Down time

It's a Saturday night and I'm having Bailey's and smoked cheese while enjoying the quiet that often only comes when work and chores are done and the boys and I hie off to our preferred spots inside our small house.

These little pockets of me-time are very much welcome because the past few weeks have been crazy. Big projects have been overlapping at work, and I have to get so many things done and manage my team while also participating in a regional competition as part of the Philippine team. I am fulfilled because of the creative output I have been churning out, but I am also exhausted because there is just so much to do and it's hard to keep up sometimes. I even (begrudgingly) discontinued my Japanese classes because I just couldn't keep up with the lessons. It was a tough decision to make because I really wanted to learn, pero syempre kasi ayoko rin namang mabaliw hahahuhu.

And then of course I also have my chores at home. It's a good thing that Sloan's a bit more mature now - he doesn't need my attention 24/7 and can also help out with some of the chores. It's bittersweet because in as much as it is ideal at this time, it's also a stark reminder that my baby boy is fast growing up.

Stressful as the past weeks (maybe months even lol) have been, there have been rays of sunshine. First and foremost, I was able to get my first dose of COVID-19 vaccine already! 

I have been waiting so long for this day and I am super grateful that Sun Life came up with its own vaccination program for employees. I enlisted in the Quezon City LGU program but to this day have yet to be scheduled. I also enlisted at Mike's office but they haven't rolled out the program for dependents just yet. As such, I was so excited to have been part of Batch 1 for Sun Life's rollout. Not only was it awesome being vaccinated, it was also a thrill to see officemates I haven't seen for so long.

Looking forward to my second dose this August!

We were also able to go on a quick staycation at EDSA Shangri-La Hotel. We originally planned to go to The Mansion at Clark in Pampanga, but it was quite difficult coordinating with them and we weren't getting some of the answers we needed in our inquiries. Perhaps, they are understaffed at the moment - maybe we can try again next time. But it worked out anyway because the stay at Shang was lovely.

We mostly did this so Sloan could enjoy the pool and have a semblance of a summer vacation before he starts his virtual classes for the next school year. We were able to do just that and I'm happy to share that safety protocols were strictly observed in every area of the hotel.

Speaking of safety (lol), I had this minor incident at the pool. I was in the shallow part while Sloan was in the 9ft area and as I was wading, I slipped in the portion that goes into the deeper part. The moment I went under water, I panicked for a split second but got myself together, turned back, and started to swim towards the shallow part. All of a sudden, I felt a hand on my arm pulling me up to the surface. I thought it was Sloan, but it turned out to be the lifeguard rescuing me.  

Apparently, the lifeguard blew his whistle then hurriedly dived into the pool to get me, so there was a whole scene. The guard and a supervisor (I think) also came and talked to Michael as they had to write an incident report.  

I felt a little embarrassed because there were other people in the pool, plus - despite not being a skilled swimmer - I felt like I was in control of the situation. As it turns out though, it looked quite the opposite lolol. Michael, who was seated at the lounge area when the incident happened, said I did look like I was struggling, that he actually got up to come and get me just as the lifeguard blew his whistle. It was perfectly understandable of course - they couldn't and shouldn't risk having someone drown on their watch, and so it was better to act than assume that I was a-okay. So props, EDSA Shang!

That little incident aside though, everything went well.

@_lenloveslife

who needs a break 🙋‍♀️ ##tiktokph ##fyp ##microvlog ##staycation ##edsashangrila

♬ swing lynn - ✮❦lovdfilmz❦✮⋆

Sloan was so happy he got a semblance of life as it was pre-pandemic. He even marvelled at how the overnight stay actually felt like a one-week vacation. 

I'm glad we got to do this, especially since kids are again not allowed to go outdoors. Even so, I am already planning our next activities so that we can be on push-button mode once possible (and after we ensure that it is safe where we're going, of course). We will definitely make the most of it.