I am so glad not to be part of that era. It will be very hard for a free-spirited, fun-loving person like me to conform with the norms during those days.

But the movie inspired me some more to look beyond just like the book that I just finished. It’s by Bo Sanchez, it’s called 8 Secrets of the Truly Rich which I find very moving… encourages me to achieve more.

“Don’t limit yourself. You’re bigger than you think you are. I believe that love is limitless. It has no boundaries. I do what I do because I want to love people…. Wake up each morning and ask, “How can I bless the world more?”– Bo Sanchez, 8 Secrets of the Truly Rich

The thing is ever since I became a stay-at-home mom, I have limited myself to what I can do, depending on my husband so much. Good thing the Lord has blessed me with a very supportive husband. (Thank you Lord!)

Your life is your choice, whatever you want to become, you can achieve and you should not be afraid to fail. Most people blame others — their parents, their poverty, their lack of college education for their failure to be successful. Wrong! Bill Gates was a college drop out, and most of the Chinese tycoons here in the Philippines were not born with a silver spoon, they had to work hard for the empire they own right now.

All I am saying is if your stuck with your eight to five job, Pediatrician Jobs, clerical jobs, you can succeed if you want to.

As for me, this year is a milestone in my entrepreneurial life — I am going to start anew. And as long as I put my best foot forward and the Lord is there to guide me, I know I will succeed.

It was indeed a different experience for me and the kids. For me especially, because I am not a sun-worshipper — I am totally afraid of the sun. However, I told myself last year that I should try getting out of my comfort zone and I have been doing a lot of those last year. Basking in the sun was not a fun experience but when I am in the water, it’s a different experience.

I guess I am more of a water person, I could probably stay in an indoor pool the whole day. Hmmmm, I might as well look for water spas like those powered by pentair pool — there’s actually one near our place.

Going back… the memories we’ve made especially with kids, are priceless. My daughter wants to go back. I just love how adventurous my kids are, even though I couldn’t catch up, I try my best! We stayed at Epic Bar Boracay for the New Year’s countdown. With my siblings and the kids we partied the night away. Yes, with my kids! Where else will they go??

The New Year experienvce in Boracay was indeed different. The beach front was literally jampacked. Filled with people, young and old, locals and foreigners alike, were all having a good time anticipating the Fireworks display provided by different hotel establishments along the beachfront. Even my mom stayed up to watch them.

My children enjoyed the breeze and the music — dancing the night away. A lot of moms might say, huuuuuwaatt??? Yeah, I start them young. At least they get to feel and experience it as early as now, and they won’t be ignoramus like me. Better with us first, in a controlled environment than whoever it will be that I do not even know. They’ll come to that stage and when they do, they know what to expect.

The makings of a party peep is what I can see from my kids Funny, cause I never experience that with my Mom and now my Mom sees me doing it to them… and with the blessing of my siblings at that… LOL!  Oh well, they have to start somewhere.

I hope you all had all had a fun-filled New Yearr’s celebration with your loved ones. Here’s to a year filled with prosperity, happiness, peace and love. Happy New year everyone!

Recently, we attended a talk regarding parenting at my son’s school. I was happy that hubby blocked his calendar to attend this very important activity for his son. The talk was conducted by Arun Gogna, who is a sought-after national and international lay preacher. I have attended one of his talks during my younger days and I have been impressed.

During the talk, Arun injected a lot of humor which made it more interesting for parents like us. A lot of what he talked about, are things that we all knew but needs to be reiterated. Although one important thing that really stuck me is his last statement about parenting..

“Parenting is how you treat your spouse.”

He reminded us that our children will mirror the way we treat our partner. If we show love and affection, they will feel loved and be confident about themselves. On the other hand, if we show hatred and disrespect to each other, our children will tend to reflect on these negative behavior.

I am glad and grateful, that despite our humble beginnings as husband and wife, we have learned to love and respect each other and have constantly shown this to our children. Even though I sometimes look at diamond wedding rings and wish that I have one of those, my present relationship with my husband is priceless and I cannot ask for anything more but to give us the much needed strength to endure whatever life has to offer.

For both us, having kids have strengthened the bonds of our marriage. I am truly blessed and I thank the Lord for that.

Photo by Emery Co on Flickr. Some Rights Reserved.

Just recently, I was tasked to make a video for my son’s graduating class during their recollection. Each parent was tasked to submit a baby photo, a recent photo and a family photo.

It was quite an arduous task putting together the video, but it was a labor love. Good thing there are a lot of scanner software in the market nowadays which makes it easy for parents, like me, to turn hard copies of photos into digital copies.

Doing the video, it was a trip down memory lane seeing these boys grow up right before my own eyes. These boys were together since Grade 1, being part of the honors class. All their activities I have compiled for the video showing.

While the video was showing, all the hard work was worth it when I saw the reaction of my co-parents. They appreciated my work I would gladly do it, given a chance.

Well, my boy was out since Thursday and today is my daughter’s last day of school. Two weeks of long undisturbed sleep which I am so looking forward to. I am also eagerly awaiting our annual family get-together which will be in a beach resort this time. I just pray that the weather will cooperate. Crossing my fingers!

My daughter even when she was a kid, was such a “cry baby” just like her mom but I have learned through time that crying does not solve anything. And so while she was growing up, we have taught her how to be strong and not be hypersensitive about things. Thanks to her dad, she has slowly outgrown the cry-baby stage … until now.

I tried not to show pity but I really feel for her. She’s the captain of her batch cheering squad and it’s a very big responsibility. When things don’t go her way, it can sometimes make her fall to the ground. My advise is simple. “If things don’t go your way, your tears will not help solve any of your problems. You can cry to release those emotions, but only for awhile. Let go and pick yourself up and try to be objective about things, it will let you focus more on the problem at hand.” It took while for her to stop sobbing but after all the pep talk, I know that she’ll be alright.

Sometimes the reason, why we cry and drown ourselves with sadness is because we keep looking back at the mistakes or the misfortunes that took place. LET IT GO! I am reminded of the quote I saw in Facebook…

When life’s strong winds come blowing, bend with them and let go. By bending, you become stronger in new places. By letting go, you will be making room for the new and the better.

Nowadays, you need to be more flexible. Get out of your comfort zones and try out new things. I used to see myself as an office type of person, where I have a fixed workstation. But lo and behold!  I am now an entrepreneur. If I need to work, I do not need a workstation. I can work anywhere just like those hospital computer carts, my mobility does not affect my efficiency.

It took me awhile to find my niche and now I tell myself, “I should have done this a long time ago.” Oh well, it’s never too late …

Hubby and I both grew up from a location that is quite far from the school we go to. At a young age, high school that is, I have to endure the rigors of commuting from Laguna to Manila, where my school is. My routine, obviously was house and school and vice versa. No time to do much lakwatsa, much to the content of my mom With that in mind, we promised not to give that kind of experience to our kids. So even if we can buy those affordable houses in the south or far north of Manila, we are maintaining a rented house here in the Metro so the kids can enjoy more time with their school activities rather than deal with the stress of going through traffic each and everyday of their lives. I guess when you are a parent, you have to really look after what’s good for your children rather than satisfy your own personal dream.

However….

As the years go by, I thing it’s about time to revisit that grand dream of mine and think of being more practical. Nothing bad with that. With the property boom, there are a lot of condominiums around our vicinity and even if I am not really a “condo girl”, I have to adjust a bit. It’s just a matter of mindset, dontchathink Hubby keeps telling me that I am the only who refuses to take a look a condominiums. Okay fine, I shall open my mind and prepare myself. That wouldn’t be hard. It’s not like their stealing my dreams away…. It’s more of tweaking it a bit.

This would probably end my emotional roller coaster ride. The stress of trying to find the perfect house, that fits our budget has really given me a lot anxiety like casters attached to my computer chair, I feel like I can swivel, go forward, sideward but in the end I go back to where I started. House hunting can be draining at times.

So if my family is happy with a condo, then condo it shall be Good luck to us!

My kids would often tell me that they don’t give me gifts because they do not have money but the thing is, I do not need expensive gifts. I tell them that you do not need money to make me happy. This year perhaps the most valuable gift I received is the handmade birthday card from my son. The though that he spent the time (in school –take note!) to make one birthday card for me is very much appreciated.

The advancement of technology can sometimes bring a lot of disadvantages when our children are not properly guided. I love that mobile phones can make communication faster, that social networking can bridge the distance between people who are million miles away, that there is now a lot of gadgets like tablets, golf gps finder that make our lives easier. However, we need to guide our children in the proper use of technology, with all the news of crimes resulting from its use.

Likewise, we need to reiterate that we still need to have the “personal touch” when it comes to nurturing relationships with our family especially with our children and of course, our parents, who are mostly not adept with technology. Somehow having the “real presence” and “personal touch” still spells a lot of difference.

After my daughter was confined in the hospital, I once again had a chance to remind my children that they need to take care of their body by taking in healthy foods, drinking a lot of water and getting enough sleep. Especially my daughter, who is so figure-conscious. I told her she can opt to have a healthy breakfast by eating oats and cereals, which is always readily available at home, rather than not eating anything at all. I believe that the lack of nutrients coupled with insufficient sleep, was the culprit in weakening her immune system especially when you are an athlete.

For someone who seldom gets sick, who is vibrant and athletic, staying in the hospital for days was one experience my daughter abhored. I trust that my daughter has realized that there are ways to be fit without sacrificing the health.

Breakfast is the meal that fuels our body giving us the energy to carry out our tasks within the day, that is why it is important to “break your fast” everyday. Someday soon my children will be on their own and I do not intend to use spotting scopes to monitor their every move. I trust that I have instilled the habot of healthy eating that they will adhere to as long as they live.

Son: “Ma, will you let me borrow your point and shoot camera?”

Me: “Why?”

Son: “’Cause I signed up for the Camera Club.”

With a smile, I immediately said “Yes” without even thinking about his lack of responsibility when it comes to taking care of things. I wouldn’t dampen his eagerness. The smile that it placed on my face was priceless, knowing that I was instrumental in making him be keen on this new leisure pursuit of his. A “photographer wannabe” is what I often call myself and I guess my boy was inspired to take on the same thing.
Each time we go on vacation and even weekend getaways, I can always see his interest in taking photos. He would often borrow my camera and show me his photos as he seeks some kind of approval from me. It didn’t occur to me that he would take it on to the next level and enroll himself to a “camera club.”
As a parent, I cannot help but feel proud and excited. Parents have a role in nurturing their children’s talents and skills. Our full support will give them a boost in pursuing the whatever gifts they are passionate about. Like the flowers in our own garden, we sprinkle water everyday, enough sunlight and a lot of love and care and they will bloom on their own.
It is not all about intellect or what we desire for them but we need to keep in mind that they can only be successful if they fully enjoy what they are doing. Now and again, we will stumble upon things or situations that we often do not agree with however, we should learn to discern and consider the point of view of our children. It is their life, we are only here to guide them.
As to my boy, although I still am having second thoughts in letting him use my point and shoot camera (wink), but I am not stopping him from pursuing this interest. I’ll probably search around for some cheaper cameras like casio cameras digital or other brands.

~~~

The photo above which I named sunshine coffee was taken by son using my Nikon D3100.