As a mother, I can say that the hypergrowth stages of children are when they’re 6 mos old, 2-3 years old, 6-7 years old, and (*now*) when they’re 11-12 years—the time when they have their first period. My observation jives with the parenting literature I had read before). Since I had to buy Twin I again new sets of underwear yesterday because she has outgrown again the ones I bought her 6 mos ago. All the bottoms I bought for her in December can no longer fit her. *sigh* Good thing her twin is there to get all those clothes.

The whole weekend is about food. As usual.

Now the pièce de résistance in my home cooking this weekend is this nilagang baka using the beef I bought from DTRI in my hometown and, double boiling it (first boiling is to get rid of the scum and impurities, dump and second boiling with new water for a clearer broth) and then I did not stop there—I used the bulalo broth (with the solidified fat skimmed off) that I froze two weeks ago as base broth and added the root veggies for a richer taste.

Let’s see how this will turn out tomorrow. I want some melt-in-your mouth beef with all the green, leafy veggies I can chuck in it.

NOW that the bad weather has eased up a bit, we’re thinking of going again to the beach at the end of the month. Hopefully, there’s no typhoon or else… sigh.

I should shoehorn again these mini breaks before I leave for either Korea or Japan (yey! they’re allowing individual tourists again) in October. But…it’s kinda hard to schedule things now because before All Saints/Souls’ Day weekend 1) Ate C is leaving for Leyte for the death anniv of their father; 2) the girls are leaving with their dad to go to Shangri-la Mactan, Cebu for their grandpa’s 90th birthday. That means I cannot leave the house because no one will be left with the cats.

I must arrange all travel concerns this week before the prices of hotel rooms and plane tickets jump.

Then in November I will be back in Singapore for 10 days. Werk.