I don’t know if I’m alone in this thing but reminding my eldest son to brush his teeth is a daily tug-of-war. Although he does do it when I remind him to, he doesn’t do it well and now his teeth have a yellowish tint to it already. I inspect his teeth all the time to see if there are any food particles left near the gum and in his molars. His baby teeth have fallen out already more than a few months ago and he is sporting his “hammy look” with his two front teeth sticking out like Bugs Bunny. A regular checkup at the dentist’s office is certainly a must and I’m glad we don’t have to go all the way to a Plano Dentist in Texas just to do that. We found one in our church and the kids really like her and are not scared of her and that definitely is a good thing.
Posts Tagged ‘FAMILY & FAITH’
Dental dilemma
Friday, June 19th, 2009School on the go
Friday, June 19th, 2009Our lifestyle is ever evolving. As a family, we are transitioning into a more fast-paced routine because dh and I have taken on new things while we increase the extra-curricular activities of our kids. Ever since they started ballet class (yes, both my kids-boy and girl) and dh started teaching in De Lasalle and College of St. Benilde this term our schedules have become so volatile. We’ve had to work around time constraints and travel time considerations just to fit all these. It’s a good thing that we are a homeschooling family so we can take our “school on the go” anytime, anywhere. I’m not quite there yet but I think we will be needing a laptop or probably a netbook especially for the kids so that it’s a bit more convenient for all of us (especially mom and dad who have to lug around those books once the little hands get tired). In fact I checked out this Sony Vaio laptop at Buy.com to see if the specs will fit our needs. Hopefully, when the budget permits we will be able to have all the resources we need to support this lifestyle.
Sony VAIO NS290J/W Notebook

Back to the Daily Grind
Saturday, June 6th, 2009It’s the week after our kids ballet recital and were still trying to get back to our normal routine. The little ones got back to their Kumon spiel today with our 9 year old taking (and passing) his level FII exam for reading. This now puts him as a Gold awardee for both Math and Reading. Our six year old, however, was leisurely going back to her thing. Not a problem really, just like carefully shopping for industrial equipment supplies. You just have to focus on the long term results. On our end, we had to catch up with the laundry and finish up on some project backlogs. While the recital was an interruption, it was most welcome since it gave the kids the exposure and experience they will cherish for a lifetime
It's Ballet Recital Week!!!!!
Sunday, May 24th, 2009Just popping in to say that we are about to have one hectic week ahead. Kids recovering from sudden cough and colds due to the erratic weather, a death in the family, visiting grandparents from Davao, visiting family relatives from Cebu, a just concluded summer dance workshop in Sta. Rosa, an unfinished article, layouts to finish, a costume to paint, a surprise party for a dear, dear person, technical dress rehearsals and a photoshoot, of course the first two-day Noah’s Ark ballet recital of my kids at the CCP no less, costumes and makeup to attend to and would you believe after 10+++ years of not dancing, I and a few of my dance ministry friends will brave a dance for a friend’s birthday…. whew, are you still breathing while reading all this? All of that in 7 days!!! I feel like I’m riding a tiny little scooter and am about to have a head on collision with a ten-wheeler truck in the middle of the freeway! Get me an Oakland motorcycle accident lawyer, pronto!
With a gazillion more things I might forget, I know that God’s grace is sufficient for me. To my mind, I need buckets and buckets of it but it is amazing how He can quiet down your soul and order your world if you let Him. I heard someone say this long ago ” I have too much to do today, I think I need to spend more time praying.” And so I shall.
Hectic Days
Thursday, April 30th, 2009The part few days have been hectic for us. Tes is working on a layouting project. I’ve been teaching ballet while working on my applications to teach physics in universities. To complicate things, my mother and sister-in-law are on vacation from overseas. One has to struggle just to meet this balancing act. Pay insurance online. Stock-up on cooked food. Re-schedule some activities.Write down appointments. The important thing is to have a frequent assessment of the importance, urgency and economics of every effort. At the end of the day, we have to question ourselves, “Did we accomplish something towards our longterm goals?”
It's Ballet Recital Season!
Tuesday, March 24th, 2009If you’ve been wondering where I’ve been, I’ve been working on a project for a dear friend. She’s a ballet director and founder of her own ballet company, The Company of Acts Manila and I am tasked to do her souvenir program for this year’s recital at the Cultural Center of the Philippines Little Theatre a.k.a. as Tanghalang Aurelio Tolentino because it’s ballet recital season. School’s almost out, summer is upon us and it’s the perfect time for our kids to explore the world of ballet.
Prep work for this project starts January or earlier and continues for the whole first quarter of the year. Hence, my absence from my bloggie duties. Good thing, the husband pitches in for me.
Costume design, pictorials, souvenir programs, rehearsals, ticket sales and all that jazz are some of the many little details that have to come together for performance night. This year is more exciting for me and the husband because both our kids (yup, girl and boy) are joining! Can you imagine the stress of being part of the production and being stage mommy and daddy at the same time? Although the kids are not unfamiliar with theatre life because we bring them every year to the recitals and we watch it backstage, this year they will be onstage performing and that’s another ball game. I usually take photos during the show but this time, I also have to make sure that their costumes are not torn before they reach the stage LOL or if they have the right amount of stage makeup. Overall, its an exciting season for us as a family.
So if you don’t see me around here – that’s what I’ve been up to all along.
For those who are interested to study ballet, here’s a list of schools that offer ballet year round.
under Ms. Chelo B. Gemina (Artistic Director, The Company of Acts Manila, registered teacher under the Australian Conservatoire of Ballet (ACB), ABAP (Association of Ballet Academies Philippines) previous officer and current member) :
International Christian Academy (ICA) – Sucat, Paranaque (820-4521, 820-4524,825-8392)
International British Academy (IBA) – Aguinaldo Highway, Imus Cavite (046-4715922)
other schools affiliated with Ms. Chelo B. Gemina:
VCS Ballet Pasig – under Teacher Pia Paderes
STI Academy Ballet Las Pinas and Statefields School of Cavite – under Teacher Jan L. Manlapig
Palms Country Club Ballet School Alabang – under Teacher Johanna Sotto
Shekinah Ballet School Cavite and STI Paranaque – under Teacher Beth Ciudad
Wizbee Ballet School Dasmarinas Cavite (opening this summer) - ACTS Manila Dance School – Sta. Rosa, Laguna under Teacher Rean Tirol
(for inquiries call or text 0917-6253674)
Enroll now and experience ballet recitals with a difference!
Family Time
Monday, March 23rd, 2009Today was an interesting day for the family. After church, Tes and I took the kids to the Market Station at Paseo de Sta. Rosa. There they observed how to buy stuff in a market. We bought some live tilapia and some chicken. (We later fried the tilapia for lunch. ). We also bought some shrimps, rice and bread. ( Thus we had good fresh food for today’s meal). Later this afternoon, we cleaned the car as a family. Tes and I washed and waxed the car. The kids swept and shampooed the upholstery. The day was capped with a charbroiled chicken and spicy shrimp dinner.
It really felt good to have the kids involved in the chores. It seemed that our relationships grew a little bit today. Family time doesn’t have to be going to a movie or to a restaurant. It can be the simple everyday things just done with a higher sense of fun and involvement. Its really the engagement, rather than the expense, that counts!
The right game
Monday, March 16th, 2009How do you deal with kids that are bored? Nowadays, most kids sit in front of the TV or play video games. In our home, you find the kids reading books or watching family or Christian videos. It was only lately that they learned to play video games. Their favorite is a game called bookworm which is a sophisticated word forming game. Another one they play is Zoo Empire, it teaches them to care for animals and manage customer satisfaction.
To choose the right games for your kids, ask yourself this questions:
1.) Is it appropriate for their age? Should your 9 year old be playing half life or counterstrike? Are they ready for blood, gore or sexual suggestion? (Street Fighter and Tekken are quite sexually suggestive)
2.) What values does the game promote? Is it in line with your spiritual beliefs? Do you really want your child to acquire the game’s worldview?
3.) Is there some educational value? A game like Civilization teaches the player how civilizations evolve.
4.) Does it develop analytical or improvisational capabilities? A game of chess, Command and Conquer or Harpoon are great examples. Have this questions handy the next time your child bugs you for a game.
An Unexpected vacation
Wednesday, March 4th, 2009In the past few days I realized that the world stops when you or your loved ones get sick. Since Thursday, I had to stay with my family in the clinic they were confined to for treatment of pneumonia. My routine with be to look at the time and see if it was time for their medication. ( I wish had a J12 watch !) I would then prepare the meds and give it to them. Other tasks would be to help the kids urinate or spit our their phlegm. We would also have our time of prayer, the main theme was recovery and provision. This was a time of redirection and refocusing of our lives toward what really counts. Everyday we do a lot of things but are they really important? I thank God that my wife and kids are now out of the clinic and on their way to recovery. But I am grateful that this experience has brought us a step higher in our relationship with God and closer towards what are purpose is for our generation.
Closeness
Wednesday, March 4th, 2009Our recent experience with pneumonia has brought our family closer. For 3 nights we had to sleep together in 1 bed. Under normal circumstances, this would have been uncomfortable unless we were using a sleep number bed. However, the need to be in close proximity with the children to monitor their status and respond to their needs justified such a set up. Every few minutes, someone was coughing and required a kidney bowl for the sputum. We needed to check if one of the kids was entangled in the IV hoses. Considering that their well now it was well worth it.
















