Day 13 of December

It's the 13th day of December, and that means we only have 12 days to go before Christmas

For Day 13 , it's M for MITTENS

 

Early in the day, I had to take little miss to her pediatrician for another round of check up. She was already recovering from last week's illness when she suddenly started coughing and having fever again. Just to be sure, I decided to let her see the doctor to minimize all the worries I have.

She has phlegm build up which she might have caught in school while she was still recovering. Now, it's another set of medicines for her and she was also introduced to Mr. Nebulizer. I thought we would have a problem convincing her to use it but since she already saw her Kuya use it the past week, she was like a pro...so for now, Mr. Nebulizer is my best friend in the house until this season passes.

Now I have one thing on my wish list, for the kids to enjoy the coming holidays illness-free. 

THE 12 Days of December

It was a very hectic first "12 days" of December for me.
Aside from my kids getting sick, there were also holiday activities in school.
But I am still happy that I was able to start with our Christmas Countdown activities.

CHRISTMAS COUNTDOWN

I started doing the countdown last year with my kids. 
We were doing arts and crafts all pertaining to the Christmas Season.

For this year's countdown, I got coin envelopes and labeled them with the numbers 1-25. Each envelope contains a paper with the letter of the day, an activity as well as a Christmas joke. I hanged the envelopes on the garland that adored our stairs. We remove one envelope per day and the kids get excited as they see the number 25 getting near coz' it just means that it's already Christmas day.

I decided to do the ABC's of Christmas with my little miss. I got the idea from Little Family Fun. This is my go-to website when it comes to fun activities I can do with my kids.

Here are the activities little miss and I did for the first 12 days.

A is for ANGEL

B is for BELLS

C is for CANDY CANE

D is for DRUM

E is for ELF

F is for FAMILY

G is for GINGERBREAD MAN

H is for HOLLY

I is for ICE SKATES

J is for JESUS

K is for KINDNESS

L is for LIGHTS

As for the big boy, we are also doing some family activities appropriate for his age.

Here are the activities we have listed and decided to do.
*write out Christmas cards to send to family and friends
*write a letter to Santa Clause
*color a Christmas picture
*track Santa Clause using NORAD 
*write what you are thankful for this year
*use candlelight for dinner
*write Christmas wish list
*read a Christmas story book
*drive or walk around the neighborhood/village to see Christmas lights
*share a toy with your sibling
*do something nice for someone
*write an email to a friend from another country
*share some food with street kids
*watch a movie with the family
*attend Simbang Gabi
*make gingerbread houses
*read Christmas story from the Bible
*buy and give a gift to a random child you see on the streets
*watch a Christmas story at home - The Elf
*Starbucks date with mom and dad
*Have lunch at a special restaurant
*Drink hot choco with marshmallows
*watch the Story of Christmas - The Nativity
*Read about the Birth of Jesus before bedtime
*Christmas day - open gifts

We also checked out a cool website. It's Santa's Naughty or Nice Archive. You get to enter your name and see how you rate in Santa's books. Here is the website just in case you wanna try. Santa's Naughty or Nice List

DECEMBER 7, 2012 

Finally, my sis Cess and her fiance tied the knot. After more than 10 years as a couple, they have decided to make it official. It was a simple yet memorable occassion for the family. Congratulations you two!

What a Week!

It was indeed a very hectic week for me, good thing today was a holiday. 

But no Yey from me.

It's always not fun having someone in the family be sick. 
Being a mom, you also have to wear the hat of a nurse.
.....checking their temperature every now and then,
.....taking note of the time their medicines should be given,
.....being alert and aware of any other signs and symptoms that might come up...



But I am thankful for a lot of things too,
...I am thankful that our trusted pediatrician is always at hand anytime I send her an SMS.
...I am thankful that the laboratory results for the blood tests are OK, nothing serious
...and I am thankful to the good Lord for giving me the strength to do all this things for my kids.

 







Christmas Countdown...

Last year, I started doing a Christmas Countdown with my kids. We did a daily activity with all things Christmas. And it was a lot of fun.

Now, it is the last day of November and I am cramming as to the Christmas Countdown activity I will be preparing for my kids. I was supposed to have finished with all the details this week but the kids got sick so I have to be Nurse Mommy for the meantime.

 

I have to have something at hand before December starts tomorrow...and that is happening in less than 2 hours...Oh dear...got to work and get my thinking cap on...I have to turn on my Teacher Mommy mode...

It's been awhile...

It's been a while since my last post...been feeling down lately because of the pain my molar is giving me. 
Decided to have it extracted and I am glad I did. 

It's been a week now since my surgery and I hope I will be able to catch up with all the things that needs to be kept up to date...

Primary School Assembly

Parents were invited for the assembly of the Primary department. And it was an added bonus that Paolo's class will be the one's performing. They had a mini skit about the Solar System. Paolo was the narrator and I am glad that he has improved with the way he talks in front of a crowd. Gone was the Paolo who talks fast and murmurs every word to the point that you can't understand anything he is saying. I was very much impressed by the way he delivered his lines. I am one proud mama right there and then. 

There was also an added treat when a music video was shown. He was one of the stars. They used the song "One Thing" by One Direction. It was so cool. I hope I could get a copy of it to share. 

And since he was so good in today's assembly. Mama Garcia gave him a surprise reward.

And Our Tree is Up...

It's just 34 days before Christmas and I am finally able to finish half of my house decorating. I started with the Christmas Tree because my little princess kept on bugging me to finish it. And here is our finish product. Oh how I just love Christmas...

 

The Month that was OCTOBER!

I have been out of circulation lately...guilty I should say coz' I haven't visited my BLOG site...honestly speaking, it has been almost 4 months since we moved back to the Philippines but still my adjustment period hasn't ended...it's like life is more stressful here...maybe its because of the daily driving I do to take the kids to school...

Well, anyways I know it's only myself that I have to explain to...:)
Hope my recap of this month's supposed to be blog subjects can compensate...Hihihi...

Dad's 40th Day ...
We remembered Dad during the 40th day after his death. It has been a sort of tradition with Filipinos to remember the dearly departed on this day because it has been believed that this is the day that they stop roaming around the earth and return to the Creator. Before dad's 40th day, I have been dreaming of him, it was always about him being sick...then the next day it was about his 40th day but the late Lola Agueda and Uncle Jaime were also there. Maybe it was a sign that they have met in the house of our Father.

We heard mass during that day, then proceeded to the cemetery and  prayed the Rosary. Afterwards, we had a simple gathering with people who also remembered dad on his 40th day.

The night of dad's 40th day, I had a dream again but this time around dad was smiling, he was happy...it was the image I want to remember about him...and I am happy because I know he is now at peace in heaven.

Asian Food Trip...

With our long stay in Singapore, we have been introduced with different cuisines and Korean food tops our list. Good thing that there is a sort of Korean invasion here in our place, we didn't have to go far just to satisfy our craving. The place we chose was SAM WON, a Korean Bbq place. It didn't let us down. The food was great, love the assortment of side dishes they have. The Japchae was the best I have tasted so far. Happy that my very choosy son tried and liked the food there. :)

 

 

The next day, while at the mall, we tried this new place, Black Canyon at SM Southmall. It offers Thai food with a twist. Actually, for me the name of the place doesn't even gave a connection with them serving Thai food. If one would tell me about Black Canyon, I would readily think that it is a steak house. Anyways, we tried their steamed fish and crab stick Thai salad. Food was alright but a bit pricey  and the serving size, well...just look at the photos...

Homelearning time...

Since we moved back to the Philippines, I was finally able to put out my homelearning materials and resources...been planning a lot of fun activities for the kiddos lately...hope I could keep up with the ideas I have in my head...really excited....







Trick or Treat...It's Halloween!

It all starts when kids have to choose the costumes they will be wearing for their school's Halloween Party. Little girl decided on a cute little witch outfit while my big boy chose to become a cross between a grim reaper and a death eater (Harry Potter). And again, this is the only time of the year that I let them consume the candy they want...as long as they brush their teeth afterwards...hahaha...

Weekend Getaway...TAGAYTAY

It was a spur of the moment plan to spend the weekend in Tagaytay.

We left at around 9 in the morning and went straight to PARADIZOO.

Located in Mendez, Cavite. Paradizoo is a 10-hectare theme farm and zoo. It is just a few minutes drive from the Tagaytay City proper. It is part of the group of companies that manages and maintains the ZOOcobia in Pampanga as well as the ZOObic Safari in Zambales. It actually looks more like a farm with the vegetable gardens and flower gardens in it. Notable animals we saw was a five-legged cow, an albino carabao and a camel. There were also different kinds of goats. We were able to see a demonstration of how to milk a goat and how honey is produced and harvested by imported wild bees. 

Paolo got to experience the fish spa too.

 

The kids had a great time exploring the place and running around in the open spaces filled with greenery. It was a breather from the busy life of the metropolis.

Come lunchtime, it was a no brainer for any Tagaytay visitor to try their famous Bulalo or beef shank soup. It is not the healthiest of Filipino dishes since it is loaded with Cholesterol but when eaten in moderation, it will be a great treat for soup lovers.

After satisfying the hungry tummy, it is time to satisfy the soul as well.
We also visited the Pink Sisters Convent and the Good Shepherd Convent.
It feels great to be in a serene place. It calms the mind and the spirit and relieves the body of tension and stress. It is indeed a must to have time to have this conversation with the Lord.

 

It was a day well spent indeed. So where are we off to next...

Driving?...It's more fun in the Philippines!

 

It has been almost 3 years since I last held the steering wheel of a car and I have yet to gather up my courage to drive the busy highways of Manila like I used to. 

It has been a month now being the designated "school bus driver" for the kids. And I should say, driving in the Philippines has really changed. One has to be both aggressive as well as defensive when driving. You are not only up against other vehicles but also motorcycles (which has tripled in number), bicycles, tricycles and even the pedestrians who just keep on crossing the street whenever they feel like it even though there is a pedestrian lane for them.

As for the motorcycles and bicycles, I just don't understand why they are always in a hurry, zooming on both sides as if they are in a car chase of some sort. Now I wonder if they are also aware of the traffic rules? 

Arghhhh!

As for the tricycles, aside from also using the same lanes as cars, they are a bit slow especially of they are packed with passengers and the worst part is that they suddenly stop without warning when a passenger will go off. AND they wouldn't even have the courtesy of stopping on the side of the road.

Arghhhh!

The pedestrians, well, I just don't know if they are aware of what they are doing when they suddenly cross the streets. I have also encountered people who are texting while walking and and they don't even realize they are already in the lane for the car...tsk, tsk, tsk...

Arghhhh!

For somebody who isn't used to these kinds of road situations, driving in the Philippines will surely be a super extra challenge for them.

So, looks like I just have to live with this. 

It's another driving day tomorrow!

Driving + Traffic = Stressful!

Another Heartache...

Barely two weeks when my dad returned to His Creator, we were again left with another heartache with the sudden demise of my aunt/godmother/ninang Mally.

Got a call from my sis and the first thing she asked was if I were in a good place, if I were sitting down...and I said, why ask me such questions...I was already running a lot of scenarios in my head as to what she will be telling me...and then she broke the news, my Ninang Mally was gone....

At first, I thought it was a dream, that I was in a dream...that maybe I heard it wrong. After the phone call, I called her again to confirm and reconfirm and reconfirm...and however I try not to believe what I heard, it was true. I was in a state of shock. I didn't know what to do, what to think...It just wouldn't sink in. 

It was another sleepless night for me, it was again a Wednesday...was it a coincidence that Dad and Ninang both left this world on a Wednesday. What does it mean? Why? Why? Why?

I kept asking WHY? 

But who am I to ask the Lord. 

Only He knows when is the time for us to part this world.

Only He knows what the future has for us.

Only He knows why.

All I could do was pray and pray hard. 

Pray for strength and understanding.

Pray to the Lord that He increases our faith in this trying times.

It was painful for me. My Ninang was like my second mom. We both celebrate the same birthday. September 15. She would always remind me that I was born while she was celebrating her 18th birthday and that my mom wasn't able to cook pancit for her. This year, she was 53 and I turned 35. We would always exchange greetings and wishes.

I miss her. 

I will miss her.  

I know she will be watching over us just like my dad is now.

I was also thinking of my mom. I know this is really painful for her. She was just starting to recover from the heartache of losing our dad and now, she lost her sister. I wouldn't know how to comfort her, to reassure her that all will be well. 

Life is indeed a mystery. You will never know when or how you will depart this world.

I even have to ask myself if I am ready to leave this world should the Lord calls on me to depart it. 

While at mass yesterday, during the Homily...the priest words struck me...

He said...

" If you die, did the world become a better place because you lived?..."

Indeed...something to ponder upon...

Oh September!

 

September has always been a month I look forward to, not just because it's my birthday month (15) but also my hubby's birthday month (17) and our wedding month (civil 17... church 18)...

Now, September would also be the month that Daddy left us and joined his Creator.



Happy Birthday Baby!

Papa Garcia also celebrates his birthday on the same month as I do! 
So he would always joke around when my birthday comes because we are of the same age for 2 days before he adds another year to his age. 

We usually choose one day to celebrate both our birthdays. 
Surprise each other with gifts.
It's so much fun to have the same birthday month.

11 years and counting!

This year, we celebrate our 11th wedding anniversary.
Wow, can't even believe that it has been 11 years since we first started writing our love story together...and I would love to continue writing it til eternity.

To my dear hubby, as I have always said...always remember that
"My LOVE will stand when all else has fallen..."

I love you and Happy Anniversary!

Wedding Day

Pre-Nuptial Photoshoot

February 2011

2012

Thirty Five!

Turned 35 over the weekend.
Arghh, can't believe my age is not in the calendar anymore...hahaha

Tried to celebrate without much fuss for we are still grieving.

As always, it was rainy...and as they say, this means more blessings for me...Yipee!

But what I am really thankful for is that I am surrounded by love every time I celebrate my special day...

Thank you Lord for another year...you always amaze me!

A week after...

"Death leaves a heartache no one can heal, 

love leaves a memory no one can steal..."

- Anon

A week has passed since our dear dad joined our creator.
Yet all of us are still struggling to go back to the normalcy of our everyday lives BUT it's just so hard...still can't believe that dad is gone. There is this empty space in my heart that longs to see his smile again and hear him call out my name...

Now all we have are 

         memories...memories that will forever remain etched in our hearts,
           values...values that we will carry on and pass on to our kids and       grandkids...

I don't know when we will recover from this heartache but what I know is that Dad is now in a happier place free of pain and physical suffering...

I love you dad...I will always be your little girl...

Patience for the Patient...

We made another trip back home to Pampanga last sunday.

Glad to know that dad was discharged from the hospital saturday night.

Good news is that the tube for his feeding was removed because he himself made the effort to eat on his own. He is now able to swallow and take in his food by mouth.

Thank God for making him better even...but still he is too weak.

Seeing him just lying there, helpless and dependent on the people around him to almost anything he wants to do. When he needs to move, someone has to carry him...lift him up. 

I admire my mom and my sisters for doing this for him. 

I admire especially my mom for being patient whenever dad has memory lapses due to his Alzheimers.

Talking to him is not the same anymore. 

One has to have a lot of patience and understanding about his condition in order to be able to make sense of  his senseless rumblings.

But then again, after being out of the hospital, it's like he is back to his usual ways of not eating. 

He would rather sleep. 

One has to remind him that it's time to eat.

And when he eats, he would sometimes fall asleep.

We would always have to tell him that he needs to nourish himself to be strong so that he would not be confined again and be subjected to tube feeding.

But same old stubborn dad, he would want it his way.

Sometimes we can't understand anymore...but then again maybe we just don't know the pain he is feeling.

Now we pray that God gives him the strength to have faith...to trust in the Lord...to believe that he will recover...that he need not question the Lord why he is in pain...that he would not pity himself but rather help himself.

I believe that if only he would accept the reality, he would be able to understand that the Lord would not let anything bad happen to him...that this is just a test...a test for all of us.

I look forward to the day when I will receive an SMS from my sister telling me that all is well and dad is feeling better as each day pass...

So near and yet so far...

Homecomings always excite me but my homecoming last Sunday to Pampanga made me feel jittery inside, we are not going to our house but straight to the hospital. I can't even count the times Dad has been in and out of the hospital. This is the second time I will be coming home to Pampanga with dad confined in the hospital.

The past days have been trying times for the whole family. I have been calling almost everyday to check on dad's condition and on how my mom and sisters are coping. 

How I wish I could be there beside dad...with the family... 

so near and yet so far...

When I saw dad, I just couldn't help myself...I cried, I didn't know where my strength went. I am not used to seeing dad so helpless with the feeding tube in his nose. I just held his hand, looked into his eyes and I can see the pain...I can feel his pain. Talking to him that time, asking him how he is feeling...how he is coping with the pain..and all he could do was hold on to my hand ...and I could see tears in his eyes. It's like he wants to tell me something but he can't.

How I wish I could be there beside dad...with the family... 

so near and yet so far...

A lot of complications have surfaced with dad's condition, and with all the different types of medicine given to him, I know he has grown tired of them. Latest medication given to him was for Alzheimer's...which explains why sometimes we can't talk properly with him...I was glad that when we came to the hospital, he was himself...it was like nothing happened to him...but later in the afternoon, it started again. When we talk to him, he would repeat his answer for so many times. He even called me "Beng", he thought I was "Beng"...when we asked him about it, he said he was talking about his sister Virginia/Beng...and he said he wants to talk to her...so we sent an sms to our Aunt Beng that dad wants to talk to her.

Then he would call out names, he was looking for his "Sonny Boy"...our little bro Dusteen...

Then he would just look at us and smile...then he would fall asleep...wake up and it's a whole new situation again...

It was heartbreaking to see dad in this condition...he was like a child....my mom said this happens every now and then that is why someone has to be with dad always. 

How I wish I could be there beside dad...with the family... 

so near and yet so far...

So near and yet so far...

YES, I am already in the Philippines and not Singapore...

YES, I am near but I am not in Pampanga but in Manila...

YES, I want to be beside dad and be there for him, be his daughter...

but I  have my family to take care of...I am a wife...a mother.

It's so hard that I always say Sorry to my mom and sisters coz I can't be with them to help out.

I am blessed to have an understanding family...

I am blessed to have a husband who gives me strength and understands the situation...

I am blessed that the good Lord is always with us...

A friend of mine shared this inspirational words and it became clear to me...

"God didn't promise days without pain, 

laughter without sorrow, sun without rain,

but He did promise strength for the day, 

comfort for the tears, and light for the way.”

 

***Dad is still in the hospital, he is now undergoing hemodialysis...and the feeding tube is still there and will stay for a few more months until he recovers his strength. .

 

 

The Fear of Letting Go...

It has been a year since daddy started his dialysis.

Since then, my husband already told me to prepare myself to whatever will happen because he explained to me the fact that the dialysis is to prolong not to cure. It will be a lifetime procedure that daddy has to undergo. And so after that talk, I had to cry all there is I had to let out and tell myself to accept this fact. "I am ready." That is what I keep on telling myself. ...And so I thought...

For the past year, daddy has been in and out of the hospital with various complications relating to his condition. We would always joke about it that he is already a "stockholder" in the hospital.

But then, this past week, his admission to the hospital was a different one. He had been saying his goodbyes, telling us that he is already too weak to go on and we would sometimes be mad at him for not putting on the effort to fight. We would always tell him that if he love us, he should have hope...have faith...that he would get better.

He was discharged from the hospital last Saturday and we were happy that he was able to surpass another trial in his health. 

All was well until Sunday's incident. 

He was suddenly unconscious. 

He would not wake up. 

We thought this was it...this was the time when he has let go.

Mom and my two sisters who are with him in Pampanga were in panic.

They checked his heartbeat, and it was strong....a good sign...a great sign that he is OK.

His blood pressure was OK...all his vitals were OK. Thank God!

And it took a while for him to regain consciousness, and he could not remember a thing.

This "episodes" happened twice.

It was the effect of the medicine he was taking.

Looking back, I don't know how to feel.

I was crying and crying, I was not myself.

This is when I realized that we are not prepared for that time.

I am not prepared...I am not ready to let go...I was only convincing myself that I am,  but honestly I am not.

It is so easy to say it but when it happens, everything changes...I can't even describe the feeling and I would not want to feel what I felt last Sunday. 

It is too painful.

And now, everyday I pray to our good Lord, the divine healer to give dad more time.

To give us the strength to accept whatever His plan is for our dad.

Let Go and Let God...

The CASA is back...

After MIA for more than a month, I am finally back to my usual routines...not fully but still inching my way to the so called "normalcy" in my life.

We are back to our homeland, hubby has a new job posting so wherever he goes, the family gets to tag along. 

It feels good to be back, going back to the familiarity of how our life was years ago. But still, I get to miss the way we live our life in Singapore, the simplicity of it. Though we are back in the Philippines, we get to start all over again...as in from scratch. The past weeks were indeed hectic for us,...from moving to a new place, purchasing new stuff...applying for utilities...and the list just goes on. One small "hiccup" was the delay in the arrival of our things from Singapore, add to it the weather conditions as well as some "other things" that we had to deal with just to have our shipment released by customs. And if you are a Filipino, you would know what I mean by "other things"...:) It was really a headache having to talk to people who are offering you different reasons regarding to the delays. Total bummer. BUT we had to comply because we need our things. Oh, how I miss the efficiency of customer service in Singapore. 

Thank God the shipment was finally released and delivered with some opened boxes which they randomly picked and "inspected". Anyways, all they found were our clothes and my kitchen things. haha.

The house is still in a bit of a chaos, some boxes still needed to be unpacked. And it dawned on me that unpacking is way harder than packing. How I wish I get to use a magic wand or maybe find a magic lamp with a genie to help me put order in the house. wish, wish, wish ...

A lot have been put on hold for a month, hope I could have more energy to do the things I have been doing again...now, back to reality, some boxes are still in need of my attention...:)

WORLDWIDE CULTURAL EXCHANGE: Japan

Another package found its way to our humble home. This time its from the Karino Family in JAPAN.

The package was wrap in a local Japanese newspaper and once opened, it was overflowing with lots of goodies that represent Japan in the eyes of the family representing it.

Items included in the package were:

• Maps
• Origami  (Origami paper as well as intructions)
• A homemade flag of Japan
• a preserved Cherry blossom ( it was pressed and laminated)
• Furikake - sesame seed rice sprinkles with a recipe on how to use it to make Onigiri
• An onigiri shape maker ( fish shape and it was so cute...)
• dried seaweed ( we love dried seaweed for snack)
• cherry blossom flavored marshmallows
• soy sauce flavored rice crackers
• wooden chopsticks
• Kimono board cut out
• Japanese money ( paper play money as well as coins)

My son Paolo loves the Japanese art of paper folding a.k.a. ORIGAMI . The instructions provided on how to make a Shuriken ( Ninja Star) caught his attention and he immediately made one.

My little girl Paige loved the Origami Crane that I told them about the famous story of the 1000 Origami Paper cranes.

One thing I love about the package was that the family took the time to translate my kids names into their Japanese meanings.

Again, many thanks to the Karino family for sharing the culture of Japan with us.

If you want to take part in this wonderful learning experience, do check out the Little Red Farm.

You could also check out the facebook page Worldwide Culture Swap for more details.