Today Marks Another Year Into My Life. Thank You God.

Dear Heavenly Father,

          

Thank you for another magnificent year added to my life. Thank you for the countless blessings I have received throughout the year. There are so many things and people I need to be thankful for. 

I’m thankful for my loved ones who genuinely care about me, for their undying love and support. 

Thank you God for the experience of being a mom of two wonderful kids. They mean the world to me.  Please keep them safe and healthy. 

Thank you for my husband who loves and accepts me as I am despite my defects, respects me regardless of my ridiculousness, keeps me going when I couldn't just go on. He has always been a positive influence in my life. Thank you for the great relationship I've discovered with him. 

Thank you for my Mom who has  been my constant inspiration.  She never puts me down. She’s indeed a wonderful person. I owe her my life.🙏🏼

Thank you for the challenges, frustrations, fun and triumphs that made me who I am today. Thank you God, I could never have made it all without you. Thank you for the simple yet fulfilling life…  

Thank you Lord Jesus...

By Hook or By Crook!

Dengue is a life threatening disease transmitted by mosquitoes and it is common in tropical countries. Last Friday, hubby had a sudden skin rash, fever, joint and muscle pain which are the common symptoms of dengue. I was too worried so we went to the hospital immediately and have him checked. The Dr. advised us to come back on the next day for the lab tests; coz it usually takes 24hrs to detect the virus. We went back the following day and it was such a relief. Negative. whew! ^_^ That disease was identified as CHIKUNGUNYA. It's a viral disease transmitted to humans by infected mosquitoes and it could last up to two weeks or longer. It's not as deadly as dengue but they do share some clinical signs. "thank god! because there are no specific drugs yet to cure that virus" He was just advised to take paracetamol every 4 hours and have plenty of rest. 

At times like this, I need to be more patient when he's being grumpy and considerate when he's having temper tantrums. Mahirap din.haha. Its certainly one of the hardest things a wife has ever had to do for his husband. That's fine though. (marunong naman mag-sorry pag nagkakamali ang batang may sakit) ^_^ I know he would also want to be pampered when he’s sick. Ako rin nemen.hahaha. :p 

Always remember that I’ll always be here for you, comfort you, and love you by hook or by crook. ^_^ I love you...

Swimtastic Experience!

My son started taking swimming lessons at The Tropical Getaway Resort. It’s part of his P.E. class. I’m glad they have this kind of activity in school. The session starts at 9am onwards, every Friday. I was worried how his first swim would go. He has been interested in swimming but a little scared to submerge; so I Keep my eyes on him and observe him closely. He might not be that confident yet but he was trying to challenge himself every instance and make improvements every meeting.

A Beautiful Lifetime Smile

Our smile is indeed a beautiful feature of our face, agree? and it is best presented with our beautiful teeth. As a parent, I practice my kids to brush their teeth every day. Though kids are not expected to have a perfect teeth, still I educate them the importance and advantages of having a beautiful smile. How it would impact to their social life and why is it a big factor to boost up their confidence. I don’t want them to have problems with their teeth in the future. I want them to have freedom to smile without holding back, like Mommy and Daddy. Woah! hahaha..

Brushing teeth is a fun family activity. My kids are more inclined when we brush our teeth all together, and they find it more interesting when we're doing it in front of the mirror. They cannot fully brush their teeth and  tongue yet, but I let them do it first so they would have the idea how it's done, then I'll be doing the polishing after. I'm happy that they have a pearly white teeth now and it pleases me whenever I hear praises and compliments from other people... :) 

My Little Sassy Girl

I really wanted to have a baby girl; but she came too early in our life. Her arrival wasn't planned. I didn't know if I wanted to laugh or cry. I was planning to continue my studies and we’re not ready yet to have another baby. It was really unexpected but I still thank god for giving us such a beautiful baby.

Cid Eriana

I felt utterly excited when I gave birth to this sweet little angel. She’s really beautiful; far more beautiful than I have ever  imagined. ^_^ I honestly give her special treatment. I kiss and cuddle her a lot and tell her how wonderful she is. She’s bubbly and sweet; but she has a strong personality. She’s actually my little sassy version! She’s curious and she easily learns things. She’s competitive and she knows what she wants. She likes playing with me and with other kids but she can also play happily alone in the corner. In fact, I just bought her a tea set and it occupied her time as if she’s exploring her own new world. She also likes the idea of being beautiful and appreciates her outfits! I can’t wait to see her become a lady! and I’m so excited to take her out for a shopping, take her to salon and get our hair and nails done together; all at the same time! Hmmm…sounds too girly huh!?  ^_^ I want her to grow up confident, sociable and let her do the things that will improve her character.

I love her so much and I’m grateful for all the wonderful changes and happiness she brought in our life. 

Transition to School

It is important for us parents to be interested in our children's education and make them feel our full support. We have to make sure that they are physically and mentally prepared because the experience and environment is new to them and could be overwhelming and stressful. 

Transitions are not easy. I was worried about how my son will cope with the lectures and how he will face the world beyond. I tried to teach him in advance. I started when he was 2. I taught him the proper handling of pencil, how to draw and trace different lines and shapes. I bought him crayons and coloring books and let him shade by himself. I taught him the alphabet with the help of this friendly site Starfall; which I also shared on my previous post Homeschool Reading Program.  
When my son first entered school June of 2012, his teacher noticed that he can actually write his name. He already knows the alphabet, basic shapes and different colors so he was accelerated from Kinder to Prep. He's actually doing great in class. In fact, he turned to be the 2nd most excellent in class right after their preceding examinations. Bravo brainy youngster!

Random Thoughts About Love

Whenever he smiles, his eyes would smile as well. Awww it's melting me!

21st of April 2013

I know every woman wants a man who will always be proud of them. A man who would genuinely care and pay attention whenever you have a bad day. Who would accompany you somewhere else for a little walk, chat, laugh and become silly together; or stay with you even during your boring bits. Who wouldn't say "no" to your simple requests. Who would give you regular reminders about the foods you eat and to drink plenty of water. Who would give you tiny little things to say he misses you or he was thinking of you. Who would tell you that he needs you in his life and would love to see you walk down the aisle with your wedding dress feeling like the most beautiful woman on earth. Cheezy right? These are probably basic for most people but these could make us feel valued and loved...

But then again, "hindi laging pasko sa pag-ibig" There will always be shortcomings that you'll need to live on.

I do believe that every beautiful relationship also has its downside. There will never be a perfect relationship and we can never expect perfection, that would be a dead end. BUT, we can always make an imperfect relationship work. agree!? I wouldn't believe you if you'd tell me you never had a fight with your partner even with small things, or sometimes worse comes to worst, you'll bluntly decide to part ways. It happens, right? ridiculous! and it's always up to us whether or not we'd choose to stay together. In our case, ehem! he can't live without my presence eh!haha and likewise of course.hihi. :) 

Married life is more complex, I would say. It's not like teenagers relationship, like you can always have a childish conversation and huff when you get annoyed with each other. There will be more important things that you would need to focus on. There are so many things that you would need to learn about each other, about how you'd live your life together untroubled. Adjustment will never be easy, even maturity could be difficult to acquire. When a dispute arise, you shouldn't allow yourself to be narrow-minded, you're gonna clash and you wouldn't resolve anything.  

Marriage is not like a fairy tale story, like a princess with her prince who's always there to save her from trouble. In reality, it's like a long storybook wherein you can't just stop finding ways to maintain the relationship that you have or save it from breaking down; and it takes not just love but also hard work and effort from both side. Elders say you wouldn't really know the person unless you have lived in one roof. Just so you know, the first few years of our marriage were the most difficult years we've ever faced. We needed to work on our differences to be able to get our certain needs met. I honestly love to share our whole love story here but it would take me years! It's like a roller coaster ride. We are totally opposite of each other. Even I, don't even know how we survived life together.hehe. Probably because we cannot afford to lose each other.. and we always try to keep our communication open. That might be our key in maintaining a good relationship. There's only one thing I know for sure, whatever obstacle blocks our way, love will always find a way. I know in every battle that we're going to face, there will always be something new to learn about each other and we will always have our reason to stay together. 

Sinigang na Tilapia sa Santol

I really wanna try different variations of sinigang. This time, I used fish (Tilapia) and fruit (santol). It’s very easy to prepare (perfect on busy days!), unique, tasty and irresistibly satisfying! The sweetness and sourness of santol goes well with the fish (Tilapia). Your kids will surely love it! 

Makeup

I don’t usually wear makeup on daily basis. I don't want to look overly girly unless I have an event to attend to. It’s giving me too much pimples plus it costs a lot of money. 

I couldn’t sleep last night so I played on my face and doll up a little. Hihi! I did my own heavy makeup (heavy na yan!haha) and my first ever smokey eye effect! It’s lighter than the usual effect I do see on TV, but I think I did a great job.. :)

My First Pork Spare Ribs in Sour Soup (Sinigang na Buto-buto)

Pork Spare Ribs in Sour Soup

I had sinigang na buto-buto (Pork spare ribs in sour soup) for lunch today. I checked for something to cook downstairs at my mother-in-law’s sari-sari store. Then I saw a bunch of pork ribs so I grabbed it right away. The weather turned cold these past few days so I thought this dish would be perfect. Oh, I haven’t told you it was my first rib cooking trial! I’m really happy with the result. I so love the soup. I think the bone added a tasty flavor to it. I’ll try it again next time.

Save Our Mother Earth

This is the continuation of my Proud to be Pinoy article. By the way, I had these assessments during the attack of monsoon for several days. People have two faces in terms of action. There is a good side and bad. I have tackled about the good side where I witnessed the heroism of our fellow countrymen. We Filipinos are one of the best examples I could give; but in contrast, we cannot run away from the bitter fact that we are also held responsible with the destruction of our environment.

My Idol!

I am truly a fan of Jessica Sanchez! I love her confidence despite of her sweet shy self. I love all of her performances but “The Prayer” and “Dance with my Father” stood out for me. Not because I can relate to the song or whatnot. I judge first how her voice blends well with the melody before the lyrics. Haha! Her version was the best I’ve ever heard! I am truly madly deeply impressed with her voice! She’s only 16 when she entered American Idol and she showed the world what she’s capable of. I respect the negative assessments regarding her voice but for me, she’s absolutely a world class singer!

The Prayer

Dance with my Father

In Loving Memory

I never thought of writing about my brother’s obituary, not even in my dreams! But this is something I couldn’t fail to remember. Recalling the past incident really breaks my heart into pieces so I needed to find enough strength to finish this story. Di ko matapos-tapos at naiiyak ako. (sigh)
My brother Neil died Jan.30, 2011 in a motorcycle accident. It was a solo accident that took his life and it caused me and my family so much grief and depression.

Proud to be Pinoy!

It's terrible too see the news and hear about people actually losing their houses because of the continuous heavy rain. Many people have been forced to leave their homes. Some of the roads are closed and thousands of people and motorists are stranded due to deep floods. Some are trapped on their roofs, waiting for their family to be rescued. Some evacuation centers cannot accommodate large volume of evacuees. They also lack sufficient food, water and other basic needs.

Homeschool Reading Programs

Friends For Keeps

Miss you all!!! :)

Moments I’ll Never Forget

I was 21 when I had my first baby and I thank God for that blessing! Way back five years ago, I was pregnant and I had my constant check up monthly to weekly. I’ve got a lot of speculations when my baby will arrive. I wasn’t feeling any pain yet when I had my last Dr.’s appointment; but she had me admitted because I was 3cm dilated. She advised me to walk around the hospital and inform her when I’m feeling mild labor contractions already. I followed her advice; I walked around the hospital for I think about 5hours. I’m getting frustrated na; I feel so tired and I also want to go home and rest. My Mom called my OB and said we’ll come back na lang when the pain is really bad; but she did not allow us and suggested induction instead. (sinaksakan ako ng pampahilab) I don’t know; but I was terrified because the doctor didn’t give us any medical reason why she needs to do that. I think the baby will come out when it’s ready. Am I right? Oh oowww.. I smell something fishy..haha. I suppose you know exactly what I mean. 

The Climb

“The Climb” it has to be one of my favorite songs. My attention was caught when I heard its mesmerizing melody. I searched out for the lyrics and it was actually pretty awesome. In fact, it describes my life right now. I’m about to graduate in roughly one year. I have a busy schedule and I can’t sometimes find a way to create balance. It has been very difficult for me to blend mommyhood and studenthood; but this song has been a reminder for me not to easily quit and strive harder for my dreams. It motivates me to become braver as I face the difficulties in my life. Challenges are not unusual to me and for sure to everybody else; it might knock us down at times, but we gotta keep going!

Whenever I’m having an awful day, I play it inside my head or sometimes sing it out loud. :)

An Approach to Parenting

Parenting can be the most rewarding and joyful experience; but it's not just about wonderful experiences. It is not an easy job. You should always be in control of your emotions and temper when they're throwing tantrums and you feel like you’re going to blow up. Whenever you feel like almost yelling at your kids, I would suggest, walk away instead. You might want to give yourself a break and think things through. Yelling is definitely not the answer to make your kids follow your commands; it’s a big parenting failure. We are not perfect but we can always do the right thing to discipline our children. If you think you’re being too harsh/hard on your kids, don’t hesitate to apologize. It’s also important for them to see that even us make mistakes, do things we don’t mean and most importantly acknowledge the mistakes we have made and then say the magic word "I'm sorry"

About the Author

I came from a not so ideal family. I and my siblings grew up with yayas because my parents had to work for us to survive. They give us whatever we want as a replacement for the times they can’t be there for us. I was a spoiled brat back then and wasn't disciplined very well. I lacked supervision from my parents and used to disrespect the elders. I've also had traumatic experiences at home, I've witnessed how my parents fight in front of us. It came to a point that I wanted to die coz I don't wanna be with them anymore. I was distraught and I couldn't find someone to enlighten my mind.  I always pray to God but I never had an answer. I was thinking why can't I have a happy family like the others.  I was longing for the love of my parents. Why can't I find peace and comfort at home. Why can't we eat out  for dinner to celebrate our birthdays or even watch movie on weekends. I couldn't call us a family. I was wishing to wake up one day living with a different family... But as I become more mature, I realized that I shouldn't be thinking that way. I've learned to accept what was given to me,  maybe that was just a test to measure the love I could offer my family. I believe everything does happen for a reason and I'm sure they love us too. Now, I have my own family.. I promise myself that I'll be strong for my children. I'm very thankful to god my husband loves me so much and he’s also trying to be strong enough for our family during the hard times. 

Why blog?

There are days when I wanna share my real life story. How fun my life is and why it sometime sucks, how awesome mommy-hood is and why it sometimes a hassle, how great married life is and why it sometimes give pressure. For a very complicated life like mine, blogging would be a great idea right? It became my outlet and it lifts up my mood when I feel so worn out. It's therapeutic, indeed. 
Me Me Me!
I live life simple. I don't have high end gadgets; I don't put much make up. I don't buy expensive clothes and shoes.
I prioritize family. I'd rather buy them what they want than buy stuff that is not necessary for me. I'd rather stay home and play with my kids than go outside and spend money for fun. :)
I'm a quiet person, but not a loner. I'm noisy when I'm with friends who treat me well. I can just be ME! I'm not comfortable to mingle with people who make me feel discarded. If unavoidable, you'd see me just observing in one corner. I just don't like to gather fake friends. I'm sensitive and I don't like saying things that would hurt others feelings. Likewise, I want them to be sensitive towards me as well. 

 Have a great day! :)

Smile and Make it a Habit!

Good day everyone! Let us all have a fresh start, smile, be positive! Did you have enough stress at work in the past few days? I suppose you don't want to look old yet? SMILE! Every day is a brand new day. God has given us another life and that is something to celebrate right!? C'mon.. let the good vibes come in and SMILE as you go through your day!

Happy Birthday Hubby Dearest!

Today is Hubby’s Birthday! Yehey!

FaMEALy

I never had to cook before I get married. I was like a lazy cat who doesn’t even want to get up in bed. Until one morning, I suddenly get anxious. “Oh my!” what are we going to eat for breakfast!? I don’t even know how to fry eggs!” I’m ashamed to admit but that was true. Still, I thank God my husband can cook. Haha. My husband helps me cook sometimes with a little smile, hug here and there and a little bit of rapping! Lucky me!

Student Mom

Just got home from school. (June 21,2012 11:30pm). Yeap! I’m a student mom and It 's not easy to balance school and being a mom. Well harder than I expected. I usually get home late and my kids were already sleeping and dreaming by then. Miss them soo much.. I have classes to attend to from Monday to Saturday. I only have Sunday to fully rest.

A Mother Like No Other

How am I going to start? Hmmm.. First, I wanna tell the world that I have the most perfect mother in the world! She has the heart of an angel. Now that I am already a mother, I can say that it takes talent to develop an amazing ability to be patient. I remember my mom telling me to be polite and treat others the way I want to be treated, when I was a kid. Pero matigas talaga ulo ko nung bata ako. I remember when I was a kid, my loving kuya and I used to fight like expert boxers on the roof. Kumakalabog talaga sa bubong.hahaha. Napalo kami ng sinturon at hanger; But then, after few hours of cooling down, She talked to us and said that she’s not mad at us; she’s only mad for what we did. Nakakarelate ka ba? J I’m very much thankful to God for giving us a mother like no other. She's always there for me and my siblings at ngayon hanggang sa mga apo. J I’ve seen how much she strived hard just to give us a good life. She’s done soooo many things for our family. She listens to my problems when I’m sad and comforts me when things turn out bad. What would I be without her! I love you Nay...Whatever happens, I’ll always be by your side and take care of you..

Mabuhay ang mga Nanay!!!

Through Thick and Thin

If ever happiness forgets about you, never completely 

forget about it...

This is my very first blog!

I wanna share to you guys all the things that I learned in the life tests I’ve been through. I’ve experienced a lot of disappointments and used to become a prey of my own decisions. I admit that I’m no good when it comes to decision making. I often make decisions based on impulse, and get very emotional when I fail. hehe. I’m now taking a big step sharing our story to you guys because we want to keep our married life private as much as possible. So it puts me out of my comfort zone right now. I made this blog to share a little fruitful life lessons. Life is like making a recipe that we possess. We have to go through trials and errors. If we want to make it perfect, we have to try and do it over and over again. I hope you enjoy reading it. I’ll be glad to hear your comments! This is only the first part of my story and I’ll be doing some more when I have free time.