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Unfair Pre-School Education Requirements
2009-08-05 17:25:00
My daughter Maria is four years old, and she is eligible for preschool. Hubby and I have decided to send her to a pre-k program, to help build her socialization skills early. Of course we want her to be able to get along with other children, but it will also help her to develop her language skills. This will have a positive effect on her, in preparation for her transition to a proper school. Perhaps, preschool does not need to be mandatory in all schools. This is also voluntary for the parents to decide if they will send their children for pre-k. In general, public schools have programs, for preschool children, which are free of charge for the parents. There are private school providers offering pre-school, but parents are required to pay a monthly fee. However, in my city, they have a requirement that people who have a low income are eligible for the free pre-k program. Then there are slots available, for about 3 children whose parents are above the income limit, at the school ...
More About: Education , School , Unfair

Food Friday: Brownies
2009-07-31 18:27:00
This is my breakfast today. I thought it was hard to prepare but with instant mix, everything is possible. All I need is brownie complete mix, 3 eggs, 1/2 cup of oil and 2 tbsp of water then bake it for 25 minutes. It’s easy and simple. This entry is for Food Friday . If you are interested to join please visit here.
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Weaning From Breastfeeding
2009-07-31 16:22:00
I have had a hard time weaning my daughter Bianca from breastfeeding. I have tried several times, but I always go back. So, I said to myself, ok I will wait until she reaches 2 years old, then whether she likes it or not, I will stop breastfeeding her. Then, I think, I can say that I will be proud and happy with myself, that I have breastfeed my child for up to two years. When she reached 20 months old, I felt like I could not take it anymore; her demand for milk became more frequent. Every time she would see me, she began to cry and wanted to be breastfed. Even though she was filled with solid foods and fresh milk, she still wanted my breast; I think for her, it was also more comforting and fulfilling for her to nurse. Every night I could not sleep well; because if I removed my breast from her mouth, she would cry. However, about two months ago, I had decided to be firm and stop her from breast feeding. During the first two days, she didn’t get any milk from me at all; it w...
More About: Breastfeeding

Photographing Maria
2009-07-21 14:53:00
About two years ago, I began to have some difficulty taking pictures of my daughter. Maria wasn’t cooperating well with me when I would ask her to smile; her attempts to smile would always appear fake, or she would cry. Every time I would take a photo of her, it seemed that she had become tired of being the subject of my photography. Up until about 2 years old, I was able to get many photos of her. On every occasion like birthdays, Thanksgiving or Christmas I would always make sure to have my camera ready for family pictures; when possible, we would visit my in-laws and take as many pictures as possible. But for the two succeeding years, many of the pictures of my Maria appear to reveal her with certain crankiness. I have always wanted to share our holiday photos here; however, because of Maria’s displeasure, I am shy, and I feel it would be inappropriate. I have read a book about photographing children, and I have applied some of the techniques. In the following photos, you wi...

Back From A Long Vacation
2009-07-14 20:17:00
Taking a vacation is something that everyone needs to do every once in a while. Well, I am back from a long vacation from the Philippines. My children and I have been away from home for 4 months and 2 weeks. Now, we are back and back to a normal life. It definitely ranks as my best vacation. I had a great time with my family. Hubby was in the Philippines too, but he stayed there for only 2 weeks. He arrived on June 17, and then we returned on June 30. We had two connecting flights; it started from Manila to Japan, to Chicago, and then to Tennessee. My flight to the Philippines felt like it took me too long, because I was alone with Maria and Bianca; but upon our return, it wasn’t so bad, because hubby was with me. Our flights took us 24 hours, including the waiting period for connecting flights. It’s good to be home. Now, I am back on my regular blogging.
More About: Vacation , Back , Long

New Addition to my Family
2009-06-13 09:42:00
We finally had a family picture together with my step mother. We also had family pictures taken, the last time I went home to the Philippines; however, she wasn’t in the photos, because she had to go home to Luzon. And we all live in Mindanao. My mother died in 2003, and my father re-married in 2004. All of us are so happy, that there is someone who will take care of him; if he had not re-married, I am not sure that he would have been able to last up until now. It is a common saying here that, if one of your parents have died, usually, the other will follow the next year. And also, if one dies, be it the husband or the wife, the other will soon follow; because, the one that is left behind is grieving the loss of the one that is missing, and that grief becomes too much to bear. We are so thankful that Tita M came into our lives, especially for our father. Tita M and my father have known to each other through cellphone texting. Tita M is in her 40’s, she is single, she has no chil...
More About: Family , My Family

Introducing the Alphabet Part II
2009-06-09 08:25:00
After six weeks of introducing the English Alphabet to Bianca, she is continuing to improve. During the first two weeks, she could not cooperate very well, and she would last for only 15 to 20 minutes during our session. At her age, her attention span is too short, and it is hard for her to concentrate. Indeed, patience is a virtue. When I introduced the alphabet to her, I divided it into two sessions. In the morning, I introduced the letters from A to L, and in the afternoon the letters from M to Z. Now she can tell you the sound of every letter in the alphabet. As we keep going, she continues to improve and is doing great, and she is very enthusiastic to learn more. At the age of 19 months old, Bianca could recognize the letters in the alphabet from A to U. Although, we are still working on the letters V, W, X, Y and Z. She started counting from 1 to 10 too, because every time she washes her hands, I count to 10. Bianca is very moody though, I have never sat her down very long jus...
More About: Part

“Fallen Off the Wagon” I Have Gained 15 Pounds
2009-06-02 23:08:00
I have gained 15 pounds for the last 3 months while on vacation in the Philippines. It is really sad for me, that my body has changed so quickly; during my vacation here I have gained from 140 pounds to a present weight of 155 lbs. I weighed 140 lbs when I left for my home in the Philippines, but that was up from 136 lbs which I had managed to achieve from a previous weight of 185 lbs. That is nearly 50 lbs. Pretty good huh?! But, I put on the extra 4 pounds just before I left, because hubby and I were eating out all the time. We just wanted to spend time together enjoying each other’s company and the company of our children. Now that I am not dieting, my body has continued to grow, and I look like I am getting healthier. (wink!) Oh well, I want to start dieting again, but I still have a few weeks in the Philippines to enjoy the foods. Anyhoo, my bana [husband] will be here soon, and I know that he loves to eat too; so we might as well enjoy our vacation while we can, because ...
More About: Fallen , Wagon

You Are A Star
2009-05-25 08:04:00
Two weeks from now, on June 6, my daughter [Maria] will be dancing in her first recital. She is adorable in her tutu and costume. As a parent, I am very excited that I will get to see her dancing on a stage. I wish hubby can attend too, but he will arrive in the Philippines on the second week of June. For 6 weeks, I haven’t seen my daughter dancing; that is because all the parents and guardians are not allowed inside the dance studio. Well, I think that is a good idea too, so that children can learn and live independently. I have a lot of stories to tell about Maria, but I will talk about it later.
More About: Star

Maria’s 4th Birthday
2009-05-18 09:13:00
We celebrated Maria’s 4th birthday, at the Jollibee restaurant at Limketkai Mall, on the 5th of May at 6 o’clock in the evening. We arrived at the venue at around 5:55pm. There were no visitors there yet, except for the birthday celebrant’s family. I was expecting 40 visitors, with 22 children and 18 adults. It was already 6:05 pm, but they had not arrived yet. I was beginning to feel disappointed, when at 6:10 all of a sudden, all of them arrived. And Maria’s Birthday celebration started at exactly 6:20 pm. I am very satisfied with the service that the Jollibee’s provided. I give them two thumbs up! The children had a really great time, especially with the Jollibee mascot that gave an excellent performance. more photos…

Children’s Ballet Classes
2009-05-15 06:08:00
It’s summer time in the Philippines however, there are summer classes offered for children that you can choose from such as painting & drawing, voice, piano, guitar, reading, ballet and more. But I enrolled my daughter, Maria in a ballet lesson. So from Monday to Friday, I accompanying with her. During the first week, both of us are still adjusting with the schedule since we need time to get ready for her class. She wasn’t cooperating well at the beginning but as time goes by, she started to be more comfortable with her classmates and made friends. I believe, by attending this class, my daughter can benefit from social interaction, self-confidence, self-discipline, and self improvement.
More About: Children , Classes , Ballet

Zipline Adventure
2009-05-12 23:46:00
What is vacation for if not to try different things and experience something new? Last Saturday, my family and I went to Maramag, Bukidnon, for a family out. There are four spring resorts located in Maramag, Bukidnon, and we decided to stay at the Waig, Crystal Resort. Our choice was because they have the best accommodations. The place is nice and clean, and it is the best place to relax and unwind. There are several amenities, but the one that we enjoyed the most was the newest attraction of the Zip-line Adventure . My sister and brother wanted to experience the thrill of flying through the air on a zip-line, but I was too scared. They forced me to join with them, but I was still afraid. You know, I don’t want to take any unnecessary risks; I worried about something might happen. But my daughter [Maria] insisted that she wanted to ride the zip line. After I checked their gears, I found out, that they were new and durable. I also found out, that the Zip-line adventure has just open...

Introducing the Alphabet
2009-05-08 00:35:00
I have bragged about how my daughter Maria learned the alphabet and has read words and sentences at the age of two. I know how it is amazing to me how that she can read early. Some of you may think that I am conceited, but I think every parent is proud of their child when they have an achievement. Some children can read early and others not so early, but it doesn’t always mean one is smarter than the other. It has a lot to do with their environment and whether they can get the resources and help that they would need. I have seen some children that can read as a little baby and much younger than my daughters. Today, I started introducing the English alphabet to my 2nd daughter Bianca. She turned 18 months old on the 30th of March. She can interact with me while we study it. I’m no expert on child development, but let me share with you how I teach them. Please join with me and Bianca for her reading milestones. 4-1-09
More About: Alphabet

Four Baths Same Day
2009-05-07 11:16:00
I took this photos about five days ago. It was around seven in the morning, and it was really hot; so I decided to let my children get wet in their mini ring pool. Both of them had a real blast. It was really nice watching them playing and screaming. I wasn’t sure how hot the temperature was in Cagayan de Oro, but it felt like more than 100 degrees. They had 4 baths on that day.

Ask Permission First Before You Shoot People
2009-05-05 09:59:00
A stolen shot is a great way for you to capture the moment as it happens naturally; it is the best way to present realism. Last Saturday, I had set a schedule to shoot a beggar and a person with limited psychological abilities. It happened that I saw this man standing at the DV-soria in the city of Cagayan de Oro. He looked like, what appeared to me, that he was disturbed about something; He was talking, seemingly to someone, but he was alone. And his physical appearance was dirty and also inappropriate for someone living in a hot tropical climate; because he was wearing a thick and heavy overcoat that would make the heat almost unbearable, especially in the city. I took two shots of him, but I didn’t get the picture that I wanted. So I was determined to continue my attempt to get a perfect lens capture. However, on my third attempt, he noticed me; and he became very angry, and asked me why I took a photo of him. So, I went directly inside the fast food chain, and I asked the secu...
More About: People , Permission , Shoot

Blogging Will Resume on July 2009 [comments off]
2009-04-23 01:49:00
Blogging Will Resume on July 2009
More About: Blogging , Comments

Crisp Dollar Bill
2009-03-29 10:44:00
These are my rants about my frustration when it comes to dollar exchanges in the Philippines. I know in every company there are policies to follow, but with my experience, they have made me angry. About 3 years ago, I went to a bank for an exchange of my money. I think I had $300 US in my pocket with a dollar bill and 20 dollar bills. They didn’t accept most of my dollars, for some reason, it didn’t pass the quality test. That means, they want a crisp or new dollar bill. I was planning to open a dollar account at this bank, but I had changed my mind because I was already disappointed. So, after the following year, I went back to the Philippines and I opened a dollar account. Again, I had a few 1 dollar bills, 20 dollar bills and 3 pieces of $100 bills. This time, all my dollars are new and crisp too. Guess what?! The teller asked me to be sure to write all the series numbers of my money in the deposit slip. I had no choice but to do so, because I need a dollar account. Last week...
More About: Dollar , Bill

Blogging Silence
2009-03-26 00:51:00
It’s been a while eh? I have been absent for more than two weeks without saying a words. Gee, wake up lards! To be honest, I am too lazy to update this blog. I apologize for the absence of my updates. Things have been changing, but it seems to be returning to normalcy now. I am online everyday, but I am always doing something else. I didn’t have anything to share, so I had nothing to blog about too. But now that I have a little bit of good news, I am back again. You will find a nice update and new post every week! Yay! I hope my drive to write wins over my laziness. Remember that I told you I started to get bored about my long vacation? Well, I am no longer bored. What makes me busy is my daughter Maria. I enrolled her in an activity class for the summer. I am also accompanying her from Monday thru Saturday. It’s a long story, however, I will talk about it later.
More About: Blogging , Silence

Change Is Good
2009-03-09 07:11:00
Change can be good or bad, but when it comes to your appearance, the sky has no limit. Usually, the hair can break a person’s appearance, and sometimes getting a new haircut is a great way for a makeover to light up your face and enhance your overall look. Does it take a new haircut to make a positive change in your life? I had been thinking for a long time that I would cut my hair; but, actually, I didn’t want to. I would spend money and time to make my hair look good. So, why cut it off? Anyway, after I had lost a few pounds, I didn’t see any changes in my face. So, I finally decided to cut my hair off. About a month ago, I chopped my hair much shorter, about fifteen inches to be exact. Then last week, I had my hair rebonded. Hmmm, so what do you think about that huh?! I am on vacation in the Philippines. Perhaps, this is the best time to pamper myself. Ha-ha…hubby is working to death, but I am here enjoying his money. Anyway, back to my hair again. I didn’t panic when...
More About: Change , Good

Sense of Belongingness
2009-03-06 13:14:00
Everytime I come home to the Philippines, I feel an emptiness with friends. I had friends during college days, but they are all busy and have their own family now. Our interests in life are not the same as before too. Occasionally, when I go to the mall, I see them, but we only wave, say hello or just have a little chit chat. So, I decided to find a group with the same interest as mine. The Cagayan de Oro Photographic Society is a group that shares the same interest that I have in photography. Last Tuesday, I was there to participate in their monthly meeting. It was then that I found out that they screen their applicants. They have limited the size of their memberships too; this is because they want to make it easier to get to know each other. I think, as of now, the total of the members is less than 50. As a Balikbayan, I thought that they would not accept my application to become a member of their group; but I am grateful that the boards of members have accepted me into their asso...
More About: Sense

How’s My Driving in the Philippines?
2009-03-01 20:44:00
Well, I’m still working on it. I do not have very much experience as a driver, but I can drive four wheels. Driving an automatic car is completely different than one with a manual transmission. Right now, I am learning to drive using a manual transmission vehicle in the Philippines . If you want ...

Blogger Eyeball to Eyeball
2009-02-28 09:18:00
To meet a fellow blogger is one of the most memorable adventures for me. My first meeting was two years ago with Lanie G and her son. We didn’t talk much, because my hubby and my daughter were with me; though we have talked enough to each other before, and at least I’ve met her ...
More About: Blogger , Eyeball

Safe Arrival
2009-02-22 11:33:00
My children and I arrived in the Philippines on Wednesday, February 18 at 10:45pm. We did not check into the hotel until around 12:15 am on the 19th. It was a long flight and very tiring indeed. I wished that I had not brought more than one carry-on bag; because it was very hard to ...
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Philippines Here I Come
2009-02-17 07:04:00
Six hours from now I’ll be leaving to go to Philippines . This vacation will continue from February 17 to the end on June 30, 2009. This will be my 3rd visit to the Philippines, since I arrived here in 2004. It will be a long vacation but probably my last long vacation. I already sent ...

Purchased Plane Ticket to Philippines
2009-02-09 21:38:00
Hubby and I have been looking cheap tickets for our Philippine vacation. There are different prices offered on each travel and tours websites, but they are all expensive. It is good to know that we have a Filipino in my area that has a travel agency business. She helped us to look for cheap tickets ...
More About: Philippines , Plane , Ticket

First Check Google Adsense
2009-02-09 21:36:00
I had received my first check from google adsense. I installed the adsense in my 3 blogs for about 4 months ago, now I have earned $222.18 without writing any sponsored ads. For the first month, I didn’t earn much but it’s going higher. I think I’m gonna install the adsense script to all my ...
More About: Google , Adsense , Google Adsense , Check

Showing Respect For Elders
2009-02-04 17:13:00
In all countries and cultures, we have different ways of showing how to respect our elders. In the Philippines, most children are properly taught by their parents to be gentle and respectful to their elders. Children or young people will show respect by giving them hugs and kisses or blessing the elder by taking the ...
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How To Avoid Cuss Words?
2009-01-27 03:51:00
I am very sensitive when it comes to cussing (or swearing). When I hear someone saying inappropriate words, it is annoying to me, even to the point that I avoid them. Some people come out with those kinds of words naturally from their mouth without knowing it or caring that it may offend someone. Sometimes, when, ...
More About: Words , Avoid

Bianca’s Passport
2009-01-22 16:32:00
One week ago, we applied for my daughter’s [Bianca ’s] passport at the post office. The man in-charge said that, even though the information says we would receive her passport in 4 to 6 weeks, we would receive it earlier than what the expected time is; he said that instead, we would receive it by mail ...
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Preparation For Vacation
2009-01-11 17:29:00
Looking for Cheap Flights to Philippines Packing up our Stuffs Processing of Bianca’s Passport on Monday Buy the ticket after we find out when to receive B’s passport.. Departure plan will be on February 4 [it depends on B's passport]. Find a school for Maria then register her name for this school year. General Cleaning [ref,  stove,  closet, bathroom, laundering & ...
More About: Vacation , Preparation