A New Beginning: A Filipino Mom's Journal

2010 Presidential Elections

2009-12-03T07:49:00.000+08:00

To know the candidates more, watch Harapan: The Presidential Forum" Video Replay at Filipino-TV.info or you can go directly to:

http://filipino-tv.blogspot.com/2009/12/presidential-debate-120209.html

Watch Filipino TV Shows Online For Free

2009-11-11T06:49:00.000+08:00

This is my latest project. I've built a site where you can watch your favorite Filipino TV shows online. Just go to:

http://filipino-tv.blogspot.com/

Enjoy watching :)

P.S. You can also go directly to Dahil May Isang Ikaw, if that happens to be your current favorite teleserye (cause it's my favorite as of now, hehe.)

Theo's Progress

2009-07-24T06:16:00.002+08:00

PRACTICE MAKES PERFECT
Theo doesn't have any problem with reading. But one of the most difficult things for me to make Theo do when he was not yet going to school was to practice writing. I didn't want his study sessions to become traumatic for him so when I sensed that he was already getting irritable, I stopped. At his young age, I preferred to encourage rather than discourage him. I was generous with praise when I see him form those letters with his Mongol, although I knew that he still needed a lot of practice to be able to write beautifully and evenly. But he easily gets tired and bored of repetitive tasks. So the tendency was to be satisfied with those uneven letters and not improve, simply because he did not like to practice.

In school, he couldn't get away with those uneven letters, practice seatwork exercises and more practice included in his assignments. Now he writes evenly and I'd say a hundred percent more beautiful than before, in barely a month. So, even if I sometimes feel that the school might be giving my baby a lot more than he could handle, eventually I am thankful that their style has been effective so far.

STUDYING IS FUN
We are also developing some study habits and so far, a consistent schedule. Theo goes to school at 1:00pm. He usually wakes up between 7:30 and 8:30am, eats breakfast for an hour (sometimes longer -- hehe he's very slow especially during early morning. He's still lazy to eat by himself so I still have to feed him. If not, he won't eat hmp! That's because he prefers to do other things with his hands (like tinker with his toy cars, write, draw, pounce on the computer keyboard, etc) than to use them for eating. sigh. Anyways, he has a deadline. I told him he should be able to eat by himself before he turns 5!) At 9:30 he's already excited to take a look at his books and answer the exercises there. Sometimes he doesn't want to stop until we haven't reached the last page. lol. For some of the subjects, he has already finished all four chapters when in fact, they are still on the first. What I'm happy about is that he is having fun doing his lessons. Thank God for this attitude. I guess the one thing that he just didn't like was having to write the letters/numbers over and over again.

HIS WATERLOO
I check his quizzes and seatworks (and there are plenty ... too plenty for a nursery pupil hmmm) and I'm very happy and proud to see that he always gets perfect scores, except for spelling 'EARTH' without an E or maybe without an A. Well, he's got his weaknesses too ... and that's for drawing and coloring. Ever since, I knew that he was not very much interested in coloring because when I buy him coloring books, he didn't put much effort to finish a page or to color nicely. He'd rather remove the crayon wrappers or break the crayons and mix water color in a glass than use them on drawings. During his first two weeks in school, it seemed he always needed to overstay in class because he wasn't finishing his drawing and coloring activities on time. So, I gave him some pointers on how to hold his crayons properly and how to color faster. Then i also tried to make him practice coloring at home. I guess he followed my pointers because lately he's always one of the first to come out of the classroom.

TUTORIAL PROGRAM
One of the unique styles of Theo's school is an optional tutorial program. For just an additional P1,000.00 (plus a little more - can't remember the exact amount) a month, the students get to extend for 2 more hours of teaching/tutoring. This is considerably a lot cheaper than hiring a private tutor. The mothers whose kids are enrolled in this program say that there are more activities done during the 'tutorial' than during the regular class. Also, the kids do their homeworks there instead of bringing them home, so they could just play when they get home and don't need to think of their homework. Hmm. I'd say I'm quite skeptical to enroll him in that program. That means 2 more hours of free time for me but 2 more hours away from my baby and 2 hours less bonding time for us.

We enjoy studying together and it's fun for him when I watch him answer his book exercises. His confidence soars when I applaud him for his correct answers and he sees me grinning from ear to ear and feeling proud for his achievements. No, thanks. My four-year-old doesn't need to stay longer than what he does now. I'm not sure if enrolling him in the tutorial program will be more of an advantage or disadvantage for him. But I am sure that at his age, he still needs to be with his parents more. The 2 hours regular class plus almost 2 hours of studying in the morning with his Mama, I think is enough for now. CFA is right. Just let him play. Four hours of continuous serious studying in school might just make him grow tired easily. Besides, when I kid him that I'll enroll him in the program, he vehemently says NO! So, I won't pass on the responsibilty of helping him with his assignments to a tutor. I'm happy to keep that job :)

Why I Enrolled Theo In A Regular School

2009-07-02T06:11:00.000+08:00

I have written an article here saying that I am convinced that Homeschooling is best for Theo. I still am. The problem is that when we attended a seminar at CFA for parents who plan to enroll their children in the homeschooling program, they were very strict with the age requirement, which should be 5 years old and above. Theo has just turned 4 so unfortunately, he is not yet qualified. They said we should just let Theo play. But i think, Theo is more than ready for school. Also, I feel a lot of time will be wasted if we just let one year pass by. Sure, I can still teach him. But as days pass by, I am getting concerned that he might start to think that life is just all playing. I worry that he might just get used to it that when it's time for him to start school/homeschooling, he will no longer be interested. At the same time, since my internet work is just starting to pick up, it's just right that the 'homeschooling' take a backseat for a while. I'm pretty sure that next year, my schedules and activities will be a lot more established already. CFA is also very strict about the parents who will be the ones to teach the children. They really have to be FULL-TIME (NO part-time whatsoever!) So, next year I have to make sure that my internet work doesn't interfere with our homeschooling sessions.

At Theo's school (the one he's enrolled at now), the headmaster (or was he the founder?) gave a very long, interesting and detailed talk about the school's policies, vision, mission and style during the orientation seminar for parents prior to the start of classes. After his talk, it gave me a feeling of assurance and relief that we have come to the right place. Before listening to him, I had a belief in my mind that there is no school or teacher who can equal the way a child's parents can teach him/her. But after listening to him, my mindset has somehow changed. I am now a bit more open to the possibility of letting other people take that responsibility of educating my son, simply because they are qualified. It's comforting to know that there is a school who can accommodate my child's educational needs aside from me.

So, we'll see after one year. If I am satisfied with the results and with Theo's progress, we might just let him continue to study there. Otherwise, we'll push through with the homeschooling program, especially if the pacing there is just too slow for Theo.

First Goal Reached

2009-07-01T05:54:00.001+08:00

When I made the decision to stay at home and take care of Theo, I also had in my mind, the vision of earning money with just my PC and an internet connection as my tools. My first target was to surpass my monthly income when I was still working as a regular employee.

I have now reached that goal, and am now enjoying the best of both worlds - taking care of my son full-time and earning decently through my new career as an internet freelancer. Yes, I take care of Theo "full-time" because I only work when he is asleep. My working hours are usually from 4-7AM. There are times when I work longer hours, which means sometimes staying up the whole night, but that is only when I am creating a new site or troubleshooting problems with an existing site. Then, I still keep myself awake during the day for Theo. It's really wonderful to work on something that I truly enjoy doing and at the same time make money out of it. (Click here to know more about how I earn through the internet.)

My next goal is to surpass the monthly income of a former colleague. Why? Well it's sort of a long story. You see, this former colleague was the one to whom I passed on my position when I resigned as a former junior officer in a government corporation. It is very significant to me since that was one of the biggest decisions that I have made in my life. Resigning from that company meant that I was sacrificing my career in exchange for a higher purpose. I told myself that I can only be sure that there really are no regrets on my part in making that decision if I would eventually earn the same amount as what this former colleague is earning now.

Based on my internet earning trend, I believe I'll be able to reach this goal very, very soon.

A New Chapter In Our Life

2009-06-30T23:10:00.014+08:00

UPDATING THIS BLOG
(Written June 30, 2009)

I have found time for writing new posts here. Since last week, and until the end of this school year, I will be accompanying Theo to school everyday and will have an extra 2 hours of freetime! Whoa! That's a lot of time for blogging, hehe, which is good because I get to fulfill my original purpose here - to record my precious moments as a mom. I have also decided to keep this blog free from "commercial" posts. So from now on, I will only really be writing about Theo, Bong, and myself ... just all personal stuff here! My other blogs will take care of the earnings, hehe.

NAME GAME
(Written June 29, 2009)

I've always called him Thiel in this blog but actually, we used to call him Thiel-Thiel. I think I have already mentioned before that Thiel is short for 'TH'eo [PLUS] ar'IEL'. Times are changing and through the years, the way we call him also changes. We sometimes call him Agu because "ah-goo" was the first word that he spoke. There was a time when we had to call him Stuart because that was the only name that he wanted - that's because he got very fond of Stuart Little, the mouse. There is also a a time when he only wants to be called Cat or Mr. Cat - simply because he loves cats. He always didn't like to be called by his real name, Theo. I don't know why, but my guess was, he just liked to be called by a pet's name like mouse, cat or puppy. So, it was hard to convince him to use his real name. But when he got fond of watching the Chipmunks, I took that opportunity to make him get used to be called "Theo/Theodore" since one of the chipmunks' name was Theodore.

Now, we call him Theo. Our relatives call him Theo. His teachers call him Theo or sometimes, Theo Ariel (he happens to have a namesake among his very few boy classmates.) Only friends from our place in Quezon City still call him Thiel/Thiel-Thiel. So from hereon, I'll be referring to my son in this blog as Theo (pronounced as thee-yow).

THEO CELEBRATES HIS FOURTH BIRTHDAY
(Written June 29, 2009)

Last May 15, it was Theo Ariel's fourth year here on earth. We had a simple birthday party at Jollibee West Avenue, the same place where we held his very first birthday. Unlike his first birthday, Theo enjoyed a lot during the party! He was dressed up in a Superman costume (we just wanted him to stand out as the celebrant and to follow the 'justice league' party theme). He joined the games and was very comfortable with Jollibee, the mascot (he got scared of the mascot and cried during his 1st birthday lol). Thanks to our close friends and relatives who attended the party. Some of them even came from Novaliches, Bulacan and Paranaque but they took the time just to celebrate Theo's special day. Special thanks goes to Theo's Ninang Irene and Ate Roneen for these wonderful photos.

A NEW PLACE FOR US
(Written June 29, 2009)

We officially moved to Calumpit, Bulacan last May 23, 2009. Praise God. We now have a safer place for Theo, fresher air, a more convenient house (no more second floor but a lot more spacious), a bigger play-ground and everyday is like a trip to the park because of the wonderful sceneries arround us. We also don't feel like being all alone in an island anymore because three of Bong's siblings and their families are now our neighbors. We're also now nearer to my relatives, both on my mom's and dad's side (Mommy hails from Plaridel, Bulacan while Daddy is from San Simon, Pampanga.) I feel good and blessed with our new home. I believe this is one of the best decisions that we have ever made in our entire family life.

THEO GOES TO SCHOOL
(Written June 26, 2009)

It's Theo's second day at school. I'm here with his Papa in the car parked outside the school. It seems that starting today they are no longer allowing parents to wait inside the school premises. (Shouldn't they just have a waiting area inside? What if it rains? Well it's awfully hot now and I see some parents/yayas/etc. sitting on monoblock chairs just outside the gate.) Anyways, yesterday, first day of nursery school, it was different. The monoblock chairs were lined up along the corridors and I managed to let my bionic ears pick up some sounds coming from Theo's classroom. So I heard it when the teacher was calling his name to answer some questions. And my ears were clapping when I knew that he answered correctly. I also heard it when the teacher asked the whole class to clap for him after he was able to answer a series of questions - actually about the alphabet, like I think the teacher was pointing to a letter and he's supposed to identify what letter it was. Of course that's too easy for him cause he's already able to read even long words. I hope all his lessons won't be that easy or I'll be worried he might get bored. After class, my baby boy was smiling at me from ear to ear. He asked me to accompany him to the washroom to relieve himself. Inside, we saw one of his teachers who said, "hey, Theo, you were very good today, huh!" Wow, that was nice. Not bad for a first timer.

Oh, I almost forgot. Theo was a few minutes late yesterday because when we were about to leave home, Theo had to (excuse me) poop. He's been having LBM since three days ago. Good thing, he's recovering. When he got inside the classroom, there was this boy who had been crying because he wanted to go to his Lola (his guardian) who was sitting with us outside the room. If i'm not mistaken, around 75% of the time, he was crying .. very, very loudly. It's kind of annoying because i think he's distracting the whole class. What was very surprising was the fact that this boy even attended summer classes so he should have already been prepared by now. I'm just too happy that my little boy seems to be acting very maturely. He doesn't look like a first-timer at all.

Halfway through class (their schedule is 1-3pm), a school staff approached to ask me for Theo's hanky. I told her it's with him, but apparently Theo misplaced it somewhere. I asked her what for and she said Theo's face is full of chocolate. (Haha, he had Cream-O for breaktime). So I just gave her my pack of baby wipes. When I saw him after class, it seems not only his face was smeared with chocolate but also his polo shirt!

Very funny. I asked Theo about his classmates - how many were girls and how many were boys, and his answer was: "Mama, plenty of girls there!" with matching chuckle. Hehe.

(Back to present ... ) I just glanced at the direction of the other guardians and it seems they have been allowed to wait inside after all. I wonder what happened to the crying boy. I better take a peek inside and see what's going on. Maybe i can also grab some snacks in their mini-canteen .. didn't have time to eat lunch.

Videos To Teach Your Toddlers How To Read And Write The Alphabet

2009-04-15T10:05:00.004+08:00

A Teleserye Suitable For Kids

2009-03-03T04:23:00.003+08:00

I strongly recommend May Bukas Pa, an abs-cbn teleserye about a boy who was abandoned in a cemetery when he was still a baby, raised by the priests in a monastery and gets to converse personally with Bro/Jesus Christ. He was later used by the Lord to heal the sick and make miracles for the purpose of converting sinners and spreading goodness.

This show presents a lot of good values and moral/spiritual lessons that our kids (and all of us) can learn from. My Thiel loves Santino and Bro and in just a short time, has already been influenced (in a good way) by May Bukas Pa. It is actually the only Tagalog show that I am confident of letting him watch.

May Bukas Pa is aired on abs-cbn channel 2 every weeknights at 7:30 PM right after TV Patrol.

Busy Me

2009-03-03T04:10:00.003+08:00

It's obvious. Since I have not posted for quite a while, yeah, I've been busy. Or I might have shifted priorities ... again. Well, I have always been blogging, but again, I'm usually posting to my "other" blogs which, currently, are my 'bread and butter'

Anyways, I just wanted to do a quick post here. What I do want to say is that we're doing quite well so far, praise God. Everything's going great!

We're planning to enroll Thiel this coming school year but not in a regular school. So far, I'm convinced that homeschooling is good for him. We still have to attend a seminar regarding this but I'm almost 100% sure that it's the path we're going to take as far as Thiel's elementary education is concerned. This may help explain why.

Easy Shopping For Busy Moms Like Me

2009-01-26T05:48:00.010+08:00

When I was still a full-time regular working mom doing a 9-hour office routine, I used to think that when I finally get to settle down as a stay-at-home mom, I can probably have more time. Aside from having more time for my son (which is actually the main thing), I thought, as a bonus, I can also have more time for myself and for the things I love doing like going to malls, etc. Well, I guess I was somehow wrong because I'm still as busy as ever. :( The time that I used to spend in the office has now been replaced by household chores and work on the internet. No, I'm not complaining. Being with my son all day long is still the best choice and it's been heaven ever since.

As for 'malling', well, although I still get to do that once in a while, I've found a more convenient way of "window shopping" right inside the comforts of our home. And what would a mom of a 3-year-old usually shop for? Of course, things for babies and toddlers! Shopwiki's Babies and Toddler Products Buying Guide is simply an excellent alternative to the hustle and bustle of physically going through toy stores, bookstores and clothing stores hundreds of meters apart with a super-duper-hyper Thiel in tow.

You see, Shopwiki has this search feature that is much like how Google functions and more. This means that search results would return everything that's for sale on the internet and not only those stores that have paid for advertisement, which is what usually happens on other traditional shopping sites. What's more is that aside from the stores, Shopwiki even gives very helpful buying tips. Just take a look at their Toddler Clothing Buying Guide . Those tips are already freebies which make internet browsing/shopping a wonderful and valuable experience.

Under Toys and Games Buying Guide, I tried to search for Thiel's favorite toy and typed "tow truck" on the search box. It returned several items but one that, I'm sure, will get Thiel very interested is the "Tow Truck Game". It was so easy to choose from 8 different stores with different prices for exactly the same product. Of course who wouldn't choose the cheapest and it's only worth $6.99 while others sell it for $7.99, $8.48 and $9.99. Wow, talk about convenience!

Well, that's it for my latest online discovery. Just sharing it with busy moms like me ;)

Christmas, Don't Be Late By Thiel And Mama

2009-01-13T05:04:00.003+08:00

Free file hosting by FileAve.com

I'm proud of him :)

Re-live Holiday Memories With Ceiva Photos

2009-01-13T04:19:00.005+08:00

I have always thought that the Christmas holiday ends during the Feast of the Three Kings. Well, just recently, I read that actually, the Christmas season officially ends on the feast of the Baptism of the Lord, which we celebrated last Sunday, January 11th. Yes, the holidays are over but the memories are not. And the best way of preserving these memories is through pictures.

The CEIVA Digital Photo Frame is a perfect gift for our loved ones, especially those who live miles away from us. It is very convenient to send and receive photos whenever and wherever you or your loved ones are because it connects not only through a PC, but also even with just a phone line or wi-fi. The CEIVA Photo Frame can also receive photos directly either from a computer or a camera phone. What's nice about it is that it displays photos perfectly without having to crop, stretch or squish.

Here's a demo of how I easily sent my picture to 'Santa and his elves' through my PC and it went directly to the CEIVA Photo Frame.

For the complete CEIVA experience, simply do the following 3 easy steps and you can already enjoy all the benefits of the CEIVA Digital Photo Frame:
* Choose a frame.
* Register your CEIVA frame and activate your PicturePlan membership.
* Send photos from your computer or camera phone directly to the frame.

My Holiday Highlights

2009-01-13T03:31:00.006+08:00

Dec 23 2008, Tuesday

Woke up feeling very lousy due to stuffy nose and mild fever.

Couldn't say no to a lunch invitation from 2 former SSS colleagues who are also Thiel's godparents - Evelyn Dy and Manong Rey Venzon

Brought Thiel with me to the lunch date. He was too excited he couldn't eat well

Felt even worse the rest of the day

Dec 24 2008, Wednesday

Last minute shopping with Bong and Thiel.

Thiel enjoyed riding the power bike where you pay 25.00 per 15 minutes while I sneaked out to buy his Christmas wish from 'Santa'

Christmas eve - Thiel slept at around 10. He would have wanted to wait for Santa and his reindeers. Bong went out at around 7 PM to buy me medicines. He wasn't back till 1 AM! Little did I know he almost didn't make it home. Thank God he's safe. (I'll try to tell the story next time)

Dec 25 2008, Christmas Day

Was still sick - cough and cold

Went to my sis-in-law's place for a family reunion (Bong's side)

Thiel got to join some of the parlor games. He had a great time playing with his cousins and running around the mini-park nearby.

Dec 31 2008, New Year's Eve
My happiest New Year's eve! The 3 of us were together the whole time. It was rainy but the celebration went on. For the first time I braved the smoke and the noise of the new year - I would usually just hibernate, afraid that the smoke would pollute my lungs, affect my voice and make my cough worse. But this time, I just enjoyed the moment with Thiel and Bong.

... to be continued

Join The Conversation And Earn Money :)

2009-01-11T13:34:00.002+08:00

Very Nice Christmas Puzzle Game

2008-12-30T12:01:00.006+08:00

The three of us (Bong, Thiel and me) had a wonderful bonding time solving this very nice and subtle escape game. Hope you enjoy it too.

Click to play Christmas Escape 2

My Son's Turn To Get A Wish From Santa

2008-12-27T04:03:00.006+08:00

Now, it's my turn to tell stories about Santa to my son, Thiel. I had to ask him what he wants Santa to give him for Christmas and then, had to make sure he gets his wish nicely wrapped in a Christmas wrapper and placed under the Christmas tree on Christmas eve. How I'd love to be in his place and get to make that wish again for Santa to deliver with the help of his reindeers on the magic sleigh.

Well, guess what! I do have that chance again to make that wish like I used to when I was a child, and even get to sit on Santa's lap with CEIVA's Digital Photo Frame Video experience.

It was so easy and fast to upload my photo into the CEIVA Digital Photo Frame - taking up only a few seconds. What's amazing is that it can receive pictures not only from a PC but even from a cellphone. It's a bit odd, but cute, seeing myself together with Santa and his elves :)

It's past Christmas so the got a wish contest wherein Santa grants one wish worth $500 everyday is over :( Well anyways, I'm sure he has already made a lot of people happy this year.

Here's my CEIVA Digital Photo Frame Video:

Mama Mary Visits Our Home

2008-12-18T14:59:00.006+08:00

We had a very lovely visitor last Sunday and she will be with us for the whole week.

One of the regular activities of the Legion Of Mary is to bring the image of Our Mother to families who will accept it and let it stay with them for a week, after which, it will be brought to another home and so on. The family's duty would be to pray the rosary once a day in front of Our Lady's image.

The week has not yet ended but she has been granting several of my prayer requests already. She is also teaching my Thiel to be more prayerful. I've always had the problem of making him want to pray because he is always joking. It seems Mama Mary has a very pleasant appeal on him so now it's not so hard to ask him to pray.

Mother of God and Mother of the Church, pray for us.
Immaculate Heart of Mary, pray for us.
Our Mother of Perpetual Help, pray for us.

Thank you, Mama Mary, for visiting us in our humble abode.

Back To Mama Mary

2008-12-10T18:31:00.007+08:00

When I was working in Makati, it took me at least an hour to get to the office from home. It would have been more convenient to ride the MRT but my work starts at 6 AM, which means that I had to get on the train before 5:30 AM. Since the first train leaves AT 5:30 AM, it's safer, time-wise, to take the bus, anyways, there's not much traffic yet at that time.

Whichever I chose to take me to my destination, there was one thing that I'd never want to neglect doing during the whole ride, and that was to pray the Rosary. I saw that particular time frame as the only window that I have just for myself. The rest of the day was either for work or for my family. I tried to make full use of it by praying the rosary, which I could not do at home nor at work.

After I resigned last August, that "window" was gone, and so was my prayer time. Although I still pray, right before I start working (on the internet), I procrastinate on praying the rosary. I was always in a hurry to start work. I would always tell myself (and Mama Mary) that I would resume doing so soon, but it took me 3 months before I was finally able to fulfill my promise. As usual, trials had to force me to get down on my knees again and beg for our mother's intercession.

I ask for forgiveness for my negligence. I should have known better. "... seek first the kingdom and everything shall be added unto you... "

Now, I would never start work without first praying ... both my personal prayer and the rosary. There are 2 things that I love the most in being a Catholic: our faith in the Eucharist and our love for the Mother of God.

Mary, Mother of God and Mother of perpetual help, pray for us.

An Open Letter From Manny Pacquiao

2008-12-07T09:57:00.004+08:00

LAS VEGAS — Magandang, magandang araw po sa inyong lahat. Malamang sa oras na binabasa ninyo ang kolum na ito, ako po ay kasalukuyan nang lumalaban sa ibabaw ng ring, ang ring na pinapanood ng buong mundo.

Sa oras ng alas 8 ng gabi, Disyembre 6, sa MGM Grand Arena, kami ni Oscar De La Hoya ang magtutuos upang tapusin na namin ang “Dream Match,” ang pinakamalaki at pinaka-importanteng laban ng taon at marahil ay sa kasaysayan ng boxing.

Kasama ko po kayong lahat sa gabing ito, ang ating mga panalangin ay magkakaugnay-ugnay at iisang tinig, iisang puwersa tayong lalaban kontra sa Golden Boy ng boxing, ang isa sa mga haligi ng sport na ito, na aking minahal mula pa noong ako ay nagsimulang mangarap at managinip.

Ang bawat suntok na aking bibitawan ay may bigat ng 90 milyong Pilipino sa buong mundo, kasama na rin ang ilan pang milyong katao na sumusuporta sa akin bilang isang kampeon sa ibabaw ng ring.

Excited na ako na maipakita ko ang tapang, lakas at bilis ng isang mandirigmang Pilipino gaya ng ipinakita ng aking mga ninuno simula pa kay Lapu-Lapu ng Mactan. Maganda ang aking pakiramdam, maayos at malinaw ang aking pag-iisip at higit sa lahat, naniniwala ako na ang mahal na Panginoong Diyos ay nasa aking tabi palagi kaya Siya na ang magbibigay sa akin ng tagumpay sa araw na ito. Kasama ko sa araw na ito ang lahat ng mga magigiting na Pilipino na nagtanggol at lumaban upang lahat tayo ay lumaya at mamuhay ng tahimik. Kasabay ko ang lahat ng mga kababayan kong nagmamahal sa bayan.

Iniaalay ko sa Diyos at sa inyong lahat ang laban na ito at gagawin ko lahat ang aking makakaya upang gapiin ang kalaban na si Dela Hoya na nagsabing patutulugin daw niya ako. Isa lang ang aking masasabi. Ang aking kamao na lang ang magsasalita sa takdang araw dahil ang mahal na Panginoon lang ang s’yang tanging nakakaalam kung sino ang magwawagi sa aming dalawa.

Matagal at mahirap ang tinahak naming daan para paghandaan ang laban na ito. Dugo, pawis at pagod ang puhunan namin, kasama ang aking coach na si Freddie Roach. Tiniis naming lahat ang lamig, sakit ng katawan, pagkauhaw at mga pagsubok upang marating ang kundisyon ng pangangatawan, pag-iisip at ispiritwal na kabuuan upang masasabi namin na handing-handa na ang lahat.

This is the fight of my life, this is the biggest challenge in my boxing career, and I know that if I emerge victorious in this battle, all of us will reap the blessings and we will share all the glory.

Kaunting oras na lang at bakbakan na. Sana po, ipagpatuloy ninyo ang pananalangin upang lahat tayo ay tatanghaling KAMPEON NG BUONG MUNDO.

Hanggang sa muling Kumbinasyon. God Bless Us All!

Source: http://philboxing.com/

Happy Birthday Darling

2008-12-04T01:44:00.003+08:00

I thank God for you. May He grant all your heart's desires. I pray for your good health and long life. Thiel and I love you so much.

A Gift From Santa Claus?

2008-12-03T23:46:00.010+08:00

I found this very cute site where one gets to make a wish, have his picture included in a video with Santa and his elves and gets a chance to make his Christmas wish come true through the site's Got a Wish Sweeepstakes.

It's really very easy and simple. Once you enter the website, wait for the video to load (which will take only a few seconds) and watch and listen to Santa and one of his elves talk. They will then ask you to type your first name and your wish and to upload your picture. While you're doing this, they patiently wait and read a magazine. Once you click "Submit", Santa and his elf continue and invite you to join the contest wherein one holiday wish will be granted for each day of the contest until Christmas eve. There's a limit, though to the amount of the wish - it must not be more than $500.00. The sad part (for me) is, only residents of the United States and Washington, D.C. are qualified to join :( . Nevertheless, I enjoyed making a wish and watching the video. It made me feel like a little girl once again, wishing for a gift from Santa. I also liked the way my photo was uploaded to the CEIVA Digital Photo Frame.

After the video has finished, you are given the following options:

Enter Got a Wish Sweeepstakes
Send the video to a friend
Embed your video (I'm embedding mine right here :)
Send the site to a friend

I Love Betty La Fea On Primetime Bida (The Pinoy Version)

2008-11-30T17:05:00.008+08:00

Are you familiar with ABS-CBN's "I Love Betty La Fea"? It's the Philippine's own version of the very popular Colombian telenovela, "Yo Soy Betty, La Fea".

You see, I'm really not into watching TV, even before, when I was still single. I always had something else to do - a lot of other activities at school and later at work - so I usually didn't have time to watch. Then, so many years later, I got pregnant and had to be confined for 9 months in the bedroom, per ob-gyn's advice, due to placenta praevia. That was the time when the TV became my savior and constant companion. So I became a "kapamilya" hehe. I got to know all the ABS-CBN shows, including the 'teleseryes' in primetime bida. My favorite then was "Lovers In Paris," a koreanovela. I really enjoyed watching it, maybe because it was a comedy.

When Thiel came, I gradually had to stop watching again, and more so, when I went back to work. Anyways, now that he's three and I'm now a SAHM, I get to sneak and watch once in a while. In those few times that I'm able to 'do my thing', I watch the news and I Love Betty La Fea.

This Bea Alonzo-John Lloyd Cruz teleserye is so entertaining and very relaxing. If you just want to relieve stress and forget about your problems for 30 minutes or so, then this is what you might want to watch. It will also actually make you fall in love again as you cheer for Betty whenever there are scenes where Armando shows signs of caring for her.

For people like me who really can't commit to staying glued on the TV between 8 to 9 PM, here's your chance to watch episodes of I Love Betty La Fea anytime you want! Just log on to I Love Betty La Fea On Primetime Bida (The Pinoy Version) and you will never miss a single episode again. This is also great for all you OFW moms out there since, I believe, TFC doesn't show I Love Betty La Fea, right?

Happy watching!

Thiel Finishes Reading A Book

2008-11-28T07:46:00.004+08:00

Today, November 27, 2008, marks the first day that Thiel was able to finish reading a 16-page storybook. He has always read words, sentences, a few pages, but this is the first time that he was able to finish an entire book.

The book is entitled “Green Frog And The Bee” written by May S.M. Mah. It is labeled Book 7, Series 1 of the Phonics-in-Reading of the Rhythm Child Development System (RCDS) published by Rhythm Publishing Co., Malaysia. This particular volume introduces words with the long “e” sound.

“Green Frog And The Bee” is filled with attractive and colorful drawings on each page. I bought it for (PHP) 54.75. Here's how the book goes:

Page 1:

This is Green Frog. Green Frog lives near the pond.

Page 2:

Green Frog likes to play. Green Frog has no one to play with. All he does is to eat and sleep all day.

Page 3:

One day, Green Frog goes to the pond. Green Frog leaps into the pond.

Page 4:

A green leaf drops from a tree. The leaf drops into the pond. Green Frog leaps onto the green leaf.

Page 5:

Green Frog wants to play. He peeps into the pond. Green Frog sees an eel. The eel is three feet long.

Page 6:

”Play with me,” says Green Frog to the eel. But the eel is asleep. It cannot play with Green Frog.

Page 7:

Green Frog feels sad. There is no one to play with him.

Page 8:

Green Frog sees two fleas. The fleas are near the tree. The fleas are near the tree by the pond.

Page 9:

”Play with me,” says Green Frog to the two fleas. “We will not play with you,” the fleas say.

Page 10:

Green Frog says, “Wait for me – I want to play with you!”

Page 11:

The fleas see the sheep. The sheep sees the fleas.

Page 12:

The sheep runs away from the fleas. The fleas go after the sheep. Green Frog hops after the fleas.

Page 13:

Here comes a bee. Here comes a big bee! But Green Frog does not see the big bee.

Page 14:

Green Frog hears a noise. Buzz...buzz...buzz... Green Frog sees the bee.

Page 15:

”Play with me,” says Green Frog to the bee. “I will not play with you,” says the bee. “But I will bite you!”

Page 16:

“Bee wants to bite me!” screams Green Frog. “Help! Help! Help!” Green Frog flees from the big bee!

Way to go, Thiel! He knows I'm overjoyed with his accomplishment. His prize? A red star, lots of hugs and kisses and a plastic cup-ful of cold “gulaman at sago” (Gelatin and Tapioca Pearls juice).

How I'm Teaching My 3 Year Old Thiel To Count Up To 100 (And More)

2008-11-28T05:58:00.005+08:00

It was easy for Thiel to learn to count up to 10. Any toddler can do that even by just watching Sesame Street. Learning to count from 11 to 20 was a bit of a challenge. For this, my solution was familiarization and doing it at every opportunity, combining it with fun and games. I really don't plan on activities that could help him to learn. The activities should come from him – on whatever he enjoys doing. He likes playing with his toy cars, so counting his cars would be fun for him.

Some interactive learning games on the internet can help. And of course, books can help. But still, the key is familiarization. So, after learning 1 to 20, is it possible for him to already do up to 100? I believe it is.

He enjoys watching “Cars”, an animated movie that features cars going for the Piston Cup, a very prestigious car racing event. It stars Lightning Mcqueen (a car who dreams of being the first rookie to win the Piston cup), “The King” (the undefeated veteran) and Chick Hicks (the antagonist desperate of winning at all cost, including cheating.) These cars have numbers on them - Lightning is Number 95, The King is Number 43 and Chick Hicks is Number 86.

Referring to those numbers made it easy for me to teach him how to read numbers greater than 20. I told him, a 9 and a 5 together is 95. Hey, isn't that Lightning's number? His face brightens up, he grins from ear to ear and answers, “Yeah!!!” A 4 and a 3 together is 43. Hey isn't that “The King's” number? And so forth and so on...

So now, he can read them. But how does he put them in order ... as in counting from 1 to 100?

I got a Manila paper, wrote the numbers from 1 up to whatever fits on the whole sheet – which is 130 - in blue and red pens, and posted it on the bedroom wall. He sees it everyday. At some days, he reads it, at other days, he doesn't. Sometimes, he ignores it, but sometimes, he focuses on it for several hours, until he's able to read and count up to the last number – 130.

The point is ... it's there and he can see it anytime he's ready and interested.

The important things to remember are:

The child shouldn't be forced into learning.
Learning should be fun.
We, the parents, should look at every opportunity where our children could learn, and with proper timing, try to teach them as best as we can in a fun, loving way.
We should believe in their abilities and should not put a limit to what they can or can't do, but at the same time be sensitive enough to know when to stop.
We should be generous with praise and appreciation.

How I Taught My 3 Year Old Thiel To Spell His Name

2008-11-28T05:18:00.004+08:00

My son Thiel can easily spell his name. He is now 3 years and 6 months old, but if I'm not mistaken, he learned it at exactly 3 or even a few weeks before. Let me share with you this unconventional method that i used to teach him.

When Thiel was only a little more than 1 year old, I noticed that he could easily memorize the lyrics of a song. Here's how i discovered it:

Ever since he was a baby, to make him sleep, I would always sing him songs like "Tomorrow" (from the broadway musical 'Annie'), "It Might Be You" (from the movie 'Tootsie'), "All My Life" (sung by 'America') and "Sa Ugoy Ng Duyan" (A Filipino Lullaby). I couldn't remember now how it happened, but one time, I must have stopped singing in the middle of the song and I was surprised when he supplied the next word. For example, I was singing "Time, I've been passing time, watching days ___" (stop). He suddenly blurted out, “go by”. I tried it with the other songs, and I was really amazed that he almost knew all the 'ending' lyrics of the other songs as well. Soon, the songs couldn't make him sleep anymore because he was enjoying the challenge of filling in the missing lyrics.

So, I thought, if he could easily memorize this way, maybe it would also apply to memorizing the spelling of his name. His full name is Theo Ariel. So I put a tune to the spelling, together with the name, and the song goes like this:

T-H-E-O, Theo
A-R-I-E-L A-R-I-E-L A-R-I-E-L, Ariel, Ariel, Ariel

... and the same goes for his last name.

Presto! He instantly memorized it. Now, he can spell a LOT of words. Nah, I don't apply that same style to every word he's learning, but since he enjoyed his first lessons in spelling, it wasn't hard to teach him from then on.

Related Posts:
How I'm Teaching My 3-Year Old Thiel Not To Tell A Lie
How I'm Teaching My 3 Year Old Thiel To Count Up To 100 (And More)

I'm Back

2008-11-28T04:53:00.003+08:00

I've been offline for the past several days because my DSL was cut-off. We were late in paying our monthly bill :( Thank God, we were able to settle our account at least after just a few days of being late :)

Three months after I've resigned from my regular job, we're still in the process of adjusting (financially). Bong's 'contracting services' is just picking up. With God's help, I trust that we'll be able to pull through.

Join The Conversation And Earn Money

2008-11-24T02:45:00.001+08:00

How I'm Teaching My 3-Year Old Thiel Not To Tell A Lie

2008-11-24T01:21:00.009+08:00

Why do children or even adults tell lies? There could be a number of reasons, but one thing that I have observed, that is possibly the most common, would be fear. The fear of being reprimanded, the fear of getting blamed, the fear of being disliked if he tells an ugly truth.

I am teaching Thiel not to tell a lie by not getting angry at him when he tells me that he removed an important paper from its original place and put it somewhere else. Or that he hugged the cat or pulled its tail just after he washed his hands. Or that he was the one who turned off the fridge. Or that he pinched that younger girl and made her cry. And a lot more other mischiefs. Of course, he needs to know that what he did was not good and should not be tolerated. But I need to tell him in a very nice way, especially if he just told me the truth. I am very careful not to scare him off from telling what really happened.

This is what I always do:

Ask him gently and sweetly what he did or what happened.
Listen to him and wait patiently for him to finish speaking.
Hug and kiss him and thank him for telling the truth.
(It's time to ...) Tell him that what he did wasn't right, again, in a very gentle and sweet manner, but not dwelling on it or making a long sermon.
Remind him some other time not to do it again.

The key factors here are the parents' tone of voice (a low-toned voice always effectively makes a child listen), concern and affection to let the child feel understood and loved, despite his wrongdoings and most importantly, the ability to control anger.

I am far from being a perfect parent, but I believe teaching this value to Thiel as early as now, is something that he would greatly benefit from and would make him the good person that I pray him to be. Hence, I do my best to impress upon myself to consistently follow these guidelines.

Related Posts:
How I Taught My 3 Year Old Thiel To Spell His Name

How I'm Teaching My 3 Year Old Thiel To Count Up To 100 (And More)

Finally, A Flat Belly Diet For FREE!

2008-11-23T21:46:00.008+08:00

The Postpartum Belly
I have always been slim, skinny, flat-bellied, "sexy". :) I know I'm not too attractive but when it comes to weight and figure, I know that is something my husband can be proud of. But then in 2005, I gave birth through C/S and it took me one whole year to get back to my original weight. However, there's still that stubborn postpartum belly and no matter how I tried to exercise, there seemed to be no effect. It's still flabby and bulging... not really that big but still not too pleasant. I didn't want to enroll in those expensive gyms nor buy those expensive diet guides. So I thought I'd just forever settle with these flabs, anyways I can cover them with a long loose shirt.

There Is Hope
I couldn't believe my eyes when I read about the Flat Belly Diet. Prevention Magazine is willing to give away a free copy of the Flat Belly Diet book, free 1-year membership to the Flat Belly Diet website, exclusive membership to their Success Story Club and access to their exclusive Flat Belly Diet videos. All these ... for women who would like to try the Flat Belly Diet for free. There are some program rules for participants to be considered eligible but they're really very simple. Check them out here: Flat Belly Diet For Free. Yes, I still believe that the best things in life are free. By the way, the Flat Belly Diet was created specifically for people (like me!) who have tried everything to eliminate belly fat. So there is indeed hope, thank goodness.

Delicious Diet
Who would have thought a diet program would consist of eating delicious food? Almonds, peanut butter, olive oil, avocado and even chocolate? Wow. We'd be fools if we don't try this. According to recent research, MUFAs (pronounced as MOO-fahs - a type of heart-healthy, disease-fighting, "good" fat found in foods like those delicious food that I've mentioned) can actually help us lose weight, specifically around the 'middle'.

We've got nothing to lose! We can already learn a lot just by going to the Flat Belly Diet Invitation url. What more if we join!

Obama's Cabinet Choices: Disregarding Party Affiliations And Political Rivalry

2008-11-22T05:49:00.017+08:00

SECRETARY OF STATE:
Choices:

Hillary Rodham Clinton (top choice)
New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson
Sen. John Kerry of Massachusetts (2004 Democratic presidential nominee

SECRETARY OF HOMELAND SECURITY:
(The Homeland Security Department is the massive agency created by Congress after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.)

Arizona Gov. Janet Napolitano - an early backer of Mr. Obama's campaign signed into law and implemented some of the nation's toughest sanctions against businesses that employ undocumented migrants.

ATTORNEY GENERAL:

Washington lawyer Eric Holder (a former Deputy Attorney General under the Clinton administration and senior legal advisor to Obama's campaign)

SECRETARY OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES (confirmed appointment:

former Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle - helped line up support for Obama in the Senate

NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISER:
Choices:

Retired Marine Gen. James Jones - former top operational commander of NATO, widely respected by both Democrats and Republicans but has avoided being associated with either party and a strong critic of the Bush administration's handling of the Iraq war
James Steinberg - deputy national security adviser in Bill Clinton's administration

SECRETARY OF DEFENSE:
Choices:

Current Defense Secretary Robert Gates
former Navy Secretary Richard Danzig
Republican Sen. Chuck Hagel
Democratic Sen. Jack Reed

SECRETARY OF TREASURY:
Choices:

Lawrence Summers - former Clinton Treasury secretary and top adviser to Obama
Timothy Geithner - president of the New York Federal Reserve Bank
Paul Volcker - former Federal Reserve chairman and adviser to Obama on his call for an overhaul of U.S. financial regulations

SECRETARY OF AGRICULTURE:
Choices:

Tom Vilsack - attorney and former governor of Iowa specializing in energy conservation, renewable energy and agribusiness development
Kansas Gov. Kathleen Sebelius - a strong Obama supporter and had been considered a potential running mate for Obama
Charles Stenholm - a former Democratic congressman from Texas who followed agricultural issues closely.

SECRETARY OF COMMERCE:

New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson - also a rival of Obama for the Democratic presidential nomination but dropped out after the early contests and eventually supported Obama

From the above candidates, I can see that President-elect Barack Obama is serious about getting work done. Party affiliations and threats to a presidential reelection by old rivals (such as in the case of Clinton and Richardson) do not seem to affect him, but instead, he considers and prioritizes the outstanding qualities that are needed for the positions regardless of the candidates' political background.

Tagged under:
US Politics, News

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2008-11-21T07:51:00.000+08:00

Dureza's Controversial Prayer

2008-11-20T04:15:00.004+08:00

Philippine Press Secretary Jesus Dureza's opening prayer at the Cabinet meeting held at the Aguinaldo State Dining Room in Malacañang:

"Bless the President so we will have forbearance, good health, the tolerance to lead this nation up to 2010, and perhaps, who knows, even beyond."

President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo's reaction: "Oh my God!" (covering her face with her hands).

Funny? Yeah. Although a prayer should not be taken as a joke, I don't know how else to think of this. I wonder whether Secretary Dureza's prayer was prepared or impromptu. Anyways, I certainly hope it's not a premonition.

Tagged under:
Philippine Government, Gloria Arroyo, Philippine News

Bro. Bo Sanchez Rants

2008-11-20T02:01:00.011+08:00

Up to how far should you be open and honest when writing a blog? How personal can you be?

My favorite preacher tried to be honest with his feelings as he wrote one of his posts, which elicited a lot of varied reactions. (Read all about it here.) I, for one, have expressed how I felt by posting a comment there. I wasn't too happy about it. I do understand him, really. I know the financial challenges one could face in putting up an event in a venue as big as the ULTRA. I guess what I was not too happy about was the fact that (1) he had to write about it and risk humiliating the person who asked why they are charging 500 pesos for the 2-day Kerygma Conference (November 29 to 30, 2009) and (2) it's really hard for some people to raise that amount for expenses other than their basic needs.

I re-read the post. It's true. The following question raised by the person is offensive and quite sarcastic, considering she was talking to someone who has put so much effort in organizing the event: “Isn’t God’s Word Free? The Kerygma Conference should be free!” Maybe Bro. Bo got hurt. I understand and feel for him. I was just so defensive on the side of those who couldn't afford the tickets. Probably, I was expecting him to be more understanding and considerate of them as well and I apologize for that expectation.

A lot of those who commented couldn't really fathom how 500 pesos would be such a difficult amount to come up with. Ah. Unless you've been in "that" situation, maybe you really can't understand. That's fine.

Nevertheless, I pray that a lot of people will be blessed through the upcoming Kerygma Conference. And may God bless us all, whether we can afford to attend or not.

UPDATE!!!
P100 tickets for the two-day power-packed conference are now available. Please call Tel. (02) 7259999 or email kcon@kerygmaconference.com. Thanks, Bro. Bo!

Tagged under:
Religion, Bo Sanchez

Who Doesn't Love Christmas Songs and Free Holiday Gifts?

2008-11-17T08:01:00.007+08:00

Wow, my countdown says 37 days till Christmas! I'm sure the malls are now playing Christmas songs morning, noon and night (thinking that people tend to shop more if they do hehe). Well, the truth is, we love listening to Christmas songs, don't you agree?. I do. But since I don't get to go out very often and shop, my best source for listening would be the internet. It's pretty hard, though, to find original Christmas audio that you can listen to for free on the internet. If you do, the sites would be teeming with pesky pop-ups and spywares. It's a good thing I learned about the musicSHOP series produced by Musica at shop.com.

Through their free musicSHOP player, I can listen to an entire music track in high-quality audio before I decide to make a purchase. The selections are really good and what pleased me most was that one of my most admired singers was included - Josh Groban. I am able to play his medley of "Silent Night," "Little Drummer Boy" and "I'll Be Home For Christmas" taken from his holiday album, "Noel".

Shop.com's musicSHOP series always changes its selections, which is a good thing, actually, because we get to listen to different tunes every now and then. Currently, aside from Josh Groban, it has George Strait with "We Wish You A Merry Christmas," Henry Connick Jr. with “It's The Most Wonderful Time of the Year”, Enya with “White Is in the Winter Night,” and a lot more. It's just like purchasing a whole Christmas album! But of course, there's the option to shop direct from the website without the hassle of going through crowded stores.

Another cool thing about shop.com is their contest and sweepstakes. They are giving away 1 holiday gift everyday until Dec. 14, changing the prize every week. This week's giveaway is a Nintendo Wii FIT! so just go ahead and visit the musicSHOP and click the CONTESTS tab to join for free.

Tagged under:
Christmas, Music

Philippine Beef Caldereta Recipe

2008-11-17T06:44:00.005+08:00

This recipe tastes better when prepared a day beforehand and reheated at serving time... it gives the flavors time to blend in!

1 1/2 lbs stewing beef, cut into 1 1/2-inch cubes
1/2 cup cider vinegar
6 crushed black peppercorns
3 cloves of garlic, crushed
4 tablespoons oil
2 medium potatoes, peeled, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
1 medium onion, cut in half, thinly sliced
1 cup beef broth
1 cup tomato sauce
1 bay leaf
1/2 red bell pepper cut into 1/4-inch strips
1/2 green bell pepper cut into 1/4-inch strips
2 ounces liver sausage (optional)
1 teaspoon hot pepper sauce
Salt to taste

Marinate beef in vinegar, peppercorns, and garlic for at least 30 minutes. Drain well.
In 2 tablespoons oil, fry beef in batches until browned on all sides. Remove, set aside.
Add onion and more oil if necessary.
Saute on moderate heat, about 5 minutes, until soft but not brown (the shiny stage, I call it).
Add beef, broth, tomato sauce & bay leaf. Bring to a boil.
Reduce heat and simmer, covered, for 1-1/2 hours.
Add potatoes & red and green pepper.
Continue cooking until potato is soft (but not overcooked!!)
Add optional liver sausage and hot pepper sauce. Simmer another 2 minutes or so.
Season to taste with salt, if desired. Put in serving dish, garnish with sliced boiled eggs and sliced stuffed olives.
Serve with rice.

Remember, best when cooked a day in advance, or at least in the morning the day you plan to serve for dinner.

Interesting Conversations (Join To Earn)

2008-11-14T02:09:00.004+08:00

My New Header Image

2008-11-13T01:17:00.003+08:00

I've been wanting to do this but haven't got the time. I also couldn't find the right image that would express the essence of this blog. Finally, I was able to find one. Thanks to chikaradirghsa.multiply.com/journal for the image. Then I just did some editing using Paint and did some tweaks on the template's CSS. I would have wanted to draw it myself (as if I could hehe) but again, I didn't have the time. I've also just recently changed my blog's title from An Amateur Mom's Journal to A Filipino Mom's Journal. Using the keyword amateur mom when experimenting on Google, the search results would usually show my blog along with porn sites LOL!

Hard Questions And The Never-Ending "What Happens If ..."

2008-11-12T02:16:00.003+08:00

Lately, Thiel has been giving me additional "Google" loads. He's been asking me questions that I've long stopped bothering to think about. Can you answer them?

Mama, why is the ocean salty?
Why do volcanoes erupt?
Why is there lightning?
What is war? Why is there war?

Then, there's that never-ending "What happens if ..."

Sample of our conversations:

Me: My love, you need to stop playing now. (with online computer games)
Thiel: Why do I need to stop playing?
Me: Because you have to sleep.
Thiel: (unacceptable reason) What happens if I don't sleep?
Me: You might get sick.
Thiel: What happens if I get sick?
Me: You're gonna have to stay in bed and you cannot play.
Thiel: What happens If I get sick and I don't stay in bed?
Me: (tempted to go on but instead will try another approach) Besides, the computer needs to rest. We need to turn it off.
Thiel: Why does it need to rest?
Me: We've been using it for hours, it might overheat.
Thiel: What happens if it overheats?
Me: It might have a short circuit and explode.
Thiel: What happens if it explodes?
Me: It could cause fire.
Thiel: What happens if there's fire?
Me: Then everything will burn and turn to ashes, even your toys.
Thiel: (silence)(thinking) Ashes? Like the ones from the volcano? Then there will be firetruck and sirens?
Me: Yes, so let's not let that happen and just turn off the computer.
Thiel: (no more violent objections)

Good News For Moms: 6-Peso Rollback For LPG

2008-11-12T01:50:00.002+08:00

Shell and Petron have cut the prices of their LPG products by six pesos per kilo or P66.00 per 11-kilo tank effective 12 AM (for Shell) and 1 AM (for Petron) today.

That's good to hear! Cheers!

Horrifying Armored Van Robbery Inside U.P. Diliman

2008-11-11T11:19:00.006+08:00

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This news gave me the shivers as I recall that once upon a time, Bong worked as an armored car driver. I even had nightmares then about Bong's vehicle being held up. It's true that tragedy does not choose a place or time. It could happen even if you're in the safest location. But I guess I'm just like that when it comes to my loved ones.

Anyways, the news story says that yesterday afternoon, 6 unidentified men shot dead 2 security guards and a bank teller in an armored van robbery just outside the Philippine Veterans Bank branch inside the U.P. Diliman campus in Quezon City. The bank is located at the Bahay ng Alumni which is in front of the Cine Adarna building of the UP Film Institute. Killed on the spot were bank teller Gerry Aguirre and security guards Donato Reyes and Rene Demerey.

Although there were no classes at that time because it was still semestral break at U.P., there were students present because enrollment for the second semester was still ongoing. Luckily, no students got hurt. I sympathize and pray for the family of the victims.

Pork/Beef Sinigang Recipe

2008-11-08T16:46:00.003+08:00

Ingredients :

1 k beef/pork
5-6 pcs small-sized gabi
1 labanos, sliced
3 pcs small-sized green jalapano pepper (siling pangsigang)
2 cups kangkong leaves
1 cup string beans (stripped – about 2 in.)
20 g tamarind powder
½ cup onion, sliced
3 pcs medium-sized tomatoes, sliced
10 cups water
2 cups rice water
1 tsp salt
1/2 knorr pork cube
½ - 1 tsp sugar (optional)
1 tbsp patis
dash of black powdered pepper

Use the 10 cups water to boil the meat. Let it boil until meat is tender. (Water evaporates – just continue replenishing until meat is soft & right for serving. For the last replenishment, add the 2 cups rice water.)
Add the gabi, labanos, tomatoes, sili & onion. Let boil until gabi is tender.
Get 2 pieces of the boiled gabi & crush. Return the crushed gabi & mix with the soup .
Add the string beans.
Add the tamarind powder. Season with patis, salt, knorr pork cube, pepper. Continue boiling.
Add a little sugar. (optional – depending on your taste)
Taste & add seasoning – whichever is still needed.
When taste is ok, add the kangkong leaves. Let boil for 2 more minutes.

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2008-11-08T16:36:00.004+08:00

By the way, the last one's for charity :)

Prayer For Healing

2008-11-07T14:32:00.006+08:00

My father suffered much during the last 5 years of his life, not only because my mom had already left him, but also because he had emphysema (a chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) often caused by exposure to toxic chemicals, including long-term exposure to tobacco smoke.) He had stopped smoking 15 years earlier but the damage had already been done and severely affected his lungs.

Almost every night he would wake me up because he was having difficulty breathing. There were times when we had to rush him to the E.R. but most of the time, I really couldn't do anything but to assure him that I was just there and to pray with him. This was the prayer that he always asked me to recite with him:

Heavenly Father ...

I call on You right now in a special way. It is through your power that I was created. Every breath I take, every morning I wake and every moment of every hour, I live under your power.

Father, I ask you now to touch me with that same power. For if you created me from nothing, you can certainly recreate me. Fill me with the healing power of your spirit. Cast out anything that should not be in me. Mend what is broken. Root out any unproductive cells. Open any blocked arteries or veins and rebuild any damaged areas. Remove all inflammation and cleanse any infection. Let the warmth of your healing love pass through my body to make new any unhealthy areas so that my body will function the way you created it to function.

And Father, restore me to full health in mind and body so that I may serve you the rest of my life.

I ask this through Christ, our Lord. Amen.

On my Daddy's last day here on earth, he was still able to give Holy Communion as a Lay Minister in our parish. I miss and love you both, Mommy and Daddy.

The Favorite Pillow Part 2

2008-11-07T01:51:00.006+08:00

The Favorite Pillow Part 1

He wins. The favorite pillow stays. I was pressured into figuring out a way to preserve it because Thiel didn't seem to have any plans of giving it up.

I got one of Thiel's white wash-cloth diapers/burp cloth. I thought its nice soft fabric would be perfect for the favorite pillow's new "house". So I hand-sewed it just like you would for a stuffed toy or pillow case. Thiel was so excited and watched the whole time I was doing it. Well, not exactly the whole time because more than halfway through, he fell asleep.

Anyways, when I finished, I left a small opening for Thiel to peek in and see that his favorite pillow was really there inside. When he woke up, I had one of the most fulfilling moments a mother could have, seeing her son so happy.

His favorite pillow is now safe, at least, maybe for a few years more (I folded the cloth to make it two-layered or double-cloth).

Tinolang Manok Recipe

2008-11-05T18:41:00.002+08:00

Ingredients :

2 tbsps. Cooking oil
3 cloves garlic, crushed
1 tsp ginger, cut in strips
2 tbsps onion, chopped
1 k chicken, cut into serving pcs
1 or 2 tbsp – depending on your taste - fish sauce (patis)
9 – 10 cups rice water (or plain water)
1 small green papaya, sliced (medium square cuts)
sili leaves (1/2 – 1 cup)
1 tsp salt (depending on taste)
½ or 1 tsp sugar (optional – depending on taste)*

Fry the garlic in hot cooking oil until brown using medium or low fire.
Add the ginger and chopped onions. Cook until soft or brownish.
Drop in the pieces of chicken and sliced green papaya
Season with patis.
Cover and let simmer until chicken is cooked (Use medium or high fire). (Mix once in a while)
Add the rice water, simmer until chicken and papaya are tender. (Use high fire)
Season with salt. Taste and check which seasoning needs to be added. (Note : I usually add sugar when I cook any dish – just be careful not to put too much)
Add the sili leaves. Just let it boil for 2 more minutes.. Then remove from fire.

Tips :

Always watch while cooking … because soup may overflow while boiling… or garlic or chicken may burn while being cooked in hot oil.
The measurement for the seasonings should depend on your taste .. so always do taste tests when adding seasonings.

Happy Child

2008-11-05T18:32:00.002+08:00

I love Thiel's perpetual happy mood. It's very easy to make him laugh. He always finds something to be happy about. I very seldom see him pout, if not at all. The only thing that would erase that smile off his pretty face is when what he wants doesn't happen. Actually, his requests are very simple so it's usually not a problem to give in to them. For expensive requests, he can understand when we explain to him why it's sometimes not possible to get everything that he desires. I'm glad he didn't take after my grouchiness when I was a child :)

I Rooted For Obama

2008-11-05T18:05:00.004+08:00

I know, I know, I should have said it before it happened. Lol ... too late the hero. Anyways, I have a number of reasons for wanting Barack Obama to win, but to sum it all up, I guess it all boils down to change.

There was the issue with his views on outsourcing and as a Filipino, I shouldn't be happy about that. But I don't believe he's going to do some very drastic measures in the near future that might seriously affect us.

So ... let's see what happens now. Hopefully, it's for the better. Congratulations, Mr. Obama!

Introducing .... Recipes!

2008-11-02T16:29:00.000+08:00

A big part of being a mom, and a wife for that matter, is cooking. Oh, we always hear that old adage, "The way to a man's heart is through his stomach." Well, I know I'm not the best cook, but what I can be proud of is that Bong would always compliment my cooking. He would always tell his friends about it, and that makes me confident enough with regards to this subject matter.

So from now on, I will be posting recipes every now and then, to be able to share what I know so far. They're not really the exotic or classy types, but just simple home cooking, mostly Filipino dish.

Happy Eating!

Menudo Recipe

2008-11-02T16:19:00.005+08:00

MENUDO

Ingredients :

3 tbsp cooking oil
4 cloves garlic, crushed
1 pc onion, cubed into very small pcs
3 pcs tomatoes, sliced
2 pcs medium-sized potatoes, sliced into small-sized cubes (1 in. x 1 in.)
2 pcs medium-sized carrots, cubed like the potatoes
¾ k pork (mixed fat & meat – but more meat – 70%), cubed – same size as
the potatoes & carrots
¼ k pork liver (optional) – cubed like all the rest
5 regular sized hotdogs, sliced diagonally into small pcs
½ cup tomato sauce (I use Del Monte)
¼ cup vinegar OR squeezed kalamansi juice (around 7-9 pcs) – (kalamansi is better)
¼ cup soy sauce
3 cups water
1 tbsp patis
6 pcs whole kernels of black pepper
black pepper powder
3 pcs dried laurel leaves
1 tsp salt
1 tsp sugar

Mix pork, liver, water, vinegar/kalamansi, soy sauce, pepper (whole kernels), laurel leaves & boil till pork & liver are tender. Replenish water when it subsides while pork & liver are not yet tender. Don’t let it become dry – make sure enough sauce is left till cooked. Set aside.
On another cooking pan or casserole, fry the potatoes in cooking oil. Cook till slightly brown. Remove from pan, set aside. Then fry the carrots and also set aside when cooked. Next fry the hotdogs & set aside when cooked. Note : just add cooking oil as needed.
Fry the garlic until brownish.
Add the onion … then tomatoes. Cook till soft.
Get the boiled pork & liver & add to the sauté. (Note : don’t throw the sauce of boiled meat. You will use it later). Stir & mix while cooking. Add patis & continue to sauté. Add the bell pepper.
Pour tomato sauce & let it boil for a few minutes.
Add the sauce of the boiled meat (including the pepper kernels & laurel leaves) & wait till it boils. (Note : if sauce seems too few just add a little amount of water. If it is too much just don’t pour all)
Add the seasonings… salt, black pepper powder, sugar. Taste & add whichever of the seasonings are still needed. (It could taste a little sour because of the tomato sauce & vinegar/kalamansi.. You can neutralize this by adding a little more sugar. Also, since I don't use MSG or vetsin, sugar is the best substitute for adding to a more pleasant/delicious flavor.)
Add the fried potatoes, carrots and hotdogs. Boil for a few more minutes. Then remove from fire.

(Serves 4-5 persons)

Munggo (With Tinapa)

2008-11-02T16:12:00.003+08:00

Ingredients :

1 cup green mongo beans
6 cups water (for boiling mongo)
1 cup sili leaves
3 cloves garlic, crushed
1 piece onion, sliced
3 tomatoes,chopped
¼ k pork (pang-gisa), sliced into small strips, [marinated in a small amount of soy sauce
(around 2 tsp) – optional – its ok not to marinate the pork, but it adds to taste]
1/2 cup tinapa (crushed, remove tinik)
1 cup chicharon
½ cup shrimps, peeled & sliced (optional)
2 tbsp patis
1 tsp salt
2 tbsp cooking oil
6 cups water or chicken broth – made from the boiling a small piece of chicken
1 tsp sugar (optional*)

Boil mongo until soft. Mash boiled mongo. Set aside.
Fry garlic in cooking oil until brownish. Saute with onion and tomatoes.
Add the marinated pork & cook for 2-3 mins. Drop the shrimps & tinapa. Add patis. Continue to saute until shrimps and tinapa are cooked.
Add the soft & mashed mongo. Mix well. Cook for a few minutes.
Pour the water or chicken broth and simmer until boiling. Season with salt and sugar*.
Taste and add seasoning as needed.
Add the chicharon and sili leaves and continue simmering for another minute.
Remove from fire.

Afraid Of Ronald

2008-11-01T10:04:00.006+08:00

Thiel doesn't like clowns. He says he's afraid of clowns. When we go to McDonald's, he stays as far as possible from Ronald McDonald, the mascot. He actually wants to make a formal petition to management to "remove the clown" so that he can peacefully enjoy eating and playing there. Hehe. But while his "petition" remains un-acted upon, he feels safer going to Jollibee :)

So Much For Customer Service:
Last night, after it rained the whole day, confining Thiel and me inside the house while Bong was out working, Bong and I decided to bring Thiel to McDonald's (Baler, West Avenue), just so he can enjoy its indoor PlayPlace, some sundae and fries.

We started ordering and at the same time asked if we could eat upstairs where the PlayPlace was located. (Noticeably, it was only around 8:00 PM but the whole place was already 'deserted'. What?! McDonald's has no more customers at this time? ) Anyways, the lady order-taker said no. Doubting if we heard right, I repeated the question. This time, the lady verified with her supervisor who was just nearby, and just the same, the supervisor said no, we can't. Bong got irritated and told me to just cancel the order. We couldn't understand why they would not permit a customer to use its facilities just because we were the only ones there. No wonder they had NO customers!

So, we walked a few steps and went to Jollibee instead. That branch had no play place but almost all the tables were already taken. Thiel had a good time eating his ice cream and just running and looking around. Oh, by the way, he's not afraid of the Jollibee mascot.

Melamine Scare

2008-10-30T14:54:00.004+08:00

It's so alarming to know that even our very own Sunflower crackers (the blueberry cream variant) had been found positive with the deadly melamine. And to think, I used to be so addicted to the Sunflower - chicken flavor. How unfortunate for Croley Foods, Philippine manufacturer of Sunflower Crackers! Even if all the variants of the Sunflower crackers have been declared by BFAD to be melamine-free, the damage has been done and the stigma cannot easily be shed off. I, for one, would not, for now, think of buying the products, even if I really like them, especially so, since I wouldn't want to share it with Thiel. Maybe it's just psychological, but just the same, that is the effect it has on probably most individuals, especially parents. Despite the lifting of the ban, the thought that it's unsafe stays in our mind. I'm sorry to be one of those individuals, I just want to protect my son.

The Favorite Pillow

2008-10-14T13:38:00.004+08:00

It's three years old. As old as Thiel. It's soft and has a very thin covering. Worn-out, overused, over-washed. It's the infant pillow with the round hollow shape on the center that fits the baby's head so as not to make it flat when lying down.

Now, sorry to say this, but it's more fitting to call it a rug. It's irreparable. I have sewn it lots of times but now it's no longer possible to patch the holes. It's actually such a pitiful sight, with its stuffed cotton already showing. I have attempted several times to ask Thiel to let it go and say goodbye to his favorite pillow, but to no avail. He still keeps on asking for it whenever he's about to go to bed. Earlier in the day, Thiel would agree to put it in the cabinet (in the other room) to keep as a souvenir. But later at night, he would go back to the other room and search for it. He has another infant pillow just like that one but he ignores it. We have bought him a new one that has a cat's face solely for the purpose of replacing that old one. We thought he would transfer his attention to it because he loves cats but we were wrong.

I wonder when he would finally let his favorite pillow retire. Ah, the wonders of childhood :) ... never ceases to amaze me! I'm still in the process of getting to know this extraordinary, marvelous, lovable and cute kid named Theo Ariel.

The Power Of Reverse Psychology

2008-10-12T05:09:00.004+08:00

10:00 PM. In the bedroom. Lights off. Only the night light is on.

Bong: It's time to sleep!
Thiel: (standing beside the bed) I don't like to sleep.
Bong: Why?
Thiel: Because sleeping is not nice.
Bong: It's late. You need to sleep now.
Thiel: I don't like. I still want to play.
Bong: (already lying down on the bed) You can play again tomorrow. Come here, let's sleep.
Thiel: I don't like.
Me: (sweetly) Okay, then don't sleep. Just wait for the sun to come out. Papa and Mama are going to sleep now, okay? Goodnight. I love you. Don't worry, Papa, he's going to wait for the sun.

(silence)

Thiel: (thinks for a while then goes to the bed and lies down) I like to sleep. Mama, where's my favorite pillow?
Me: (gropes for the 'favorite pillow' and hands it to him) Here it is, baby. (kisses him) I love you. Goodnight.

Haha. It always works. (Well, most of the time.) Amazing how kids always like to do the opposite.

Walk On

2008-10-02T00:43:00.004+08:00

I want the best for my son. That's a given. What parent would want otherwise? But to do that, I need to be successful.

I have defined my means of achieving success through an article I wrote for Trabaho Ba Kamo entitled My Own Ten Commandments of Success, and have written some more on the same topic. Other inspirational writers have their own versions, and I tend to follow them too, as long as they do not conflict with my values. Not a few of them have said that we are responsible for the choices that we make. This means, if you are a failure, there is no one else to blame but yourself, because you chose to do so, rather than to succeed.

For mothers, this is quite a challenge. Because for every decision that we make, our first consideration is always our family. Now, these principles of success are telling me that if I fail, I'm the only one to be blamed and everyone else is spared?

But I will not contest that. Instead, the more that I will keep on reminding myself that whatever the obstacles and struggles may be, I am responsible for my own success, my family's success or failure. Never mind if my partner has an entirely opposite set of rules, defying all other principles. I will keep on working towards my goal. Never mind if sometimes, the burden just seems so heavy and the only one carrying it is me. I will never tire of dreaming and moving closer to that dream. I will "walk on ... through the wind ... through the rain ... though my dreams be tossed and blown .. I will walk on."¹

¹Walk On by Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II

Promil's New Packaging Is Confusing

2008-09-23T21:07:00.006+08:00

Why I Stopped Breastfeeding

I gave birth to Thiel by Caesarian Section so I was only able to breastfeed him three days after. His pediatrician gave him S26 Gold. When I started to nurse him, I noticed I didn't seem to have ample amount of milk supply and felt that Thiel was having a hard time sucking. It was like he wasn't getting anything, so I continued to supplement him with the S26 Gold. Several weeks later, I developed surgical wound infection so I had to take antibiotics. My ob-gyn advised me to temporarily stop breastfeeding and to resume it only after the treatment, which lasted for a week. During that time, the little milk that I had seemed to become even lesser, even with the help of Malunggay leaves, clam soup and a food supplement (whose indication was to increase milk supply).

The subject of breastfeeding is not something that I would normally be happy to talk about. Until now, I am so full of regret for not having breastfed Thiel the way I was supposed to. I tried ... actually, did my best. But now, I'm no longer so sure if I was just so ignorant or if my case was really an exception. I still cannot understand whether my supply of milk was really low or I just didn't know how to produce more or whether Thiel really preferred bottled milk, since it was the first food he tasted, or I just felt awkward, conscious and confused. All I can remember is a very discouraging incident with Bong's aunt. We sought her help with the household chores when Thiel was born and she had the habit of barging into the room without knocking. One time, she saw me struggling to pump the milk. She made a side comment - "Ay, ang konti!" (Gosh, there's too little!) - that has since stuck to my mind. From then on, I became so conscious every time she was around, which made it more difficult for me to breastfeed. Some more tries, then I gave it up altogether.

Milk Stages

As I have mentioned, Thiel first had S26 Gold. After 6 months, he advanced to Promil Gold. At 1 year old, we changed it to Promil Kid. And just this year, as he turned 3, we shifted him to Promil Pre-school. As you can see, we have strictly followed the stages recommended by Promil.

Promil's New Packaging

Promil has recently changed it's packaging and now bears the slogan "Milk Supplement - Protein Source from Cow's Milk" on its label, in lieu of the old "Specially Formulated Growing Up Milk".

No problem there. The confusing part is that the label on Promil Pre-school says - "For children 4 years and older" while Promil Kid's label indicates "For Children 1 to 3 years old". So where does Thiel fit in? He's 3 years and 4 months old. He has been drinking Promil Pre-school, and now its label says it's for 4 years and older. Does he have to go back to Promil Kid? Also, the new slogan gave Thiel the impression that his old Promil was made out of a certain formula and now he'll be drinking cow's milk. Although we adults know it has been cow's milk all along, just the same, the change in the slogan also made me think twice.

Since I couldn't see any other info on the label, nor anything helpful on the internet, I called their "careline" number (81-WYETH) and expressed my concern. The rep on the other line couldn't really give me a straight answer on whether I should give him Promil Pre-school or Promil Kid. She explained something about a recent memo by the DOH containing new guidelines that they had to follow, which resulted in the move to change the packaging and emphasize that it is from cow's milk. She added that all their products had been approved by BFAD and she also mentioned something about the recommended nutritional value, which I didn't quite understand. Anyways, I questioned her about the specifics of the DOH memo - when was it issued, what exactly were the contents, etc. - and requested for the info to be sent to my email. She, in turn asked me for my personal info (too many questions, actually) but I obliged to answer just so they could grant my request.

I asked her for a date when I can expect to receive a response, and it should have been today. So far, none yet.

Most supermarkets no longer have supplies bearing the old label on their racks. So Bong and I had to choose between the new Promil Kid or the new Promil Pre-school. We decided to choose the former.

Join In These Conversations!

2008-09-18T17:06:00.002+08:00

New Year At A Hotel In Makati

2008-09-18T08:07:00.005+08:00

My deadline for deciding whether to go back to regular employment has long passed. I have not returned. I have decided to stick it out with home-based work. It is, still, very much a struggle. But I am able to take care of Thiel, and for me, that’s what’s really important. I am determined to succeed because this is the way I want it to be.

Last Christmas and New Year, I had to go to work. Although I had vacation leave credits, I was not able to file a leave because at our department (and I guess, so as with other companies with a 24/7 set-up), big, special occasions such as Christmas, New Year, Holy Week and Easter Sunday had to be raffled (duh!). Those are also Critical Work Days so being absent is a BIG NO-NO! (another duh!) I watched a video taken by Bong on Christmas day, with Thiel, all dressed-up, going outside the house, sees one of his Ninongs, kisses his hand, and says Merry Christmas. While watching it, with tears in my eyes, I heard myself saying, “I was supposed to be there.” Then I told Thiel, “Promise, Mama will be with you next Christmas.”

New Year was different. I knew there would absolutely be no public transportation at our place at the time I had to leave for work (5:00 AM) on January 1 itself, so I planned beforehand to rent a hotel room near the office for the three of us – Bong, Thiel and me. Not only can I celebrate New Year’s Eve with them, I would also have no problem commuting to the office and getting there on time.

There were several hotels around our building in Makati but I already had Hotel Inwangsan in mind, since it was the closest. My next option was The Citadel Inn. I just had to find out if any of the others along Makati Avenue had a lower rate. Since I didn’t have too much spare time to go personally to each hotel to canvass the rates, I tried the internet. It’s a good thing, an officemate suggested HotelsCombined.com, where I could immediately see the rates (in pesos), the names of the Hotels, and the location, all in one screen and easily make my comparison. Earlier I had difficulty searching through other sites such as tripadvisor and AsiaRooms.com (where the rates are not shown in pesos), and travelsmart.net where the exact location cannot easily be found.

Anyways, http://www.hotelscombined.com/City/Makati_City.htm saved me the trouble of walking through all those hotels, and confirmed that none of the other hotels along Makati Avenue had a much lower rate and made a booking for New Year’s Eve at Hotel Inwangsan.

It was an unforgettable New Year. It was the first time that the three of us spent the night away from home. Thiel was awakened by the noise at midnight and we were able to watch the spectacular fireworks from the top floor of the building. Since I had work the previous day and still had to work the following day, I really couldn’t celebrate that much but being with my family on that special day was all that mattered.

Thiel Makes A Scene At The MRT

2008-09-14T22:52:00.003+08:00

When we were about to board the MRT at the North Avenue station going to Buendia, Thiel kicked off his right foot trying to get my attention to fix his sandals. Lo and behold! That sandals went flying off onto the tracks below. All I could do was follow that fast-falling blue object with my eyes and utter a shocked "huh!" with, I could imagine, the look of horror all over my face.

I could see from my side peripheral, people looking at me. I guess, they were more curious about how the mother would react and what she would do next (or maybe I was just paranoid). I managed to gather my senses and look for the security guard, while Bong carried Thiel. A bystander gave some moral support as he said the guard can indeed help get the sandals back. Bong was a little apprehensive or maybe embarrassed, saying we should just buy a new pair of footwear (the sandals were old anyway). I talked to the guard and he said he just needs to consult the supervisor.

A few minutes later, he came back with a crew holding a long stick with a hook at its tip. He checked the traffic light and since it was green, he said we'd have to wait for the train to pass first. I could see Thiel's frightened look as the train seemed to run over his precious old sandals. He went to me and hugged me tight. I hugged him back, comforting him that everything was alright. Right after the train was gone, the crew reached for the sandals and easily hooked it like a pro.

Thiel's face brightened up. We thanked the crew and went on to board the next train, with Thiel still wearing his old sandals. I know it would take some time before Thiel gets over it. Not that it's traumatic for him because we just laughed it off and made it look like it was just another hilarious incident, not really blaming him for what happened. But I know he's feeling a little guilty and he will now pause and stop first before he kicks that foot again :)

How Can I Make Him Brush His Teeth?

2008-09-11T08:17:00.005+08:00

Sometimes it seems he's already too sleepy and lazy to get up. But then he lets me wash him or give him a sponge bath. Therefore, it's the brushing that he wants to avoid.

One time, Thiel said he didn't like the flavor of his toothpaste (Hapee kiddie toothpaste, tutti-frutti flavor). He said he wanted the old one (same brand, strawberry flavor) . So I got the strawberry and he brushed. The following day, I used the same flavor but he refused to brush again, saying that he likes his old white toothpaste that wasn't spicy (SansFluo, strawberry flavor). So I got the SansFluo and he brushed. On the next occasion, he ran out of excuses and just simply said that he doesn't want to brush teeth anymore.

I've tried every trick in the book - convince him, persuade him, sweet-talk him, bribe him, scold him, scare him with cavity monsters, prayed over him, etc. Sometimes they work, but now they're getting less and less effective.

I'm not giving up. Though sometimes it's really so frustrating, I just have to keep on trying.

P.S. It seems my perseverance is paying off cause for the past two days, Thiel has not been giving me a hard time to brush his teeth. :)

New Pics!

2008-09-08T11:20:00.006+08:00

His weakness -- cars!

I love you, Thiel

He dreams to be a construction worker someday, lol

My baby boy is growing up

50 Questions Per Minute

2008-09-04T06:16:00.005+08:00

I really don't know exactly how many questions he asks per minute but to me, it seems like the ratio is 1 question per second, with some 10 seconds of interval between each minute, hence, 50 questions per minute!

Thiel never gets tired of asking. His questions range from "what's that?" to "why is the ...." to "what happens if ... " to "who is ... ". His favorite, though, is the "why ...".

I'm not complaining. In fact, I'm glad he's like that. I really try my best to answer all of his questions, matter-of-fact-ly. I know when he's not serious, so I tease with him. I do my best not to discourage him from asking because I know that's how he'll learn.

I've watched TV shows showing gifted children and I notice most of them were in the 'upper class' whose parents can buy very expensive books, materials and high-tech stuff. We can't afford that but I can give Thiel something that those parents were also giving, and that is my 100% moral, emotional and psychological support.

I'm not saying that I'm sure he's a 'gifted child'. I just know that he's blessed, and the way he asks those questions is one sign that there's something in him that I need to nurture and take special care of for him to develop it.

The Potty

2008-08-30T17:29:00.005+08:00

There was no problem with Thiel telling us when he feels the call of nature ... when he is awake. It has been a long time now that he doesn't need to wear diapers during the day. However, when he's asleep, it seems he couldn't get up to relieve himself, thus, he wets his pants, and our bed. So, we decided to continue using diapers at night until he's really ready.

When he was just 1 year old, we bought him a yellow potty trainer which he easily outgrew. He complained that he wouldn't fit anymore and therefore no longer wanted to use it. He enjoyed using the adult toilet bowl cause he said, he's now like Papa.

The problem was, he didn't want to use it for his poo-poo for fear that he'll fall. I promised to hold him while I wait for him to finish but he prefers to do it on the diaper. Since he's not using diapers anymore, when he feels that it's coming, he would ask for a new diaper to put on for the poo-poo.

Just recently, I felt he was ready but just needs a little more training. So, I convinced Bong to buy a new potty trainer, a bigger one. Actually, we let Thiel be the one to choose. In that way, we're sure that he's gonna use it. He chose a blue one and he promised the pretty saleslady that he'd use it.

Despite all these conditioning, he was still looking for his diaper when he felt the urge! I had to tell a 'white lie' that there are no more diapers in the house. I brought out the blue bowl (that's what we call his new potty) and positioned it against the wall inside the room, just so he would feel safe and comfortable. It still took a lot of persuading on my part before he finally sat down. I patiently waited. He talked. I reassured him everything will be okay. Several minutes later, I heard the sound. He heard the sound. Something dropped on the blue bowl! We both laughed. He said there are still more coming. So we waited. After he's done, he felt good... and proud.

I made one brave move 5 nights ago. I didn't put the diaper for consistency that 'there are no more diapers in the house'. So far, so good. He's very responsible and gets up to go to the john. But he has to wake me up to accompany him so even if I had just barely slept, I push myself to get up to give him support for this wonderful accomplishment.

Bravo Thiel!

Thiel's Got A New Pet

2008-08-27T17:26:00.003+08:00

Last Monday morning, Thiel was starting to become fussy, a sign that he’s getting bored. My PC got hit by the AntiVirus XP08 (more of this on a later post) and I begged Bong for some time to fix the problem while he looks after Thiel.

So, Bong took Thiel outside and when they came back, Thiel was carrying a new friend. I got confused at first whether it was a bird or a chick, because the feathers were dyed with yellow, green and pink. Bong confirmed it was indeed a chick, so Thiel named her (not sure of the gender) “Chickee”.

I’m a pet lover so it wasn’t really a problem for me to adopt a new one. Before Chickee, we already have an 8-year-old male cat named “Bluecat”. He’s 5 years older than Thiel so he was practically our baby before Thiel came. It’s amazing how Bluecat treats Thiel. No matter what he does with this old cat, he doesn’t seem to mind. Thiel pulls his tail, plucks his whiskers, twists his ears, holds his nails, and the most that he could do was to cry with a ‘hurt meow’. I remember Bluecat to be so sensitive that there were only certain parts of his body that I could touch, because for example, I touch his tail, he would stretch out his arms, aiming to scratch me. I don’t know what’s with him and Thiel that he never seems to hurt my dear baby.

Anyway, I was just concerned with this little Chickee because she seems so small and fragile. I also don’t favor birds not being able to fly or go around freely (like birds in a cage for display). Well of course, she’s a chick and I’m not really familiar with how chicks behave, but that poor one has to be dyed and sold and bought and played by some rough kid. That must have been traumatic! Sometimes Thiel could not control himself and holds her tight, squeezes her and hurts her. I could only remind him and scold him and sigh.

It’s now three days since Chickee’s been with us. She seems to like it here. I’m surprised that a chick could be a nice pet. I thought they’re only grown to be chickens that lay eggs and sold at the supermarket to be cooked. I don’t know if it’s a general behavior of chicks not wanting to be alone, but Chickee cries loudly when left alone. She always wants to follow anyone of us wherever we go. I also found out that chicks eat very little but frequently at very short intervals. Chickee has also given me an additional task ... cleaning up her poop! That’s ok as long as my Thiel is happy. He’s very fond of her and is now learning to be more gentle. He immediately looks for her when he wakes up and brings her to the room, only to put her back to her place at the garage when he’s about to go to bed.

Researches show that pets provide psychological benefits to children. In a research with preschool children, psychologists at Oregon State University found that teaching children to care for a puppy enhanced their social skills. Dr. Sue Doescher, a psychologist involved in the study said, ''... It made the children more cooperative and sharing.'' A New York Times article discusses this further. That, for me is good news. Since Thiel is an ‘only child’, I’m just glad there are other ways by which he can improve his social skills, thanks to Bluecat and Chickee.

Seeing Old Friends

2008-08-24T13:32:00.004+08:00

Last Thursday, Thiel and I took a walk along our street, going to the nearby parish church where I practically spent half of my life serving in the Music Ministry. I didn't have any plans of going inside the church itself. I just wanted to entertain Thiel with the surroundings so he wouldn't be bored inside the house. I bumped into one of Thiel's Ninangs who urged us to go with her to the seminar hall adjacent to the church.

I didn't know they were scheduled to hold a PREX (Parish Renewal Experience) seminar the following day. (The PREX seminar was where I first met my husband, Bong.) My kumare was there to make some last minute preparations along with the other PREX staff.

It was such a nice experience, seeing old friends again. I felt a little sentimental and sad noticing that what was once black hair had now turned to silver-gray and what were once young vibrant faces now show wrinkles and haggard looks. I wonder if they were thinking of the same thing about me. Nevertheless, I know each and everyone had grown older but wiser and richer in spirit.

The one who really got excited was my Thiel. My initial plan was to entertain him that's why we went out but it seems he was the one who entertained my old friends. He never stopped talking, asking questions and answering everyone's questions from 'where is your papa' to 'what color is this', etc. When snacks were served, he wasn't shy at all about asking for the food and drinks. I thought to myself, this kid takes after his Papa, because when I was young, I used to be really, really shy. I guess, that's good because it looks like he's not prone to having inferiority complex. The first impression that one usually has of him is that he's a smart kid and very 'vivo'.

I'm very much aware of this complex that I had before and it took me a long time to overcome it. That is why, I am now doing my best to build Thiel's self-confidence even at this very young age. I shower him with all the love and attention that he needs and always give him the affirmation and praise whenever applicable. His Papa never fails to do the same.

When it was time to go home, Thiel was hesitant at first to leave, I had to do some cajoling and sweet talk to persuade him. He went home happy and still excited he couldn't sleep... hehe.

What's Up With Thiel?

2008-08-19T16:30:00.009+08:00

He's now 3 years, 3 months and 4 days old!

He sings Incy Wincy Spider and Pen-pen De Sarapen with perfect lyrics. As for the tone, well, let's just say he's still too young and maybe he didn't take after me (smile), but he's still cute and adorable. Oh, and he's fond of changing some of the lyrics. For example, it's supposed to be "... how how the carabao batu-ten", he likes to change that to "... how how the carabao batu-four". We always tell him he jokes just like Lolo Porfs and he'll say "no, Lola Ising only.
He loves to read books about the Solar System, the stars, the moon, etc. He can already name the 9 planets. One time he made his papa stand and keep still, then he ran around his papa while saying, "Papa's the sun and I'm the earth. I'm going around the suuuuunnnnn!" Amazing!
When Bong and I are talking in Tagalog, he would never let an unfamiliar word pass without him asking what its meaning is in English. That's why he can understand both - Tagalog and English, although he's more comfortable speaking in English. But he tries his best to speak in Tagalog when there are other people around, to the point of sounding as if he's just learning how to speak. He speaks English as if he's a 5 or 6 year old who already goes to school. Some might think that I'm being 'un-patriotic' or 'pasosyal' by talking to him in English rather than Tagalog. I don't care. Cause I know, it's an advantage for him if he learns both, whether at school, office, business or whatever field he'll choose when he grows up.
He weighs 11.7 kilos. Just normal, but more on the lighter side. He needs to get it up to at least 12.5. His appetite has improved since we stopped giving him Ceelin (Vitamin C for kids). Now he's only taking Cherifer and VCO (Virgin Coconut Oil).
He can operate the PC all by himself. He turns on the power, presses a function key to proceed to boot, types my password, connects to the internet, and navigates to find his favorite computer game, Bloxorz or his favorite accessory, Paint. He can already type all the letters of the alphabet. After he's done, he shuts down the PC and turns off the power. Just your ordinary 3-year-old, right?
He can already read and spell some words, both written in upper and lower case. His favorite word is CAT! Let me see ... he knows car, bat, hat, fat, blue, moon, stars, sky, the, is, he, I, all the 9 planets, cow, dog, mama, papa, his full name, red, eat, feet ... actually a lot already because he can make out words by the sound of the letters. Writing? He's a little lazy when it comes to that, but he can write A, B, C, E, F, H, I, L, O, P, T, V, W, X.
He was barely a year old when I started to play this game with him wherein I would sing a song then I would stop in the middle of a line. For example, the song 'Tomorrow'. "... the sun will come out tomorrow, bet your bottom dollar that tomorrow, there'll be (stop) ". Thiel would say "sun!". It's like fill-in-the-blanks. I'd get surprised that he can already supply all the missing words from songs that I usually sing to him when I was putting him to sleep. These days, I still play that game with him and he still enjoys it, but sometimes he already makes jokes and changes the lyrics.
One time, he asked me, "Mama, what's your favorite food?" I told him I like crabs and shrimps, then asked the question back to him. And he said, "I like ice cream and chicken." I thought, that was such a lovely conversation to have with a 3-year-old and it's simply amazing to watch your son grow.
He spends more time inside the house, but we make it a point to bring him out at least once a day and when he does, it shouldn't be too long. We try to get him to socialize with kids his age among some of the neighbors. We're happy that he's not selfish with his toys. He always wants to share and let others borrow. Even with food, he would always wants to give whatever he's eating.
He enjoys watching fishes and mice in the pet shop. He likes riding boats, but when he saw the Princess of the Stars turned upside down because of the storm, he agreed not to ride boats anymore. (We used to ride the Metro Ferry that tours along Manila Bay and Cavite for a very reasonable fee. We also had a fun ride on the boat at Eco Park one time.)
He's not fond of watching TV. He prefers to play with his toy cars, start a conversation with me or his papa, read books, play Bloxorz or go outside. Good. Most research would say that watching TV may lead to ADHD. So I'm glad. I guess it's because for 2 years, we purposely didn't expose him to TV. We totally removed the TV from the bedroom. Even if we sometimes miss watching our favorite shows, it's ok for the sake of our Thiel.
He's a sweet child. One time he sang "I love you Papa, I love you Mama, I love you, I love you, I love you Papa and Mama" to the tune of "Happy Birthday to you". Hayyy, sarap.

Well, does that sound like one proud and boastful momma? I guess all of us moms are like that when it comes to our children.

I know, there are still a lot to write about. I gotta do a lot of catching up since I haven't updated for almost 2 years! But to sum it all up, having Thiel is simply heaven and I thank God for him. Of course he has his 'bad hair' days and moments too, but all that is nothing compared to the joys of having him.

Twinkle, Twinkle Little Thiel

2008-08-19T12:02:00.006+08:00

According to my files, this video was taken last year, August 17, 2007! He was 2 years and 3 months old at that time.

I'm On Vacation!

2008-08-19T07:16:00.003+08:00

Well, it's actually an accidental vacation. I'm supposed to be on training now because I am being transferred to a new department. For a background on what actually happened - the transfer, the training, and all - please go to the ff. links:

Yes, Trabaho.Ba.Kamo is my blog too. It's where I try to share my experiences as a worker and give helpful tips to job seekers and struggling Filipinos who want to earn, just like me. Aside from sharing some knowledge and information, it's also one way for me to earn on the internet through Google Adsense.

So, yeah I've been blogging all along, and it wasn't easy. For more than a year, my work schedule had been from 6AM to 3:30PM. Normally, I had to wake up at 3:30AM to prepare and get to the office in time. To be able to post to my blog, I must wake up an hour earlier, so that's 2:3oAM. I usually retire at night between 10 and 11 PM, so that's barely 3 to 4 hours of sleep. Why was I doing this? Because I am hoping that eventually, I can just work at home! Because I know this is what I enjoy doing (writing and programming). Because somehow this is what I'm good at and I want to take advantage of it. Because I want to be with my Thiel all the time. It doesn't matter if I stay up all night and work while he's asleep, just as long as I'm here with him.

I didn't plan this vacation. But I am so glad that I decided to postpone my training. It clearly shows in Bong's and Thiel's faces how relieved they are that I'll be staying at home for almost a month. I used to cry almost everyday when I was working because my heart belongs here. Now, I'm making the most of it and taking real good care of the 2 men in my life. I am also exploring more ways by which I could earn at home, hoping that I'd never have to go back for training next month because that means another season of full-time employment, away from my Thiel. Either way, I would have to make another decision in a couple of weeks from now. God-willing, I will be able to choose what my heart so ardently desires.

This is Thiel Now

2007-09-07T00:09:00.002+08:00

He's now 2 years and 4 months old. Too many stories to tell, so little time. I hope the pictures already say a lot.

Against All Odds

2006-10-22T14:24:00.000+08:00

finally ... training's over! ive just completed my ojt last friday, together with 7 other co-trainees and we all made it ! yehey!

looking back, the training wasn't easy at all ! in fact, i think it's the most difficult training i've gone thru. it's even more difficult because of other factors like our financial problems and the situation at home wherein only bong and i take turns with the chores. so ... while my co-trainees would just sleep, relax and study once they get home, i'd still have to help bong with the house chores, take care of and do my best to give quality time to my Thiel and worry about my transpo for tomorrow's work. it's really a very good feeling that i was able to hurdle all of those and manage to pass. it gives me a certain amount of satisfaction and of course, gratefulness to my Lord that i've survived!

now, i can look forward to a brighter future for our dearest son. all that needs to be done is to do well at work and always think of my family as my inspiration. i also hope to somehow help my dearest friend, christy. and... i shouldn't forget... i still got some loans to pay ...

of course, i truly miss those times when all my time and attention is devoted to Thiel ... but a mom's gotta do what she's gotta do ... and in the end, all i'd ever wish when i face my creator, is for Him to tell me ... "well done, good and faithful servant" ... because i did what i was supposed to do!

Patience

2006-10-11T07:58:00.000+08:00

Just a little more patience ... God is teaching me to be patient ... We're almost there ... Just a little more time ... We're still struggling ... struggling a lot ... like worrying where to get money for my transpo in getting to work till a few minutes before i have to leave the house ... but always, God provides (in strange ways) ... we've sold the fridge .. and soon might also sell one of the things i value most -- my piano ... well, i can't afford to be sentimental now ...

Just a little more time till i receive my first regular salary ... what i've received so far is my training allowance ...

Whenever we eat our meals ... i just think of the "Manna" from heaven .... and those people whom God has sent the manna to ... and complained because they were getting tired of eating it all day and all night .... well, i don't wanna be like them ... i won't complain ... instead, i give thanks to God for the food that we still eat ... and all other blessings ...

I thank God for my very supportive husband ... and i thank God for Thiel who can now speak a lot of words and dances so gracefully and can hold a 10-in diameter ball with just one hand like a basketball pro at 1 year and 5 months ... whew ....

So ... thank God for the patience .... and all the happiness !

I Passed!

2006-09-24T18:51:00.000+08:00

Whew! I passed D.I.E.T.! (Nah, that doesn't have anything to do with losing weight. It's short for Diction, Intonation, Enunciation Training.) The first and most crucial stage of our training is over! Yipee! So ... beginning tomorrow I'll already be a regular employee! Thank God. I was down with the flu last week and sometimes it's just too inconvenient doing all those speech drills with a clogged nose and sore, itchy throat. I was so nervous last Friday, during the certification. But ... yes ... it's over ... and i made it! That's what's important now. Coz this job would mean i can now save my family from poverty. It means Thiel won't have to run out of milk ever again. Again, i've stormed the heavens and asked all the angels and saints for prayers just to pass. Thank you for the intercession.

Novena

2006-08-24T23:29:00.000+08:00

this working mom's got no more time for blogging.. hehehe .. so, it's been more than a month now since i've last posted! of course, i'd rather spend the little time i have after work with mah thiel and mah bong. lately, i tried to stretch my waking hours to surf the net and do some online job search. yeah, i was looking for a new job coz the one i had could barely suffice for our basic needs (meaning our food, thiel's milk and diapers and my transpo for work -- not yet including the electric, phone and water bills!). i didnt realize my salary was that small, considering maybe more than 50% of our labor force earn as much. now i could just wonder how they survive. perhaps if both the husband and the wife are working, they can, but otherwise, im not so sure. more so, if they have 2 or more kids! oh well, so much for the non-call center jobs! i was avoiding the graveyard shift and the stress that one usually experiences in a call center because i didnt wanna come home to my baby feeling wasted and burnt-out, and not being able to give him quality time. now, i gotta add a little more sacrifice. as they say, no pain, no gain.

so, i did some research ... and looked for a call center job that would both fit my qualifications and pay the salary that would save my family and sustain our needs. then i was eyeing for this 1 particular company that has an opening for this 1 particular position that really pays well (by phil. standards). with the intention of getting that job, i began to pray a novena (9-days) to st. expeditus, in addition to my usual daily prayer and rosary. we found an old novena booklet, most probably used before by my mom, and it said - st. expeditus, advocate in urgent cases. i prayed with all sincerity to God and asked the intercession of st. expeditus, our Blessed Mother, all the saints and angels in heaven and the souls of my mom and dad for this particular petition. (i found this site that says something about st. expeditus, just now. click here.)

how many times have i thanked and praised God in this blog for answered prayers? when i was handed the job offer, all i had in mind was that i wanted to bring thiel and bong to church to thank God for this new blessing.

the whole application process only took 1 day! i got there at 9:20 am yesterday and signed the job offer before 6pm the same day. im really relieved that i didnt have to go company hopping and spend a lot for transpo, if i didnt make it with my first choice. so... im gonna start either on the 4th or 11th of september. ive already resigned last week from the other company so i got more than a week to spend with thiel before i plunge back to the rat race, squeeze myself in the crowded mrt and walk the streets of makati. bytheway, my early resignation is another story -- not sure yet if i should write about that here, coz aside from the meager salary, there's another issue that made me decide to get out ... pronto!

that's it for now... hope to tell more stories about thiel next time

A Little Help From My Friends

2006-07-09T13:59:00.000+08:00

I know there was a Beatles' song that goes this way ... "i get by with a little help from my friends..." I searched for the lyrics of the whole song and eventually concluded that it's not in any way relevant to my situation. But just the same, that line kept replaying in my mind as i look back and recall how our family managed to survive one of the worst trials that happened in our life. I thank God for genuine and faithful friends who're there for me whether i'm up or i'm down. God bless their beautiful souls. For now, all i can offer them are my love and prayers. I'm far from really saying that we're out of the crisis ... but at least my friends' help has just pulled me out of the quicksand.

And bytheway ... what i actually got was a BIG help !!! Thank you.

Switch

2006-07-09T12:42:00.000+08:00

I'm now a working mom! I thought i was gonna follow my mom's footsteps. She just took care of me full time. Whenever i hear or read stories about working moms it's like i dont give them much attention coz at the back of my mind, i was telling myself that i already have an exciting career right here at home.

Well i guess life is strange and we dont really know our fate unless it's already happening right under our nose. So, the man of the house is now literally the man of the house! We just took the big switch. It's now the Papa who tells stories of his daily adventures with the big boss - our Thiel... while the Mama listens intently with tears in her eyes because perhaps she feels she should be the one doing that and enjoying those adventures. She's got consolation, though. The Papa tells her that Thiel misses her so much and has been saying "Mama" all day ... when he takes a bath (coz he knows it's Mama who bathes him) ... when he eats (coz he knows it's Mama who feeds him) ... when he sleeps (coz he knows it's Mama who sings him lullabies) ... when he prays (coz he knows he does this with Mama). He gets the phone, dials it, and says 'Mama, mama' as if Mama's on the other end of the line.

(Sigh) My tears won't stop falling even as i write this. Maybe it's gonna take some time before i get adjusted to this set-up. I just offer all my pains and sacrifices for my wonderful family, and to the One who's been so good, kind and merciful. Im just grateful that even if this is my fate, at least God has blessed me with the necessary gifts that enabled me to get a decent job, despite my age and this country's economic and political situation. He has given me the means to provide for my son, and a husband who's very supportive and who loves our son dearly.

Thiel's having his afternoon nap right now. It's Mama's day-off and I once again experienced a beautiful morning with Thiel's morning smile and kiss. Gotta make the most of today and tomorrow, before i go back to work on tuesday. (our days off are sunday & monday).

Now, what's left to say is ... I love life ... I love God ... I love my family !

Anything For Thiel

2006-07-02T11:50:00.000+08:00

Im goin back to work on Tuesday, July 4! I've long decided that I wanted to stay with Thiel and just take care of him for the rest of my life. But i now realize, love doesnt always mean that you have to be with the one you love just to prove your love to him. Unconditional love means you're willing to give up something you really like doing for the sake of your loved ones.

So, id rather not see my baby the whole day than see him go hungry. Now im able to understand those moms or dads who make the bigger sacrifice of leaving their kids here in pinas to work abroad. Though im not made of sterner stuff as they are, our recent experience had opened my mind and broadened my perspectives to some more realities of life. I guess God allowed us to go thru such trials for that very purpose. It had also deepened our faith and trust in Him.

Bong Resigns!

2006-06-15T11:14:00.000+08:00

My husband Bong resigned from his most recent job of 2 months last May. His reason was valid. The company he was working for was practicing unfair labor, namely:

• The employees receive salaries below the minimum wage
• SSS and Pag-ibig contributions are being withheld from their salaries but are not being remitted respectively. The company’s policy says that they will only start remitting once the employee is already working there for 1 year or more (although they are already withholding contributions!)
• The company doesn’t follow state rules on paid non-working holidays
• The company usually doesn’t pay overtime dues
• Bong’s job (armored car driver), just like all the other employees’ deals mainly with security, which definitely involves a lot of risk. But it seems the company did not provide for any insurance for any of them.
• The most painful of all - the company doesn’t cover medical expenses even if the employee had an accident within company premises or during his tour of duty. Bong’s co-worker obtained a minor head injury when the armored car that Bong was driving, accidentally ran over a pothole. Since the co-worker needed medical assistance a.s.a.p., he was rushed to a nearby hospital and Bong had to request their office for immediate cash to pay for the hospital expenses. Would you believe that this was deducted from Bong’s salary the following payday? It wasn’t his fault that his co-worker was not fully alert that’s why he bumped his head on the car ceiling while all the rest of the passengers, mostly bank tellers, where unharmed – and he was supposed to be the security escort! That was just plain stupidity on his part and my husband was made to pay for it! Not only that. When Bong and their other colleagues asked this stupid (sorry for the adjective) security escort (S.E.) to file for an employees compensation claim at SSS so that Bong could at least reimburse the money, and at the same time the S.E. could also use the extra money, this S.E. replied with, “Never mind, because if I do, the management might take it against me.” What a coward!
• Another painful thing – if the car that the employee-driver is assigned with happens to break down while he’s driving it, the company would make it appear that it was his fault so that they could charge the repair expenses on him. Bong had been a victim of this scheme several times. It so happened that the vehicle he was assigned with was a surplus! The Operations Manager (who was the company owner’s son-in-law and who doesn’t really know his job) was the one who decided to buy the surplus vehicle. He wouldn’t want to admit that it was a bad decision to buy surplus so every time Bong reports about a defective gauge or other problems, this Operations Manager would blow his top and instead blame him for it, but actually he was just embarrassed that the problems about the surplus vehicle are now showing up.

Bong learned from other co-workers that former employees have already filed a case of unfair labor practice against the company, who in turn filed a counter-complaint against them by twisting facts and quoting lies. The Operations Manager, by the way, is a son of a well-known politician, and has influences in all sectors of the government.

Actually, Bong tried his best to stay with the company despite all these, for our family’s sake, most especially for the baby. He knows it’s hard to look for another job (considering that he’s over 40) and that we would suffer much if he doesn’t have any income. He tried to tolerate the Operations Manager’s tantrums and unreasonable scolding. He was charged twice with repair expenses thru salary deductions, and he still tried to maintain his cool since the repairs were minor ones, anyway and not very expensive. He did try to question it, though but it was futile to argue with an unreasonable man.

What really made Bong decide to resign, eventually, was when they had a major engine trouble. Again, the Operations Manager wanted to make it appear that it was his fault. He was even trying to convince the witnesses to contradict Bong’s story, but they all supported him. The company mechanic tipped to him that the Operations Manager might charge the expenses to him, and it will be something like 10-20,000.00pesos. (One of their co-workers is still paying the company thru salary deductions due to repairs amounting to 40,000pesos, so it is not impossible for the company to do the same to Bong.) So, before that happens, he decided to submit his letter of resignation.

Bong was eyeing on another security agency to apply to. He would have wanted to go there before he resigned, but his boss (not the Operations Manager, but the General Manager who helped him get hired) wouldn’t permit him to take a leave of absence, even just for a day. So once he resigned, he immediately went there to submit a resume. Unfortunately, they freezed hiring effective that day because of a tragic incident that just happened the day before. One of their employees (a security escort) was killed and another (an armored car driver) was wounded due to gunshots during an armored car robbery.

I had goose pimples while Bong was telling me about it. It just dawned on me how dangerous my husband’s job really was. I took it as a clear sign from God that he should stay away from that kind of job for now. But the problem is ... we don't have a source of income. We've decided, i will be the one to look for work because i may have more opportunities ... so even if it pains me a lot to leave my baby everyday when i get hired, it would pain me more if he goes hungry. But then, i still can't go jobhunting because of lack of budget for transportation! Is this the ultimate crisis or what? Right now, i'm at Irene's place to use her PC just so i can check my emails and also make some calls thru her phone (ours no longer has outgoing calls). My friends say they've all gone thru this. I trust God that this will soon end.

Does God have an email add?

2006-05-28T22:22:00.000+08:00

It would have been so convenient if we only knew God's email add. Sometimes it's just too hard to guess if we're interpreting His signs correctly. It's during times like these that I wish I could simply write Him an email to ask what He's trying to tell me. Then, He'd reply to my email, and ... darahhh!!! ... i'd get specific answers to all my questions! Wow!

I've always thought heaven's a lot more high-tech than us here. Who knows maybe He does have one ;)

Looks Can Be Deceiving

2006-05-27T20:43:00.000+08:00

Has it ever happened to you that on the outside you look troubled, worried, haggard and it seems you’re carrying the whole world on your shoulders but deep inside you’re actually happy, at peace and contented? That’s exactly how I see myself right now. I guess the difficulties we encounter in our everyday lives may manifest in our physical looks but only God knows what’s in the deepest recesses of our hearts and minds. Only He knows that I value the blessings much more than the trials, and even statistically speaking, the former far surpasses the latter.

The Birthday Party

2006-05-21T10:37:00.000+08:00

Ok ... let me just see how far i can write coz in a few minutes i gotta cook Mama's special menudo for mah Bong & mah Thiel.

Thiel's party was held at a Jollibee branch near our place from 4:30-6:30pm last Monday (May15). The party coordinator at Jollibee originally quoted a price for a party package with a minimum of 50 persons, but we were able to bargain for a 30-guest package. They also agreed not to include the 'pabitin' and 'pinyata' so almost 50% was slashed from the cost! We had a very short list of guests that includes only the closest of our friends and their kids. Let me try to name all of them:

Irene w/kids Roneen & Christian
Christy w/kids Angel, Ryan and Christopher
Geng w/daughter Angel Veron
Kit w/daughter Mica and Lola Chayong
Kuya Mike w/kids Kimi, Briel & Alfea
Raquel w/kids Raniel, Renelyn & John Ace
Our Ninang Via w/grandchild Kylie
Ate Dads w/niece Den-den

plus us - the celebrant (Thiel), Papa Bong & Me
I guess that's it ... 27 all in all ... I remember we had some spare food that we brought home.

I could say the kids and their moms (and a lone dad, aside from papa bong -- kuya mike) had a great time because of the games. I felt just like a spectator coz i was carrying Thiel all the time, so all i could do was watch the games and kiss the V.I.P. in my arms. The celebrant wasn't in the best of moods. I guess he was still trying to get used to the place. His focus was on the balloons that surrounded the room. The moment he saw those balloons he wanted to grab them and play with them right away. The sound system was irritating because there were only a handful of people inside the room (w/c wasnt so big) yet the music & the mic were in full volume. I couldn't help but blame it for Thiel's unusual fussiness. I called the attention of one of the staff and requested to lower the volume. She did but after a few minutes, it was back to full-blast! Grrr. The party host started late, probably waiting till ALL the guests arrive. I think the food was served only during the last 30 minutes of our time slot. And I didn't have enough time to eat because while hurrying up to eat and trying to feed Thiel, the host called on us go to each table to pose with the guests for pic-taking (sigh). Papa Bong was the official photographer while Ninang Irene also took some shots from her digital camera so i hope to upload the pics here soon. The Jollibee mascot was part of the program and guess what! Thiel got scared of him and cried. Then all the other babies cried too - Mica, John Ace and Christopher. It took a while before I could pacify my Thiel and I had to do a lot of coaxing and explaining and showing to him that Jollibee is harmless and that he's a friend before he got comfortable with him. (break ... gotta cook first ... will continue later)

(am back ...)
I wouldnt say the party was a disaster. Coz as i said, i think the guests enjoyed and that's what's important. Maybe it's just from my point of view as a first timer when it comes to holding a children's party in a famous fast-food chain that made me feel uneasy. Besides, Thiel gets to bring home lots of balloons and his birthday cake which we forgot to slice and give to the guests. He was also able to make some neighborhood kids happy by distributing extra give-aways packed on a plastic bag which had different toys and stickers. He himself had so much fun when the kids were all around him as he gave them the bags.

I was so touched when we opened the gifts. It seems everyone made extra effort to look for the nicest gifts for Thiel. It made me feel their love for him and how special he is to all of them. Thank God for loving friends. Thanks so much, guys. Your presence alone is enough, but you gave more. I love you all!

P.S. Special thanks to Kuya Mike for patiently waiting for us while Bong pays the balance and giving us a ride home.

D-Day

2006-05-15T13:50:00.000+08:00

The birthday celebrant is fast asleep right now. His morning nap was delayed due to the early pleasant surprise visit of his ninong rey (venzon) and ninang evelyn (dy), my former boss and co-worker, respectively, at sss.

He was unusually super duper hyperactive today, from the time he woke up. It was as if he's aware that it's a special day for him. As soon as he opened his eyes, i sang him the birthday song. His papa did the same when i brought thiel downstairs and his papa was in the kitchen preparing breakfast.

We went to Sto. Domingo church to give thanks to the One who has given us this wonderful angel. There was no more mass. I think the masses during weekdays are only up to 8am. We probably got there past 9am. So, we just prayed and afterwards, took some pics of thiel and he had fun walking at the long corridors outside the church.

It's a good thing that he's resting right now so that he would be fresh and ready for his small celebration late this afternoon. i hope (ill do my best) to narrate the details of the party next time.

I praise and thank our dear Lord for Thiel's first year on earth. Thank You for his good health, for guiding me in taking care of him, for Your protection and for Your provision. Most of all, I thank You for the miracle that is Thiel.

H A P P Y B I R T H D A Y M Y D E A R S O N ! ! ! I l o v e y o u ! ! !

Time Flies When You're Having Fun

2006-05-11T12:41:00.000+08:00

I didn't notice it's been more than a week since i've last updated. I guess i was just having so much fun with Thiel that nothing can be more important than being with him. Besides, i got so many things on my mind that i wanted to write about and once i sit in front of my pc, i always end up undecided which one to write first, thus not writing anything at all... nyahaha!

Till next time ...

The Good News

2006-04-30T21:57:00.000+08:00

Remember i dreamt of dragonflies? And that the dream dictionary says it means good news? Well, that good news just turned out to be true today! And i'm sure it's not because of dragonflies ... but because God is a good God and He fulfills His promises.

"Ask, and it will be given you;
seek, and you will find;
knock, and it will be opened to you.
For every one who asks receives,
and he who seeks finds,
and to him who knocks it will be opened.
Or what man of you, if his son asks him for bread, will give him a stone?
Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a serpent?
If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children,
how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him! " - Matthew 7:7-11

"Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?

And why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? So do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own. " - Matthew 6:25-34

I praise and thank the Lord Almighty for all His blessings, His goodness, His kindness and His mercy!!!

A Ghost Story (?)

2006-04-29T11:20:00.000+08:00

The other day (Thursday), when Bong left for work, I was worried for him because he was under some kind of "trial" at the office. Actually I worry for him everyday because of the kind of job that he has. He drives an armored vehicle - the one that banks use to transport money and is usually the target of bank robbers. The only thing that gives me peace is by holding on to prayer and trusting God. He was requesting for a leave that Thursday (only for 1 day) just so that he could somehow rest his mind and body from the pressure he was experiencing. Unfortunately, his boss did not permit him and insisted that he comes, so he did.

I was trying to discern whether his trials were some signs that he should look for another job. Also, several nights before, Bong had nightmares about murders and chaos.

At around 2pm that Thursday, while Thiel and I were looking at some pictures on the computer (in the bedroom), I clearly heard the door open, and it did. I was sure someone turned the knob. I even talked to Thiel jokingly (as if he understands) and said, "Who's that? Mumu?" I was almost sure it was Bong who came home early. I thought maybe something went wrong at work and he just decided to resign right there and then.

I was waiting for him to show up. He usually plays practical jokes on me and Thiel, sometimes pretending he wasn't there yet while he watches our reactions. When it looks like it's been quite long and noone's showing up, I carried Thiel to look outside. I called Bong's name, thinking that maybe he just went to the C.R. first. But he really wasn't there. Nobody was home except for Thiel and me!!!

I checked the door if it was possible that it was only partly closed and the wind could have pushed it to open. And it wasn't! Besides, i really heard the knob clicked!

Ever since, I have always believed that I don't have a third eye, and that ghosts or spirits are not interested in me. I knew they just avoid or ignore me because in a gathering, even when everybody i'm with experiences feeling spirits around, i'd be the only one who doesn't. So blaming ghosts for an opening door was farthest from my mind.

However, Bong's nightmares and the signs I was trying to discern with regards to his work all came flashing in my mind. These were the ones that gave me the jitters. I became more worried for Bong and I prayed all the more. I tried calling their office and the lady there said he's on duty. So, I thought maybe he's alright. But then, I still heard my heartbeat drumming a-la-conga. So i called his office again, and this time it was a man's voice. I said i just wanted to be assured that he's ok. He said, since there wasn't any call from the radio, they assume that he is.

Just after a few minutes, our phone rang. It was Bong! What a relief! He said he was ok. And everything went fine at work. I praise and thank God Almighty! I told Bong about the "door" and why I was so worried. He said, maybe it was my Dad just visiting his grandson.

So, Thiel and I went thru the day like any ordinary day. I brought him to the fish store and he really had fun watching all the fishes there. He had a favorite. I don't know what kind of fish it was -- it looks like there were some chinese characters printed on its scales. He even wanted to kiss the fish, hehehe.

Then i decided to drop by irene's house. What a surprise coz another best friend was there - Christy! Wish i can write all about what happened there. But in case i can't, in summary, Thiel was the total entertainer and everyone was impressed! I also plan to write more about my friend, Christy in a separate post.

Thiel and I went home, both feeling tired and happy! In just a moment, Papa Bong was home and Mama felt so blessed with this small but happy family.

His Trials

2006-04-27T11:49:00.000+08:00

The following is a prayer written by Stormie Omartian in her book "The Power of a Praying Wife":

Lord, You alone know the depth of the burden my husband carries. I may uderstand the specifics, but You have measured the weight of it on his shoulders. I've not come to minimize what You are doing in his life, for I know You work great things in the midst of trials. Nor am I trying to protect him from what he must face. I only want to support him so that he will get through this battle as the winner.

God, You are our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble (Psalm 46:1). You have invited us to "come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need" (Hebrews 4:16). I come before Your throne and ask for grace for my husband. Strengthen his heart for this battle and give him patience to wait on You (Psalm 27:1-4). Build him up so that no matter what happens he will be able to stand strong through it. Help him to be always "rejoicing in hope, patient in tribulation, continuing steadfastly in prayer" (Romans 12:12). Give him endurance to run the race and not give up, for You have said that "a righteous man may fall seven times and rise again" (Proverbs 24:16). Help him to remember that "the steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord, and He delights in his way. Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down; for the Lord upholds him with His hand" (Psalm 37:26,24).

I pray he will look to You to be his "refuge until these calamitites have passed by" (Psalm 54:1). May he learn to wait on You because "those who wait on the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint" (Isaiah 40:31). I pray that he will find his strength in You and as he cries out to You, You will hear him and save him out of all his troubles (Psalm 34:6).

I pray this prayer for my husband today, as he faces his trials at work.

He's Growing Up

2006-04-26T12:55:00.000+08:00

For two consecutive nights, my Thiel has slept straight thru the night! Last night should have been the third night, but he woke up at 2 am asking for milk. He just drank some, then went back to sleep, not needing "meme" from Mama. This is good progress. Congrats, son... and thanks for a good night's sleep! Love you!

Dragonflies

2006-04-26T12:38:00.001+08:00

Last night, I dreamt of dragonflies. The dream was so clear. I looked it up in the online dream dictionary, and it said it means good news. If it was otherwise, i wouldn't believe it. hehehe.

Happiness

2006-04-24T21:17:00.002+08:00

"The happiest of people don't necessarily have the best of everything; they just make the most of everything that comes along their way." -- Unknown

I just wanna take note of that quotation. Lately, i've been feeling the blues, looking or expecting for something that doesn't seem to happen.

My son couldn't possibly have first cousins or aunts or uncles on my side since i dont have any brothers or sisters. I was sort of counting on my in-laws to shower him with love and attention just as Titos and Titas usually do. I thought they were very happy that he came to us at last. And that they were excited because he is the first "boy" born of a male sibling, hence the only one to carry their surname.

I don't like what i'm feeling and i'm doing my best to cast out negative thoughts. Maybe it would help to release it here. I just feel that they don't care at all. That my son doesn't exist in their world. So my heart bleeds for him.

I'm sure they have their reasons and i would just assume that they're justifiable.

There! It's out at last.

Now, i'm just gonna concentrate on taking care of and loving my son. If they ever remember him, i'll be very happy and thankful. If not, then i'd just say... life goes on... and there are more important things to think about. From now on i'll be making an extra effort not to get affected.

If it's a sin, God forgive me for ever feeling that way.

How Important Is A Child's 1st Birthday?

2006-04-21T13:34:00.000+08:00

As my countdown (right sidebar) says, it's 23 days before my son, Thiel's 1st birthday. What should we do? Are we gonna celebrate? Are we gonna invite friends? relatives? neighbors? Where? What food do we serve? How? How much? I've been wracking my brains deciding on how May 15 should practically be spent.

As you know, our son is a very precious child, having been born only 11 years after we were married. Everytime someone asks how old he is, and would learn that his 1st birthday is very near, i would almost always get the same comment: "i'm sure he's gonna have a grand celebration". And i'd tell myself, "i wish!". I couldn't blame them. They don't know our financial difficulties anyway.

Bong and I have been thinking that the 3 of us should just go to church, eat in Thiel's favorite fastfood, maybe go to baywalk and spend the whole day together. But then friends would say, "WHAT? No celebration? Com'on even just a simple menu will do, as long as there's cake and ice cream".

I dunno. Still can't decide. Even a simple menu would mean extra expenses, extra work (considering we have no helper, our daily routines alone are already very tiring), and other extras. A package party in a fastfood would have been more convenient, but per inquiry, it's gonna be pretty costly!

What i do know is i want my Thiel to be happy, without being too expensive. I just hope we do the right thing. What do you think?

Multitasking

2006-04-19T15:14:00.000+08:00

Wikipedia has 3 definitions for multitasking, two of which refer to computer multitasking. The third definition is as follows:

Derived from the first sense, multitasking is the colloquial term for a human being's simultaneous handling of multiple tasks.

When you’re in the corporate world, tasks could mean processing emails, sorting files, giving instructions to your staff, entertaining customer calls, etc.

If you’re gonna ask me, I’d say that term was coined or invented by a ‘mother’. I salute all mothers before me who had gone thru what I’m presently going thru and had passed with flying colors. I’m sure they have experienced doing the following all at the same time:

Taking care of the baby while …

Doing the laundry (using the washing machine)
Washing the feeding bottles
Baby wants your attention every now and then so you attend to him by either giving him a toy, singing to him, carrying him, telling him anything; He’d also make poo-poo so you wash him and change his diaper.
Taking a bath (because you’ll never know when you’ll get the chance)
Washing the dishes
Ironing clothes (if not washing them)
Preparing baby’s food, and your food
Doing your best to cook for the husband before he comes home (he needs good food because he's tired and hungry and he doesnt get to have a real nice meal at work)
Feeding the baby
Feeding yourself (you’re gonna need it badly because of the energy you’re exerting)

(Sigh) It seems I was doing all of these the whole time yesterday until today (I wasn’t able to finish the laundry). Washing machine’s still working while I’m doing this right now, since Thiel is sleeping and I need to stay more in the room with him (the washing machine is downstairs.) So I go down every now and then to check on it then go back up here to check on Thiel, and continue this post. Thiel’s 2nd, 3rd and now his 4th teeth are coming out all at the same time, so I guess that explains why his sleep pattern is changing, and thus unpredictable. He was even awake between 1:30am-4:30am this morning, and of course the mom has to be awake too.

Whew! I never thought being a mother would be so challenging and would need a lot of skills in terms of time management, organization and decision making. It also demands that the mother be physically fit and disciplined. There’s no room for tiredness or sleepiness. You just have to keep going on.

Come to think of it, other mothers may still have their own mothers around so they could sometimes use their help. Some may have sisters, brothers, nephews, nieces who could give a helping hand. Some may have a hired helper or a nanny. I’m on a solo flight. Mom’s already in heaven (God bless her soul), mom-in-law’s already there as well (God bless her soul too), I’m an only child, and we couldn’t afford to hire a helper. Oh well, I can’t be jealous. I’ve already gotten a lot of blessings! And God has been providing for the strength that I need.

The bottom line is, no matter how physically exhausting an independent mother’s tasks could be, the fulfillment that we get from all these is priceless. And we get to have several bonuses too: the baby’s sweet smile, his embrace, his kiss, the feeling of being depended upon, and a husband’s compliments.

Post Holy Week

2006-04-17T23:17:00.000+08:00

So ... what happened today? (sigh) It's back to the real world for the Rivases. Bong went back to work after a 3-day vacation (he only has 1 day-off every week, and that's on a Sunday). Thiel cried in protest when his Papa was saying ba-bye. He's been like this lately, that's why Bong sometimes prefers to leave for work while Thiel's still sleeping. But this little angel is usually up early.

Got a call today from a best friend (geng). Our conversation, generally was about her duty as music head (she took my place when i resigned, i feel sorry for her). Can't really discuss here her problem but i could say im just relieved im no longer there.

I was feeling signs of an impending cold (hopefully not a flu!) ... sore throat, muscle pains, tiredness. I must have gotten it from Thiel, who's now ok, Thank God. We saw the baby girl who's the 'suspect cold virus carrier'. She still has that runny nose. Poor little baby. She's also quite thin, compared with other babies her age. I cant help but think that it has something to do with the fact that she's only being taken cared of by a nanny. Both her mom and dad work the whole day. I know they're doing it for her sake but I still believe that the mother should at least wait till the kid's at least 3 or 4 yrs old before she goes back to work. I wanna discuss more about this (to work or not) in a separate post when i find enough time. Meantime, i need to rest. Nite!

Viruses

2006-04-15T00:18:00.000+08:00

My baby's got a cold! Good thing he doesn't have fever. I got 2 suspects from where he got it. One is from a 1-yr old baby girl who lives nearby. She's got a runny nose the other day. I tried my best not to get Thiel too close to her once i noticed she's got the cold but i'm not sure if her resident virus moved fast. The second suspect is our very hot, humid weather. Thank God, Thiel doesn't seem to be too bothered. He's still as active as ever. I pity him though at night when he's sleeping because he would wake up every now and then crying because of his stuffy nose. For this, I give him nasal drops, a warm embrace and a lullaby. He would then hug me back tightly, as if saying, "Mama, please help me." In a few minutes, he dozes off.

There's another virus that's giving me a big headache, and it's in my PC!!! I'm getting ad pop-ups every several minutes. I've dealt with this kind of virus before but back then, i had a lot of time on my hands. Anyways, i have no choice but to deal with it again soon! Tsk. Tsk. Tsk.

Semana Santa (Holy Week)

2006-04-12T22:51:00.000+08:00

This season used to be one of the yearly occasions i dreaded the most. Why? Because as the parish musical director, it's the busiest time of the year. Choir rehearsals, lenten presentations, all sorts of parish activities. I couldn't remember solemnity, repentance, meditation or the real reason behind the event. Church service just became so technical and exhausting.

I've stopped three years ago. Not that i didn't like to serve God anymore. Not at all. I just felt like it was no longer Him whom I was really serving. I guess I couldn't really explain it without sounding too profound. Nevertheless, it's now water under the bridge, and I can say that I've made the right decision, and it has God's blessings.

Now it's a totally different Holy Week for me, and I'm spending it with my family. We commemorate Christ's suffering and death, which saved us from our sins, and celebrate His resurrection which gave us New Hope and New Life. That is crystal clear to me now.

Red-faced

2006-04-12T22:31:00.000+08:00

Thank you to my Tito Nits and Tita Lina. And to my cousin Bev ... naughty girl! You should have seen my tomato-colored face when your Dad told me you've forwarded this blog to him. Anyways, thank God for relatives. God bless you always.

Wake-up Call

2006-04-08T21:13:00.000+08:00

Last Saturday, exactly a week ago today, Bong was having lunch at their office, when he choked on a very hot, newly cooked rice. He said he couldn't spit it out, so he just tried to swallow it. It was then, when probably, his air passage was blocked, then he collapsed. Fortunately, and with God's mercy, one of his co-workers applied CPR and was able to revive him.

Bong is such a loving husband, that he'd usually rather do things around the house even if he comes home tired from work, than to see me having a hard time. He'd even cook for me before he goes to work, because he knows how difficult it is for me to do it while taking care of our Thiel.

That incident at lunch was traumatic for me. That's also the reason why i wasn't able to write about it right away. For as long as I can remember, I've been praying to God that if He should call anyone of us home, I hope He calls me first. Now that Thiel is here, I've included in my prayer for God to allow both Bong and I to live longer. How I pray that He wouldn't take anyone of us at a time when Thiel couldn't still even remember our faces, our warm embrace, our kisses and how we love and take care of him. Oh Lord, please let us see him grow up, be a man, be wedded and have children.

I pray for Bong's safety many times everyday. When i wake up, while Thiel is sleeping after his morning bath, when Thiel wakes up, sometime in the afternoon and before Bong comes home. I believe the power of prayer also saved Bong's life.

I'm also doing my best to add some more load in my daily chores, so as to lessen Bong's burdens. I guess i'm so used to being Bong's baby, and also used to think that i'm the weaker one. Now i realize, i should consider that maybe, i just look frail, but God is giving me strength for the sake of this family. I used to be sickly, and it's really a wonder how i'm able to survive my daily struggles now and still maintain my good health. God is good, all the time!

Father and Son

2006-04-04T23:31:00.000+08:00

One of the things that make me so happy is seeing how Thiel welcomes his Papa when he comes home from work. I could clearly see in my son's eyes how ecstatic he is and how much he'd truly miss his papa all day. He would even scream sometimes, or giggle, just as a teenage girl would when he sees his crush. Papa Bong certainly reciprocates his son's very warm welcome and would immediately take him in his arms and give him hugs and kisses. This everyday scene makes me say, 'I love life!' Praise God for this family.

Isaiah 49

2006-04-03T16:08:00.000+08:00

“But the people of Jerusalem said, 'The Lord has abandoned us! He has forgotten us.' So the Lord answers. 'Can a woman forget her own baby and not love the child she bore? Even if a mother should forget her child, I will never forget you. Jerusalem, I can never forget you! I have written your name on the palms of my hands.'" - Isaiah 49 (v.14-16)

I think it was in the early 80s when Basil Valdez popularized a song composed by Manoling Francisco entitled 'Hindi Kita Malilimutan'. This song was actually taken from that text in Isaiah 49. The lyrics of the song go like this:

Hindi kita malilimutan
Hindi kita pababayaan
Nakaukit magpakailanman
Sa 'king palad ang 'yong pangalan

Malilimutan ba ng ina
Ang anak n'yang tangan
Sanggol sa kanyang sinapupunan
Pa'no n'ya matatalikdan

Ngunit kahit na malimutan
Ng ina ang anak n'yang tangan
Hindi kita malilimutan
Kailan ma'y 'di pababayaan

Hindi kita malilimutan
Kailan ma'y di pababayaan

For us Filipinos, the tagalog rendition of Isaiah 49 strikes to the very core of our hearts. I, personally, can feel and hear the Lord speaking thru this song.

This morning, I was praying with all sincerity to God to please provide for our needs. Though Bong already has a regular job, we still could not meet our very basic needs. Whenever we receive financial input, whether it's a salary, payment for previous loans, or gifts, we always prioritize on Baby Thiel's needs, like his milk, diapers and vitamins. Next would be for basic groceries like cooking oil, soap, toothpaste, etc. We make sure not to buy unnecessary items. We have not bought any new clothes since Baby Thiel was born. I have foregone trips to the derma and buying cosmetics or anything that would satisfy my vanity. We have indeed tighten our belts!

But still we couldn't come up with enough funds to meet all our expenses, like electricity, phone and water bills. We even had to say goodbye 3 months ago to Bong's aunt who's been helping us since I gave birth. We used to give her monthly allowance, but we politely told her we could no longer afford it.

So, it's again time to pay the bills. We have already received notices of disconnection from Meralco and Bayantel, which we're already getting used to for the past several months. By God's mercy and His mysterious ways, we were able to pay and we still get these basic services up to now.

Today, my heart skips a beat whenever there's a knock on the door, afraid that it would be the Meralco man advising me that they're gonna cut-off our electricity. Today's also the last day for us to pay the phone bill, which is my only communication with Bong when he's at work. I only got 1000 pesos in my wallet, and the next money we’re expecting to come in won't be until April 15.

After praying, when I was about to bathe Baby Thiel, there was that nerve-wrecking knock on our door. I had to pull him out of his bath tub and swaddle him with towel and bring him to the terrace where I tried to see who it was.

It was a brother-in-law, bringing in some gifts from a sister-in-law who just got back from abroad. There was also a 1000peso cash gift.

God of all graces, I knew You wouldn’t forget me. You have written my name on the palm of your hands. That 1000pesos isn’t enough to pay our Meralco bill. But I hear you clearly, Lord. You’re telling me that You’re just there. That I shouldn’t worry because you’re going to take care of us. That you’re listening to my every prayer.

In the afternoon, I brought Baby Thiel to the Bayantel office, to pay our phone bill. If not for God’s mysterious blessings, our phone should have been cut-off by now. Praise Him! Thank you, Lord.

Milestones Part II

2006-03-30T12:42:00.001+08:00

At ten months old, Thiel now walks (with big, fast strides) while I hold him with both hands. He seems to feel proud doing this, especially when we're out in the street and the neighbors are watching. He's got that wide grin and sticks out his tongue a la Michael Jordan.

He's a very fast crawler, I couldn't keep up with him. Even if I just turn my back for only a second, he'd surely already be several steps away from the bed. (We don't have a bed stand – we've removed it for Thiel's safety.) When I call his attention, he'd look at me with that sweet, naughty smile. (Sigh) Mama's heart melts and couldn't afford to get angry. His crib-cum- playpen has been very helpful. That's where I put him just to make sure he's safe while I'm preparing his milk, or preparing his bathing paraphernalia, or getting his vitamins, or as simple as combing my hair or washing my hands. I give him a crawling time, though. That's when I have all my attention on him alone. I guess I could also call it our playtime. I'd give him his favorite ball, he'd throw it on the floor and crawls to follow it. It's funny how he dribbles the ball. He holds it with one hand and dribbles it without releasing the ball – as if it' glued on his hand.

Thiel now points to objects when we ask about them. In Milestones Part I, I have listed down several objects that he already knows about. Well, now he knows a lot more, and the list would be very long. I could probably list here some which are worth mentioning like airplane, moon, stars, sky, our shadows, ants, cockroach, mosquitoes, practically all our appliances and furniture, Lolo Porf's painting, etc. It also seems, he understands when I explain that we couldn't go out because it's raining. He would even make a sign with his hand which means it's raining. This mom is proud to say that this little boy is easy to communicate with. Usually, he's the one who initiates a conversation. He would say “mama” then point to something, as if asking me what it is. I would tell him about it and he would listen. The next time we ask him about it, he already knows. As early as now, I can see he's got good logic, and very inquisitive too, sometimes to the point of being 'makulit'. I'm preparing myself that if I indeed have a bright boy under my care here, I gotta have a stock of a lot of patience and do my best to answer all his questions.

He's now got his 'ba-bye' correctly. He has his own version of saying 'hi' with his hand (more like a sandara wave). He can now give you a flying kiss. He already knows 'beautiful eyes. He dances the 'ocho-ocho'. Ask him 'how do you kill mosquitoes', and he'd clap his hands. He mostly imitates our actions. When I tell him 'No', simultaneously with a finger pointing at him, he'd do the same thing with his finger and give me that tiger-look. Yeah, yeah, yeah… so this mom's saying to herself ..'gosh he’s so cute!' … and the 'No' becomes an 'Ok'! Nyahaha.

He can now say Papa, to the delight of Bong! He still says bababa, wawawa, etc. He's a very sweet kid. He gives me a kiss, usually during a time when I'm very tired. He also always kisses his Papa, especially when he comes home from work.

Why did he take so long to come to our lives? I never realized it's so great having a baby! I'm sure other parents are equally delighted with their own bundle of joy. As for me, I could only say of Thiel … “this is my beloved son in whom I am well pleased!”

Read Milestones Part I

Makeover

2006-03-28T20:46:00.000+08:00

Instead of writing new posts, i've recently been using my teeny weeny spare time giving a new look to this blog. I tried to give it a more relevant facade, replaced the template with a whiter, brighter color scheme, and did some retouching here and there. In other words, I've been making some house renovation, a general cleaning, a makeover or whatever you might call it, just like you do when you're expecting some houseguests.

I might be inviting friends and relatives to pay this blog a visit soon. Hopefully, they'd come over.

Precious Sleep

2006-03-24T14:48:00.000+08:00

i just realized, baby's sleep is very essential, not only for his growth, but also for a mama's time management and body resistance. i couldn't imagine a day when baby thiel wouldn't even take a nap. that means, i might not be able to take a bath; or i could be triply exhausted by 3pm, and the papa's not home till 8pm; or the house could be a mess because i wouldn't have any time to clean up.

so far, thiel hasn't failed me. he has always given me time to take a break and do what i got to do. i know God also has a big hand on this. He even allows me to have a prayer time despite all the many chores i face everyday. the choice on priorities depends on me though. and i choose to give my precious time first to Him who's worthy of all my love, before i open my pc, lie down to sleep, or face the laundry. it's amazing that after praying, i still get ample time for the lesser priorities. well, just like He said, "... seek first His kingdom, and all shall be added unto you." ... precious time, included and applicable.