SO SORRY

I'm so sorry for living in a bubble and keeping to myself for the past weeks. I just couldn't handle the stress with Ruther and other factors. But I'm better now and I'll say why in a while. For now, I'd like to say thanks to Amy for taking the time to send me positive thoughts. Really appreciate it a lot! Thanks!! :D

.....

So anyway, Ruther was here. Yup. He surprised me. After weeks of stress and grumpiness and surliness and irritation and god knows what else, he came home for a few days. He arrived last Saturday, around 2:30pm and I was crocheting in a room when his face popped around my shoulder. Good thing I didn't have a heart attack then. I just yelped, "WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE?!?!" Anyway, I spent like 5-7 minutes just hugging him until he complained that he couldn't move or breathe. I had to let go then. I just wanted to hold him forever. Anyway, he then told me that he had to come home to help with the company hiring (yesterday) and I was glad that he got to spend some days with us here. I was missing him too much, plus his uncommunicative behavior for the past weeks wasn't doing us any good. Once here, it felt like everything was back to normal. So this trip, despite its shortness, has been very good for us and I am really glad for that. So now, we'll just have to wait for a few short weeks again til he comes home next month on the 23rd for Christmas. It'll be great to have him here then.

.....

I finally got to decorate the house. Yup, our Christmas trees (we have 2!) are up and the decors are up and the Christmas lights are up. Had to rearrange some things and purchase more Christmas centerpieces and decors but everything looks good so far. I just wish my mother-in-law would change the hideous mint green lace curtains around the house because they are so outdated and look really tacky. Don't get me wrong, I love her but decorating hasn't been Mama's forte at all. Hopefully, she'll put out some better-looking curtains next month (I'll try to convince her or die trying). Our theme for this year is the color red. Don't ask me why but my family (not Ruther's) has been like that over the years. Sometimes we would pick green, then the following year, white, then the year after, yellow. I think it's more fun that way. :D This year, the decors will be red but I think Ruther, the boys and I will be dressed in Mario Bros. costumes. I know, we're weird. :P But Ruther and the boys are big Mario Bros. fans and since Ruther won't be here on Nikki's birthday (we're having a Mario theme) we decided to have it on Christmas. I'm sure it'll be so fun!

.....

The Christmas presents are 90% done. I still have to get presents for my brother, my dad, the boys and my sis and my list would be complete. Not bad, aye. I just love shopping early for Christmas. I always want to pick the perfect present. Anyway, for wrapping paper, we're going green this year. We used the glossy pages from a Japanese magazine and I spray painted it lightly yellow and tied a yellow yarn around it. Not bad. I'll take a photo of a present tomorrow. I wish everyone would do the same and just reuse or recycle. It'd do the planet a world of good.

.....

The boys have completely recovered from their chickenpox although Nikki still has whitish scars on his body. Ethan is less thin although I really wish he would start eating rice already. He just doesn't like it. Bread, yes. Crunchy food like popcorn, pork rinds, chicken skin, yes. Any ideas on how to feed a picky 6-year-old who still prefers drinking milk to eating regular meals? Even Ruther is starting to feel frustrated with Ethan's lack of appetite. Sigh...

.....

Nikki is turning 8 on Sunday!! WOW!! Time really flies. We're not having a party but I invited some relatives for some merienda (afternoon snack). Nikki said he wanted to have some kids over so they could play and since it's his birthday I agreed. Hopefully, the handful of people I invited could all come. :D