. As we were walking towards the gate, I can feel her excitement and she even asked me "Nanay, are you happy?" So I said "YES!" with a grin. She replied, "oh, I can't wait!" She's becoming more kikay as days pass by. Too much Barbie, perhaps. About 5 meters from the playground, we've heard shrieks and giggles from the kids playing --- LB ran to its direction and just let happiness enveloped her childhood. Bliss.

Bebeng's Twelve Isms for 2012

I have asked my followers of my Facebook fan page about their favorite blog post I have written and I will include it on my list of 2012's Bet na Blog Posts ni Bebeng. But only a few responded. So instead of best blog posts, I have listed down the 12 best things/thoughts/what-nots that I have learned in 2012 as a blogger, woman, wife and mother. 

Design by Mye de Leon

Assaulters Made Zambales Kids Smile

In my previous post, I have said that Christmas should always be about who you spend it with. And that expensive gifts aren't that important. Yes, it was once again proven by the kids of Zambales. I am now close to tears as I write this. My heart is swelling with so much gratitude to our Jesus Christ, my Lord and Saviour. I have never felt so contented with my life as what I am feeling right now. I am doing my favorite pastime (read: blogging) in the comfort and security of my husband's room in the camp. Behind me are my snoring and blissfully sleeping loves. Any military wife would wish to be where I am seated right now. Oh, I wouldn't trade this for anything in the world  so please find your own monobloc chair. Sorry.

If we have spent Christmas Day in Marikina, we could've been in my mother's house for lunch or met with some friends or could be at a mall. We could have taught LB to do some extortion practices again. Hehe. But this year's different, aside from a very fabulous Christmas Party that Rhambo's command post had and a cold and simple Noche Buena in the camp, Christmas Day was spent with 300+ kids of Zambales. 

Noche Buena at the Camp

I was not looking forward to a very festive and elegant Noche Buena like what we had last year. I knew that we will be celebrating it here in the camp. Rhambo & I had planned this months ago pa. This is his first Christmas as a Commanding Officer so he has to be in his command post for the holidays. He had spent extra days in the hospital when LB was confined, so we decided to spend New Year's here, too, to compensate for the time he was not around. Yes, it may sound sad and boring for some; but for us, who think that being together is what really matters, it's still special.