Part of our home school exercises today featuring the original poetry of my kids, Kai (grade 5) and Aemu (grade 2).  Their poems are unedited and are published as is. Haiku has other related forms such as the senryu, renku, tanka, haibun and haiga. In haiku, it is about  man within the world while in senryu, it is the world within the man.

THE POETRY OF DANCE – A HAIKU SERIES

From Kai:

… the soul expressing

transforming into stories

wonderful and vague…

charged with emotion

that which words cannot portray

bringing us to tears…

From Aemu:

… dancing with no one

in an empty pink chamber

dancing all alone…

dancing in a room

in an empty pink chamber

dancing for Mother…

More to come in the future! Thanks for reading.

We took a little out of town trip yesterday with our kids for their annual homeschool achievement test. Our kids together with their friends took the Metropolitan Achievement Test at Westfields International School and thankfully they all passed! woot woot! It was approximately a two-hour drive to Angeles, Pampanga. A bit stressful because I volunteered directions to get to NLEX. Hah! I’m not a driver but I’ve had lots of practice being a backseat navigator (yup, loooooong drives across the Arizona desert with a rest area map in my hand hahahaha). Now, I’m not much for road signs but I have a hidden compass somewhere in my brain that tells me, YOU”RE LOST!!!!  EPIC STRESS! Oh well, I think stress is one of the best fat burners around or maybe not? We did get there in the nick of time and we had lots of yummy cupcakes (thank you, Chots!) to comfort our rattled nerves.

Bottomline, the kids passed! After that, we hied off to Clark to do a little Duty-Free shopping therapy. I was still a kid when I went to Clark and all I remember was a huge toll-booth looking gate with lots of US soldiers checking if you had a gate pass before allowing you in. What was unforgettable to me was the Commissary with lots and lots of imported goodies (well, I had my eyes on the candies). I still remember the Pop Rocks I got back then. I was amazed how those little rocks popped and fizzed in my mouth! Ahhhh, the simple joys of childhood…

Clark has changed quite a lot since then. Gone is the big gate. So are the American soldiers. No more Commissary. Lots of Duty-Free shops though. What I found so cool was those digital timers attached to stoplights that countdown the seconds till the signals change color. I wish we had those in Manila. There were also certain parts of the landscape that reminded me of California. Well almost. The intense tropical heat kept reminding me I was still in the Philippines.

Overall, it was a lovely day spent with the children and with friends. A bit tiring but I know  that when I will look back to this day, I will probably forget all the stress and just recall the time spent with my kids and my heart friends.

A few pics from our trip:

We took our kids to CCP today to watch Philippine Ballet Theater’s adaptation of La Fille Mal Gardeé and of course because we wanted to support Acts Manila (Teacher Chelo B. Gemina’s ballet company). We also brought with us 3 of the husband’s ballet students and crammed all of them in our car. Imagine 5 kids all talking at the same time at the top of their lungs non-stop! Teriblé! But it was still worth it. It turned out to be like a mini field trip for two of them because it was their first time to watch a performance in CCP. I’m glad they enjoyed the show and that they weren’t bored with it. I think it’s rare to find kids nowadays who appreciate theatre performances. What with psp’s, xbox’s, wii’s and video games, not to mention pre-occupation with teen stuff online chatter on friendster and multiply, instant acne treatments and remedies for those unwanted zits that pop up during the most-awaited gimik day, fashionista talk – how many have time to sit down for two hours and watch a classical ballet performance? Sadly, not too many. That’s why even if we were squished like sardines in our car and even if the noise level was beyond the allowable decibels the human ear can handle, it was still worth all the effort because I know that the children left the theatre inspired and challenged.

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!

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?

Our 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

If 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!

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 read this via a homeschooling site and I want to share it to you straight from the source right here: http://www.freshbrewedlife.com/cd_69.aspx . It’s an excerpt from a book by Nicole Johnson entitled “The Invisible Woman“.   I seldom post stuff like this but i think it’s worth the read … really.  Besides, I think it’s in keeping with my little motto up there in my header. Thank you, Nicole for sharing this excerpt to inspire us.

Excerpt By Nicole Johnson

It started to happen gradually…
    One day I was walking my son Jake to school. I was holding his hand and we were about to cross the street when the crossing guard said to him, “Who is that with you, young fella?”
    “Nobody,” he shrugged.
    Nobody? The crossing guard and I laughed. My son is only five, but as we crossed the street I thought, oh my goodness, nobody?
    I would walk into a room and no one would notice. I would say something to my family, like “Turn the TV down, please.” And nothing would happen. Nobody would get up, or even make a move for the remote. I would stand there for a minute, and then I would say again, a little louder, “Would someone turn the TV down?” Nothing.
    Just the other night my husband and I were out to a party. We’d been there for about three hours and I was ready to leave. I noticed he was talking to a friend from work. So I walked over, and when there was a break in the conversation, I whispered, “I’m ready to go when you are.” He just kept right on talking.
    That’s when I started putting all the pieces together. I don’t think he can see me. I don’t think anyone can see me. 
    I’m invisible.
    It all began to make sense, the blank stares, the lack of response, the way one of the kids will walk into the room while I’m on the phone and ask to be taken to the store. Inside I’m thinking, “Can’t you see I’m on the phone?” Obviously not. No one can see if I’m on the phone, or cooking, or sweeping the floor, or even standing on my head in the corner, because no one can see me at all.
    I’m invisible.
    Some days I am only a pair of hands, nothing more.
    Can you fix this?
    Can you tie this?
    Can you open this?
    Some days I’m not a pair of hands; I’m not even a human being.
    I’m a clock to ask, “What time is it?”
    I’m a satellite guide to answer, “What number is the Disney Channel?”
    I’m a car to order, “Right around 5:30, please.” 
    I was certain that these were the hands that once held books and the eyes that studied history and the mind that graduated summa cum laude – but now they had disappeared into the peanut butter, never to be seen again.
    She’s going…she’s going…she’s gone!
    One night, a group of us were having dinner, celebrating the return of a friend from England. Janice had just gotten back from a fabulous trip, and she was going on and on about the hotel she stayed in. I was sitting there, looking around at the others all put together so well. It was hard not to compare and feel sorry for myself as I looked down at my out of style dress; it was the only thing I could find that was clean. My unwashed hair was pulled up in a banana clip and I was afraid I could actually smell peanut butter in it. I was feeling pretty pathetic when Janice turned to me with a beautifully wrapped
package and said, “I brought you this.” 

    It was a book on the great cathedrals of Europe. I wasn’t exactly sure why she’d given it to me until I read her inscription. “To Charlotte, with admiration for the greatness of what you are building when no one sees.”
    In the days ahead I would read, no, devour, the book. And I would discover what would become for me, four life-changing truths, after which I would pattern my work:

•    No one can say who built the great Cathedrals—we have no record of their names.
•    These builders gave their whole lives for a work they would never see finished.
•    They made great sacrifices and expected no credit.
•    The passion of their building was fueled by their faith that the eyes of God saw everything.

    A legendary story in the book told of a rich man who came to visit the cathedral while it was being built, and he saw a workman carving a tiny bird on the inside of a beam. He was puzzled and asked the man, “Why are you spending so much time carving that bird into a beam that will be covered by the roof? No one will ever see it.”
    And the workman replied, “Because God sees.”
    I closed the book, feeling the missing piece just push into place. It was almost as if I heard God whispering to me, “I see you Charlotte. I see the sacrifices you make every day, even when no one else does. No act of kindness you’ve done, no sequin you’ve sewn on, no cupcake you’ve baked, is too small for me to notice and smile over. You are building a great cathedral, but you can’t see right now what it will become.”
    At times, my invisibility feels like an affliction. But it is not a disease that is erasing my life. It is the cure for the disease of my own self-centeredness. It is the antidote to my strong, stubborn, pride.     
    I keep the right perspective when I see myself as a great builder. As one of the people who will show up at a job that they will never see finished, to work on something that their name will never be on. The writer of the book went so far as to say that no cathedrals could ever be built in our lifetime because there are so few people willing to sacrifice to that degree.
    When I really think about it, I don’t want my son to tell the friend he’s bringing home from college for Thanksgiving, “My mom gets up at 4 in the morning and bakes homemade pies, and then she hand bastes a turkey for 3 hours and presses all the linens for the table.” That would mean I’d built a shrine or monument to myself. I just want him to come home. And then if there is anything more to say to his friend, to add, “You’re gonna love it here.”
    As mothers, we are building great cathedrals. We cannot be seen if we’re doing it right. And one day it is very possible that the world will marvel, not only at what we have built, at the beauty that has been added to the world by the sacrifices of invisible women.

I think this is one of the most encouraging articles I have read that’s why I am sharing it here as well with all due credit to Ms. Nicole Johnson. No amount of home insurance, financial stability or social recognition can reach deep down and give us that security we need about ourselves.  The affirmation and the self-worth that we all crave and long for can only be found in that quiet place of rest; that place where you are safe and secure in the unconditional love and acceptance of God – unshaken by the pull to be someone other than who you are. I know this place – I’ve been there… it is my place of refuge… my hiding place.

How about you? Are you invisible?

Notice my “Christmas” header? That’s how long I’ve been gone I think. I miss ‘da blog’ and I’m starting to feel like a guest around here … IN MY OWN BLOG (LOL) but the hubby has been so nice enough to pitch in for me while I finished all the deadlines that were swamping me. I just finished two projects last night, one of them I’m so excited about. Actually, both and more. Woohoo! (Warning: long post -> because I missed blogging so much )

First off, The TDS 2008 Catalog!!! The Daily Scrapper is the brainchild of designer Alice Koh and it’s the first online scrapbooking newspaper ever. I love working with this publication because I’ve always wanted to be a journalist/writer at heart so this satisfies that inner ‘artsy craving’ in me. So one of the TDS projects this year is the first year-end ‘The Daily Scrapper (TDS) 2008 Catalog Ezine’ to be released anytime now depending on which time zone you are in. I’m so happy to be part of the making of this catalog. It’s really a unique way to showcase some of the wonderful talent of digiscrappers out there. AS IN! Special mention goes to all those wonderful ladies who worked hard behind the scenes on this project like Karen Maggie (our project coordinator), Joanne Hubbard (awesome layout artist!), Amysout, Melrio & Ruth Melody (all template geniuses), JJstar (one Hybrid Hot Mama) and of course awesome editor-in-chief Alice Koh (who works 25 hours and more each day). I hope I didn’t miss out on anyone.

And guess what? there are two ‘bebots’ featured there! (Of course, I’m so proud of them and because all these bebots have some really serious talent. Go bebots!)  I think I have to keep track of how many exclamation points I have in this post hahaha.  Congrats to Buge and Len Escobar for being featured in it. You girls rock!  Here’s a teaser of the catalog and what’s in store for you.

If you enjoy reading the TDS newspaper, you’ll love going through this one of a kind E-zine. And there’s more -> lots of freebies are included in it like kits contributed by designers Amy Sumrall, Irene Alexeeva, and Jenn Balding and templates by the TDS Layout Artist Team.

Soon to hit the stands! Check it out at the TDS Store.

So what else have I been doing? Well, I just completed a four-week basic photography course sponsored by Isuzu Philippines at the Alabang branch taught by photojournalist Antonni Cuesta. I am so happy with what I’ve learned through this course because now I have a little technique to back up the artsy side of my “shots”. Thanks, teacher Toni! I learned a lot. Maybe I’ll have time to be active in Litratong Pinoy again and use all this technical know how. Although the classes have ended, they have a contest ongoing for those who attended the course. All our entries will be on display bet Dec. 8 onwards in the following Isuzu showrooms – Alabang, Pasig and Cavite and will be subject to voting by the public. So in case you drop by one of these showrooms or you are window shopping for a new car this holiday season – Check out my entries and vote for me (pretty please? -> betty boop eyes)

What else did I do? I attended my first local make and take ‘paper’ scrapping event. Yes, Virginia … this girl still plays with paper, glue and scissors. I got to go to Merry Jane Lim’s store – Rekindled Moments near PCU Taft and went ‘paper scrapping’ shopping. I got to pick up a few inking techniques too from a demo done by Cookie Aguilar. Thanks Jane and Cookie! Now to find the time to do all that as well.

In the middle of all that, the hubby and I attended the Kumon Parent Conference held at the Intercontinental Hotel a few Saturdays ago. I was quite pleasantly surprised that the guys at the registration table were smiling not at me or the hubby but at our son. Guess what? It turns out that my son was their featured poster boy so he was kinda like a celebrity on his own with all these Kumon teachers so happy to see him in person. Even Kumon Philippines President Nakamura was quite amused.

Here are some pics:

Guest Speaker Maricel Laxa-Pangilinan

The Intercon Ballroom

Up close and personal

Really up close and personal ( FYI, he’s homeschooled)

Of course, not to mention, the annual Kumon National Advanced Students Honor Roll (ASHR) where for the first time in his whole Kumon awards life I didn’t get to attend because dd was sick and we both had to stay home, plus the ASHR Christmas Party at our Kumon Center in LBA where both my kids brought home their medals.

(shaking hands with Kumon Phils. President Nakamura at the SMX Convention Center)

with Teacher JB G. and Laurence L. at the LBA ASHR Christmas Party

this time dd got to attend and with medals to boot, yipee!

Is there more you say?  That’s what happens when you don’t get to blog hahaha. Well, the hubby and I have a couple of projects up our sleeves but they are still incubating so when it’s ready to hatch, you’ll find out about it right here.

Okay, that’s quite an update. I’ve said a whole mouthful. Check back once in a while, I think I have a freebie up in the air as a Christmas present for y’all. Now back to you, ‘ga!

Ciao for now!