I’m so excited! Lookie lookie —> Check out the front page of the latest issue of The Daily Scrapper – Issue 14 – woot woot! It’s ds on the front cover of my article. (caution: there are a few typos unedited so please bear with us a little bit)

TDS Issue 14 is filled with school and back to school stuff. What’s more I just have to have this issue’s freebie download – a HUGE Noah’s Ark Kit from the Faith Sisters exclusive for TDS Readers. DD and DS just finished their Noah’s Ark ballet recital this summer and this is just perfect for my pictures. Yey! I’m a happy camper! (better than an  affordable health insurance deal? of course! ) what was I thinking? LOL

LO SHARE: Here’s one of the layouts I made for this issue featuring Crafty Madness by Cinnamon Designs available at After Five Designs.

(my dd and some of her artwork I scanned)

So grab a cuppa joe or whatever cup you want and read up on the latest TDS issue. Don’t forget to click the TDS Studio as well to check out the featured designers and the Scrapper’s World Expo for great bargains and deals all over the digiscrapping community.

Have a wonderful day, folks!

Both of our kids are sick today – coughs and colds. So this necessitated a trip to our family pedia. After ds had her check up and prescriptions we enjoyed a wonderful dinner of authentic Bikol “pinangat”, crispy pork, corned beef omelette, atsarang ubod topping it all off with homemade avocado ice cream served by our gracious host Dr. Ninong as we fondly call Dr. Almelor.

Our discussion turned to anything and everything under the sun – from the endless stream of patients that kept pouring in to food and even the Katrina-Hayden-Vicki issue.  It got me to thinking later on about women’s rights and who had the real right to sue. I have not seen the video and don’t have any intentions of watching it. I have been asked twice already why I haven’t and my answer to both was a simple “no”. I have a daughter myself and I wouldn’t want her to undergo what Vicki and Katrina are going through.

Who is the real victim and who is the perpetrator? Either way, both have lost a lot already. Who’s rights have been trampled on? Most, if not all of us, know who got trampled the most. Who will win in the courts? A whole team of Mesothelioma lawyers is not enough to sway the court of public opinion. Who stands to benefit after all has been said and done?

If laws are given more teeth to protect women’s rights from being violated in whatever form, most especially in this digital age, then my daughter has a safer future ahead of her. If women will be wiser and more discerning in choosing who they will trust because of this incident then bravo to us. Hopefully, this case will not just be one of those fleeting sensational issues that are forgotten after it doesn’t make the headlines and sell the newspapers and magazines anymore… Hopefully, we won’t just watch from the sidelines and allow any woman to be treated less than how our Heavenly Father has created us… for our sakes and for the sake of all our daughters.

My kids were arguing with each other about some ridiculous nitpicky thing at breakfast today and it was getting out of hand. I sort of blew my fuse and put my foot down. I told them they had to write down 100 things to be grateful for and 100 things they were not happy about.  Halfway into it, my son told me that one whole sheet of paper was not enough to fit all that. He had written the things he was grateful for on one side and on the other, the ones he was not.

I thought it was a perfect teachable moment for him to choose how to view life. We all have our daily struggles in life, the weight of which depends relatively on how we see them. This is not to say that our struggles are negligible and the pain is not valid. I would surmise to think that it depends on how you see the big picture.

At this point, I told my son that this was what I wanted him to know. I told him that he could view life either half-empty and look at all the bad things, or he could also look at life half-full, where life is full of possibilities and hope. Even before I could finish my point he said it was just like being Squidward. I said yes. By this time he had already written down so many things to be grateful for and the argument at breakfast was a thing of the past. He had gone off to play with his sister again. Intermittently, they come back hugging me, giving me little “I love you, mom” notes and scribbles seemingly content with their little lives.

How about you, which Bikini Bottom character are you? Sponge Bob, Squidward or Patrick?

Well, for good reason actually so I’m not going to hang myself for it. So what’s the good reason? Real life gets in the way of virtual reality – hahaha.

First, it was exam week last week for my homeschooled son – he had an assessment exam for his grade level at the DECS accredited school where we enrolled him. Since we use a homeschool curriculum different from DECS, I had to drill him and review him on the topics that were part of the exam but not necessarily part of our curriculum. (I’ll probably write a post about what your child needs to know at a certain grade level in the future.) So that took up most of my week – I had to make sure that “papasa sya, este, kakasa sya sa Grade Three”. LOL 

Trivia: Did you know that the DECS scope and sequence covers only 4 subjects for Grade Three?        What are these subjects?  English, Math, Science and Filipino

Next, since my kids started doing ballet twice a week, my schedule has become topsy- turvy. Why? because I lose two “virtual” days a week since I have to go with them to ballet school. Of course, ballet always wins hands down as far as I’m concerned. No contest! I will go with them wherever and whenever necessary! I am a self-confessed ballet addict! I wonder what will happen to my bloggie when they start doing everyday class in the summer? hmmmm…. aargh! I need a MBPro ASAP! Or maybe an Audemars Piguet designer watch on my wrist will do so I can I watch time slowly tick away while waiting for them in the hallway. Either way, I need to blog more so I can buy any of those two. LOL

Of course, I do all that aside from my own “rakets” online and IRL. The future is bright but it’s getting tighter and tighter as far as time constraints go.  So much to do, so little time. I know, I know (sheepish grin ), I can hear it coming. It’s all about time management. I haven’t come to that place yet where my everyday life is like going to the office – you time in and you time out. Same thing, day in and day out. Life is more volatile with kids, you know – the sneezies, the dirty tights and leotards, the unpredictables and all that jazz. I’m trying though. I have a dream… (I’m not MLK, but I have a dream, too, you know).

Anyhoo, sa mga ka-LP ko, babawi na lang ako neks wik pag maliwanag na ang panahon. So that’s it, pansit! I might be able to squeeze a few more posts within the week and not be a “baaaad blogger”.

Adios, amigos! Hasta maniana! (spelled as pronounced – can’t find the enye right now hahaha)

I had a wonderful mommy moment with my son tonight. He’s slowly growing up into a fine young man and I’m so happy to say that I’ve witnessed up to this very moment every step of his journey. I’ve been there from day one and will continue to be there until the homerun. I am not a perfect mom, I’ve had my bad hair days and my “alto soprano” moments and many times I question myself whether I “get in the way” of what God wants for my children. I used to think that I was a patient person, tolerant and not easy to anger – I thought too highly of myself and my journey as a mom for more than nine years has truly  convinced me that I am not.  But by the grace of God I have learned to move according to the measure of grace that He gives me in each and every circumstance.

Why was tonight special? Well, perhaps it’s because I was able to reach my son’s heart and help him to understand that life’s obstacles are not hindrances but God’s way of forging character and fortitude into our souls. I am reminded of a blacksmith pounding away at a red hot piece of metal on a heavy anvil and how each time the mallet hits the hot metal, it slowly transforms it into the shape that he envisioned the metal to be. I saw this in my son tonight – (btw, he’s only nine years old). God was the blacksmith, my son was the metal and I was the heavy mallet that became the dreaded instrument of torment, er I mean transformation.

At first, it was a struggle of the wills – him succumbing to self-pity and condemnation and I, the imperialistic queen dispensing the law upon him. But I am no queen… I am his mother and I saw that divine opportunity to speak into his life. To lift him up from where he was wallowing and impart destiny into his soul. What joy it was to see him step out of his self-centered world and into an awareness of the world around him where his greater destiny lies.  It was a priceless moment. I don’t want to forget it – hence this post. 

Sometimes the pain of discipline (not necessarily physical) can blur the lines of love and acceptance and distort it into separation and rejection. When that distortion happens, the one who delivers the discipline may be perceived as unloving and uncaring. I believe as a parent, one needs to address those doubts immediately and reassure the child that it is the behavior that is being corrected and not the person being rejected. What do you give a child who misbehaves? Give them a “sandwich”! Yup, a “sandwich”. You give them the “big fat juicy discipline” between two buns of praise and acceptance. A word of encouragement right before the correction and a word of acceptance right after the correction. A sandwich, right? 

Well, my sandwiches aren’t perfect all the time but I try to arrest those “self-pity party” moments when I sense them rising up in my children. I always assure them that my love for them is unconditional and is never based on how “good” they are. That is not to say that they will not be corrected when they misbehave.  But good or bad behavior is not the criterion for my love for them. I hope that when they grow older there will come a time that they will see that side of the picture as well.

I love them dearly and I thank God that they have made my life so much richer in every way imaginable. I will be forever grateful to God and to them for giving me a chance to know and experience the reality that children are indeed precious, priceless gifts from above.

Last year, I was invited to join a free Photography course sponsored by Isuzu (IADI). It was held at the Isuzu Alabang Showroom along Zapote and the course was taught by photographer Toni Cuesta. It was my first formal lesson in photography and I really appreciate what I learned because I now can shoot more intelligently and be more technically correct instead of just winging it. I didn’t know a lot about technique before the class and although I’ve read and am still reading about photography, there are some things that the books don’t teach you. More caught than taught, I would say. 

One of our first few assignments was about aperture settings. We were supposed to submit our work and upload it to flickr and teacher Toni C. would check it online.  I didn’t have much time to go hunting for a shot so I just looked around our house for something interesting to take and I ended up taking a pic of the tree outside our house. Flowering trees are not my specialty but this one is one of the original trees that we had planted when we first moved in.  I love the purple flowers that cascade down the branches of this tree. Now I’m not much of a green thumb and I’ve killed a lot of rose bushes already but at least this one survived. Thanks to our once a month gardener. LOL

You can see more of my homework in my flickr account. I’m not an expert peeps so be kind. Anyway, the culminating activity of the course was a contest. We were supposed to  submit at least 3 photos that fit the theme – Me and My Isuzu and these entries would be displayed in the Isuzu showrooms in Alabang, Pasig and Cavite so that people could vote for their favorites. I don’t particularly like popularity contests because I don’t think I can ever win one anyway. Last December, I think right before my birthday, this was while we were in Davao, I received a phone call from Isuzu telling me my entry had won 2nd place. I couldn’t believe it! There were more experienced and technically better photographers in the class and for my entry to win…it just blew me away. It wasn’t exactly my first time to win in a photo contest ( I also had a winning entry in the first Hershey’s Happiness Contest a few years ago) but it still is a wonderful feeling. I know I still have so much to learn in photography and I know that I’m not in the league of the pros yet but God has a way of assuring me of His grace, His love and His approval of me no matter how little I think of myself. I felt it was His and my dad’s birthday present to me. I just wish I could hug them both…

So here’s the photo that won Second Place in Isuzu’s “Me and My Isuzu”

Title:  Their Safety Our Priority

This shot was taken at the Isuzu Showroom in Alabang. Those are my kids inside that brand new Isuzu monster of a car. LOL  No, I did not win the car, I got a trophy and gift checks. hee hee ^_^

Thanks for looking everyone!

Every year, well almost every year really, we try to go home and spend Christmas with the grandparents. My kids look forward to this annual trip because it’s a time to take a break from the school and work related things we do and replace it with the parties, get-togethers and reunions and all the jam-packed activities already scheduled in advance. Not much difference huh except that doing the latter “expands your horizon” or better yet “expands you horizontally” in so many ways. LOL  It’s a break from washing dishes, doing the laundry, clearing up the dining table and all the mundane household chores that we do as a family because we don’t have househelp. Don’t we all need that? I do – BIGTIME!

Anyway, I thought I’d share a few pics from our trip last year. The kids love that the whole place is decorated. I don’t do any decorations in our house anymore because we’re away for the most part of the holidays. It makes for fun pics as well without the cleanup. hahaha These are SOOC so no post processing – (had no time to open up the editing software – tamad!) Here they are:

the foyer: Welcome, come on in!

in my MIL’s garden there are pointsettias year round

and here’s a glimpse of the hallway where the Christmas tree was last year

So that’s it for now – will be back in a bit to finish up my bloggie duties and then maybe I can start packing.

How’s about some bloopies to cheer you up today? Here are a couple that made the hubby and I smile.

Scene 1:

One afternoon after Sunday worship, we passed thru a grassy area while we were going to our parked car. I found some makahiya or “shy grass”  (that closes its leaves when it’s touched) growing between the crab grass. So I called the kids to take a look at it. Actually, I also enjoy watching those little leaves fold up and I thought it would be fun for them to see that. They were so amazed! So they went scouting for more “shy grass or shy flowers” as they called it and I left them to explore. When it was time to leave, they were so excited to tell me what had happened. They said;

Kai :  Mama, that was so much fun!

Aemu:  Yeah, they’re so beautiful (she said so sweetly). 

Kai:    Oh, but one of them didn’t close up its leaves. 

Mama:   (finally I had the chance to say something lol) Why do you think it didn’t close its leaves?

Aemu:   Well, probably it’s not shy.

LOL

Scene 2:

One Sunday after church again, we came out of the building and the gloomy rain clouds had gone and the sun came out and it was just so beautiful we took our time passing thru the small park to where our car was.

Here’s what happened:

Mama:    Wow, that’s a nice sky right there. 

Daddy:   Okay, hold on. I’m going to take a picture.

Aemu:   Yeah, isn’t it beautiful. What a great day for parking!

The hubby and I looked at each other to see if we heard right. It was only later that we realized that what she meant was walking thru the park not parking the car. ROFL!

Okay, folks. That’s it for now coz I need to be moving boxes to make room for some scrapbook goodies I’m picking up tomorrow. Yup, I’m gonna try and see if  I can get back into the paper scrapping groove – I can’t wait to try them out. Later y’all!

coffee break ver. 1.33

Sorry folks if my previous posts have seem hurried, but reality bites while one is dreaming. Anyway, I’ll try to catch up on IOU tags and whatnots and I’ll start with Jan’s coffee break question for this week.

What to do????

Drum your fingers.

Roll your eyes.

Kill the drivers next to you with your stares.

Count how many celebrities are splattered on billboards all over the expressway either in sexy swimwear or underwear or make a note to self to confirm if so and so politician promoting skin care products really has flawless skin.

If commuting, catch up on much needed sleep lost due to the previous night’s gimick.

And so much more…

This might come as a surprise but sometimes (actually, a lot of times) I enjoy being in traffic jams especially when I commute. It becomes a pocket of time where I can find sanctuary from the cares of everyday life. No one tugging at me, calling me for this and that, asking me to do so many things all at the same time.

Basically, I am a creature of solitude and in order for me to function well I need to have those specific times where no one disturbs me at all and I can have the opportunity to process things thoroughly. I turn it into a moment to imagine, dream, reflect and take stock of life and be thankful. Deep noh? Well, having two homeschooled kids, no househelp, work at home deadlines etc., I crave for those moments of silence.

I actually have fond memories of the time when I got caught in a traffic jam years ago while I was riding a bus and no one offered me a seat. I distinctly remember that scene where I was holding on to the rail above and enumerating in my head all the things God had given me like peace in my heart, His unconditional acceptance of who I am, the blessings I had even if times were hard so much so that I was already smiling I think to the bewilderment of the other passengers who must have thought I was nuts. I remember that to this day and it still shields me from the frustration of being stuck in a place where I am not in control. 

Sometimes I get frustrated when I know I prepare early and do everything not to be late for an appointment and something out of the blue happens to prevent that, I find out later that the other party wasn’t available at all or was also late etc for reasons beyond our control. I have also learned that most of the time, when I fret and rant about not being able to get to a place I’m supposed to be at and I have diligently tried my best to be on time but the circumstances prevented me from doing so, most of the time it was because God was ordering my steps and orchestrating things to work out something special not just for me but for other people as well.  

So I have learned to choose to be calm and spare myself the wrinkles from the unnecessary freaking out and just use that pocket of time to watch how the shadows fall on the ground, look up at the sky and check out if it has any fancy formations, read the ridiculous and often funny business sign boards typically Pinoy, observe the expressions on the faces of the people passing by and wonder what their story is all about and how to capture their moments in picture or in words. When all these things fill my heart and my mind it leads me to sing a silent song of worship in my heart as I thoughtfully consider all these things He has made.

I do a lot when I’m in a traffic jam and sooner than I think, I’m already where I need to be. 

Those are my thoughts for now. Dinnertime beckons me and I must heed the call of the mundane. Later y’all!.

Ciao!

My nephew who passed the ECE board exam (you can read about it in an earlier post : grin and bare it) early this year is finally in the workforce. He landed a job somewhere in Ortigas and is living in the ‘real world’. Bye-bye school books, hello paycheck! I still owe him a salon treatment but life in the ‘real world’ is quite hectic and chaotic so I never got the chance to give him the treat. Maybe I’ll just buy him an acne treatment cream straight from the drugstore… cheap eh? LOL Anyway, he also owes me a foodie treat as well from his first earnings so we’ll just wait each other out since we live on opposite sides of the archipelago. Look out world, here comes VAIN BOY!