One of the delights I have as a Momma is watching my boys sleep like wingless angels. Not only do they look very innocent and handsome, but they also have some wacky sleeping positions, sometimes. My little boy used to have this habit of sleeping with half his body dangling from the bed. Meanwhile, my older boy was born a domineering person. I mean, he always wants to be the first, the best, the strongest, the fastest - in other words, the winner. In this photo of his, he seems to emerge as the victor in some contest - very much like him when he is awake.
As a Momma used to watching them sleep, I developed the habit of taking their photos for posterity, to show to their future girlfriends, perhaps - lol! Just kidding. I want to keep these photos because I want to have some kind of reminder about how wonderful it was having them as kids when I already have Alzheimer's or dementia or something.
Kidding aside, simple joys as gazing into their faces, with nary a care in the world just keep me going as a Momma. Never mind the back-breaking tasks to care and provide for them. When night time comes and we say their bedtime prayers and tuck them to bed, happy moments of seeing them happy and safe in their room erase all the tiredness away. Such is the privilege of being a Momma.
May 27, 2008
Sleeping Angels
May 24, 2008
Tags Galore!
Enough of those horrible bunions. May I now direct your attention to….. drum roll….. more drum roll…. more tags! Actually, I was just frightening you – there is just one tag here. You see, I got tagged three times almost all at the same time. I did one recently already and two more to go. I will do just one here because it is pretty overwhelming to be doing more than one tag all at the same time and since I only have a handful of online friends yet, they might be the same people I will tag again next time – lol! So as not to overwhelm them I am making it one at a time.
This one came from my friend and classmate, 24 Hour Paradigm. She tagged me here and in my other blog, Pinoy Around the World, but I will do it here only since I am having technical problems with links in that blog.
So, here goes…
The instruction is for me to mention the name of the person who tagged me, which of course, should include a back link to her. That already done, I am now copying and pasting the 12 months of the year with corresponding traits of people born in those months. Then, I will highlight the traits under my birth month (October) that are applicable to me. Last but not least, I should tag 12 people in turn.
JANUARY: Stubborn and hard-hearted. Ambitious and serious. Loves to teach and be taught. Always looking at people’s flaws and weaknesses. Likes to criticize. Hardworking and productive. Smart, neat and organized. Sensitive and has deep thoughts. Knows how to make others happy. Quiet unless excited or tensed. Rather reserved. Highly attentive. Resistant to illnesses but prone to colds. Romantic but has difficulties expressing love. Loves children. Loyal. Has great social abilities yet easily jealous. Very stubborn and money cautious.
FEBRUARY: Abstract thoughts. Loves reality and abstract. Intelligent and clever. Changing personality. Attractive. Sexy. Temperamental. Quiet, shy and humble. Honest and loyal. Determined to reach goals. Loves freedom. Rebellious when restricted. Loves aggressiveness. Too sensitive and easily hurt. Gets angry really easily but does not show it. Dislikes unnecessary things. Loves making friends but rarely shows it. Daring and stubborn. Ambitious. Realizes dreams and hopes. Sharp. Loves entertainment and leisure. Romantic on the inside not outside. Superstitious and ludicrous. Spendthrift. Tries to learn to show emotions.
MARCH: Attractive personality Affectionate. Shy and reserved. Secretive. Naturally honest, generous and sympathetic. Loves peace and serenity. Sensitive to others. Loves to serve others. Easily angered. Trustworthy. Appreciative and returns kindness. Observant and assesses others.
Revengeful - Mmm,Nah! Loves to dream and fantasize. Loves traveling. Loves attention. Hasty decisions in choosing partners.Nah! Loves home decors. Musically talented. Loves special things. Moody. BINGO!!! Most of these traits are true for me .
APRIL: Active and dynamic. Decisive and hasty but tends to regret. Attractive and affectionate to oneself. Strong mentality. Loves attention. Diplomatic. Consoling, friendly and solves people’s problems. Brave and fearless. Adventurous. Loving and caring. Suave and generous. Emotional. Aggressive. Hasty. Good memory. Moving. Motivates oneself and others. Sickness usually of the head and chest. Sexy in a way that only their lover can see.
MAY: Stubborn and hard-hearted. Strong-willed and highly motivated. Sharp thoughts. Easily angered. Attracts others and loves attention. Deep feelings. Beautiful physically and mentally. Firm Standpoint. Needs no motivation. Easily consoled. Systematic (left brain). Loves to dream. Strong clairvoyance. Understanding. Sickness usually in the ear and neck. Good imagination. Good physical. Weak breathing. Loves literature and the arts. Loves traveling. Dislike being at home. Restless. Not having many children. Hardworking. High spirited. Spendthrift.
JUNE: Thinks far with vision. Easily influenced by kindness. Polite and soft-spoken. Having ideas. Sensitive. Active mind. Hesitating, tends to delay. Choosy and always wants the best. Temperamental. Funny and humorous. Loves to joke. Good debating skills. Talkative. Daydreamer. Friendly. Knows how to make friends. Able to show character. Easily hurt. Prone to getting colds. Loves to dress up. Easily bored. Fussy. Seldom shows emotions. Takes time to recover when hurt. Brand conscious. Executive. Stubborn.
JULY: Fun to be with. Secretive. Difficult to fathom and to be understood. Quiet unless excited or tensed. Takes pride in oneself. Has reputation. Easily consoled. Honest. Concerned about people’s feelings. Tactful. Friendly. Approachable. Emotional temperamental and unpredictable. Moody and easily hurt. Witty and sparkly. Not revengeful. Forgiving but never forgets. Dislikes nonsensical and unnecessary things. Guides others physically and mentally. Sensitive and forms impressions carefully. Caring and loving. Treats others equally. Strong sense of sympathy. Wary and sharp. Judges people through observations. Hardworking. No difficulties in studying. Loves to be alone. Always broods about the past and the old friends. Likes to be quiet. Homely person. Waits for friends. Never looks for friends. Not aggressive unless provoked. Prone to having stomach and dieting problems. Loves to be loved. Easily hurt but takes long to recover.
AUGUST: Loves to joke. Attractive. Suave and caring. Brave and fearless. Firm and has leadership qualities. Knows how to console others. Too generous and egoistic. Takes high pride in oneself. Thirsty for praises. Extraordinary spirit. Easily angered. Angry when provoked. Easily jealous. Observant. Careful and cautious. Thinks quickly. Independent thoughts. Loves to lead and to be led. Loves to dream. Talented in the arts, music and defense. Sensitive but not petty. Poor resistance against illnesses. Learns to relax. Hasty and trusty. Romantic. Loving and caring. Loves to make friends.
SEPTEMBER: Suave and compromising. Careful, cautious and organized. Likes to point out people’s mistakes. Likes to criticize. Stubborn. Quiet but able to talk well. Calm and cool. Kind and sympathetic. Concerned and detailed. Loyal but not always honest. Does work well. Very confident. Sensitive. Good memory. Clever and knowledgeable. Loves to look for information. Must control oneself when criticizing. Able to motivate oneself. Understanding. Fun to be around. Secretive. Loves leisure and traveling. Hardly shows emotions. Tends to bottle up feelings. Very choosy, especially in relationships. Systematic.
OCTOBER: Loves to chat. Loves those who love them. Loves to take things at the center. Inner and physical beauty. Lies but doesn’t pretend. Gets angry often. Treats friends importantly. Always making friends. Easily hurt but recovers easily. Daydreamer. Opinionated. Does not care of what others think. Emotional. Decisive. Strong clairvoyance. Loves to travel, the arts and literature. Touchy and easily jealous. Concerned. Loves outdoors. Just and fair. Spendthrift. Easily influenced. Easily loses confidence. Loves children.
NOVEMBER: Has a lot of ideas. Difficult to fathom. Thinks forward. Unique and brilliant. Extraordinary ideas. Sharp thinking. Fine and strong clairvoyance. Can become good doctors. Dynamic in personality. Secretive. Inquisitive. Knows how to dig secrets. Always thinking. Less talkative but amiable. Brave and generous. Patient. Stubborn and hard-hearted. If there is a will, there is a way. Determined. Never give up. Hardly becomes angry unless provoked. Loves to be alone. Thinks differently from others. Sharp-minded. Motivates oneself. Does not appreciate praises. High-spirited. Well-built and tough. Deep love and emotions. Romantic. Uncertain in relationships. Homely. Hardworking. High abilities. Trustworthy. Honest and keeps secrets. Not able to control emotions. Unpredictable.
DECEMBER: Loyal and generous. Sexy. Patriotic. Active in games and interactions. Impatient and hasty. Ambitious. Influential in organizations. Fun to be with. Loves to socialize. Loves praises. Loves attention. Loves to be loved. Honest and trustworthy. Not pretending. Short tempered. Changing personality. Not egotistic. Take high pride in oneself. Hates restrictions. Loves to joke. Good sense of humor. Logical.
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So there, now you should know more about me as a person, having highlighted the very traits that describe me under my birth month of October. This sure is a great way to know each other online, isn’t it? And now, I am tagging the following beautiful, wonderful, fantastic and amazing bloggers:
May 22, 2008
Bunions
Each one of us has their own insecurities in life. Whether it’s in our appearance, social standing, or even our IQ’s, there is always that something that makes us feel inferior to others or that we wish we can change. For me, it has always been my enormous feet. Yes, for someone who is barely five feet tall, I wear a size seven and a half (Philippine sizing) or a size six here in the
As a young girl, I used to hear comments like “You have big feet – like a pair of ships” or “Your feet are as big as the carabao’s.” Imagine what those words could do to a young child’s self-esteem! Luckily, I was never that deeply affected. I have learned to accept myself and I always believed that nobody’s perfect and if I have to trade my intelligence for good looks and nice dainty feet, I’d rather be smart and ugly than the other way around – he he he!
Not only is my shoe-size a tad big for my height and build, I also have enormous bunions. Bunions? What in the world are bunions? I actually have not heard of the term until I read it in one of my Reader’s Digest advertising complements. Well, bunions on the feet are those bony lumps on the side of the big toes, you know, where the shoes get snagged first before the feet can fully slide into the shoes (if you have these lumps). Anyway, the ad said that there are contraptions that I can wear to correct them and without any second thought, I filled out the order form and sent it right away.
My dear bunions have been causing me problems because there are times when they become so painful, perhaps due to wearing the wrong size or shape of shoes. I also have noticed that they have grown over the years. Bunions have this nasty tendency to grow bigger over the years until they get very painful already and require surgery to correct them. Since I don’t want some doctor to be poking at my bunions when I am 60 years old or something, I took matters into my own hands and bought these contraptions that I can wear at night to correct the problem.
I don’t know how many of you guys have bunions, or if there is anyone of you interested to read about this most unpleasant topic. Nevertheless, I am sharing something with you which might help you (if you have bunions, that is) or someone you know. I don’t know for how long I need to wear them at night but I have seen some changes already – my right big toe has gone a bit straighter, thereby lessening the protrusion of the bunion. I hope to God it will get a lot straighter as the days go by.
So, there goes my bunion story. If anyone of you have got them, too, you might want to buy these contraptions – something that my kids find funny on my feet. Oh, by the way, this is not a sponsored post (I wish it was he he he!).
May 19, 2008
Tag Again!
Woooohooo! Here is another tag coming up! I am not sure how it works but according to PinayJade, who tagged me, tagging increases traffic to my site. I hope so, as I have been putting a lot of effort into coming up with quality posts (well, "quality" is relative but believe you me, I am trying my best to write very well here, he he he!).
So, for all of you me dear friends, who will end up being tagged here, participate and have fun and see your blogs increase in popularity, ok?
Read on for the instructions:
~~Begin Copy~~
This is the easy way and the fastest way to :
1. Make your Authority Technorati explode.
2. Increase your Google Page Rank.
3. Get more traffic to your blog.
4. Makes more new friends.
Rules :
1. Start copy from “Begin Copy” until “End Copy” to your blog
(for bloggers paste on the “compose” not the “edit html” part in posting blogs so it will be linked automatically).
2. Put your own blog name and link.
3. Tag your friends as much as you can, the more the better!
1. Picturing of Life
2. Juliana’s Site
3.Hazel-My Life, My Hope, My Future.
4.Jeanne-The Callalily Space
5.Starz in De Sky
6. My Charmed Life
7.Denz Techtronics
8.Denz Recreational
9.Life’s Simple Pleasures
10. My Blog
11. Because Life is Fun
12. In This Game of Life
13.Scribbles of my Life
14.Changing Lanes
15. anna
16. joytoy
17.Surviving deployment
18. The Deviant
19. All I want is Everything
20. Shadows of love, fate and destiny
21.Tasteful Voyage
22.A mom’s note
23. Bittersweet Collide
24.Jackie Simplypinay
25.Jackie’s Everyday Life
26. Parisukat
27. Ang Sponge ni Bub
28.ee-ey
29. Life is too short to be ordinary
30. Life and me by Pinayjade
I am tagging the following beautiful people:
1. Gewgaw Writings
2. Puzzled Me
3. Live Love Life
4. Happy Family Matters
So, there you go. Til next tag, guys!
May 16, 2008
Ramblings About My Naturalist Son
My younger boy is a born naturalist. Currently, his fascination is in plants and their growth process. It is one thing to have a child who loves nature, but it is quite something else when he insists for us to have plants whilst we live in a small fourth-floor flat. In other words, he presented me with this problem and I could not quite accommodate his simple request, no matter how much I would have wanted to plant him an entire garden.
Fortunately for him, they had a small “project” in Sunday school a month ago and he went home with a little pot half-filled with soil. He solemnly declared that in that pot were some sunflower seeds. He was so excited he wanted to watch it grow right then and there. After some explanation that it will gonna take a while before he sees anything sprouting out of the soil, he agreed to wait.
By the way, of course, we had no choice but to allow him to keep his plant. So, we placed the pot by the window, as he declared in that solemn voice once again, that his sunflower will gonna need a lot of sunshine and water.
Perhaps, he could not grasp how much time he had to wait before he sees any change in his plant. Within a few hours after getting home from church, he asked me again if the plant is coming out yet. To make a long story short, he was able to comprehend the complexities of germination only after about three attempts at making him understand the process.
So now, his sunflower plant is about a foot tall and we have another problem – moving it to a bigger pot. My husband does not like to disappoint our budding naturalist by letting his plant choke in its small pot. But we have no choice because we just don’t have the space inside the flat, much less an outside space where to plant it.
This problem was remedied when just this week, our little boy once again solemnly declared that he has another sunflower plant in school, where their teacher allowed them to plant their own. This is all part of their Science experiment, where they water and care for one plant and totally neglect another one – to see which one will thrive. So, at least, if his plant in our house indeed “chokes” in its microscopic pot, at least, he has another one as a fallback.
Being a sympathetic little soul, our boy now has another problem – the plant they are depriving of water and sunlight. “Poor little plant,” is all that he could say.
Well, there you go. At least, as early as now, he will come to understand the importance of nourishment, which I have taken advantage of, by the way. I just remind him of how that plant does not have any water to “drink” or sunlight to “eat” and it does not grow and just dies away. Then, he goes about the business of finishing his dinner. Great!
May 11, 2008
Mamang
Mother’s Day in the
Specifically, I am honouring my mother, this time. She is no other than Dolores P. Urmanita, Mamang as we call her. This is something which I haven’t done before – honour her in writing and acknowledge her role in my life. She, with all her faults and idiosyncracies, deserves to be recognized for her tenacity and grit, intelligence and wisdom, love and compassion, fierce loyalty and craziness about excellence in everything she does.
Even before I heard anything about obsessive-compulsive personality, I saw the signs and symptoms in her. I experienced it first-hand and somehow, it has shaped and influenced who I am now. But no regrets there, as I attribute my passion for excellence and doing things right to this kind up upbringing. I will forever be grateful that I was given Mamang as my mother. Someone lesser and I would not have achieved what I have now and someone more than her would have destroyed or overwhelmed me. Talking about God’s perfect wisdom…
Her childhood was not easy, but she persisted to get to where she is now – a school owner/operator who holds a Ph.D. in Education Management. She sent herself to school, washing clothes for her teachers and toiling in the fields of the
There were 13 children in the family and she was like in the middle. She was a smart pupil – always on top of her class. When it was time to go to high school, my old-fashioned grandmother (bless her soul) refused to let her study. My mother, the ever spirited and strong-willed person that she is, staged her silent protest by hiding in a big tub/barrel used to store palay grains under their stairs for four days! Of course, when she could not stand her hunger pains any longer, she emerged from her self-imposed solitary confinement cum silent protest cum hunger strike whatever. I tell you, even before I learned about these things in UP (University of the
The children helped in household chores as well as farm chores, something that was normal in those days. Even when she was in a far-away town for her high school studies (yes, she prevailed and was the first girl in the family to really pursue her studies), she would work in the farm of other people by removing corn from the cob during weekends. She would then sell her share of corn in town. Of course, she would walk all the way there (we are talking of miles and miles here). Since every household used to have Bantay (guard/domestic dog) in those days, she would ask one of her younger sisters to go with her to shoo away the dogs while they walked because Mamang would be carrying the sack of corn on top of her head (that was not an easy balancing act to do, is it?).
She finished college and went on to send three younger sisters to school plus a few nephews, nieces and other distant relatives. While she was working full time, she pursued her Masteral and Doctoral studies – alongside us going to school as well. She was and still is a workaholic. Never, as in, never did I see her lounging around the house doing nothing. She was always acting with purpose. She always had a reason to do something or get out of the house. And when she arrives, she always had something with her for the family – a loaf of bread, a basket of vegetables or a bar of soap or a bottle of cooking oil – whatever!
I learned a lot of things in life from my mother. Even with what she has achieved so far, she never forgets that she once was dirt poor (not that she is rich now, but at least, she has gone a bit farther than the barrio lass that she was). She showed me how it is to aim for excellence in everything I do. I learned from her how it is to prioritize my education and never to stop learning, to live the way I would want my kids to live.
It was her goal to send all her children to college (which she did – along with my father, of course). Then, she helped other less fortunate students finish school as well by taking them in as free boarders in exchange for some domestic chores. She knows how it is to be deprived of the opportunity to go to school and so now, she refuses to package her school as an expensive private school, thereby losing money or not making enough to sustain it (which is a bone of contention in the family, but that is a different story on its own).
My mother is a dedicated educator. She exacts excellence from her staff and faculty – even those students she taught as practice teachers before her retirement. Her students remember not her strictness but how good she was as a teacher, how motherly, how supportive.
But even as a career woman, she managed to take care of us with the help of an endless string of maids. She refused to give us instant noodles for breakfast even if it was more convenient for her to do so, as she was always thinking of nutrients for our growing bodies. Softdrinks and junk foods were a big no-no. And I thought she was downright selfish and a killjoy before (out of ignorance, of course).
I can go on forever singing my mom’s praise. But it was not always like this. I only came to fully understand her when I became a mother, too. Let’s just say, the connection between us was enhanced when I became a Momma as well. I wish I spent more time admiring her and being more grateful for everything that she has done for us and all the other people that came into her life. That’s why now, I express my deepest gratitude to her by being the best Momma for my kids – the way she was with us her children.
To my Mamang, I love you so much and I am mighty proud I am yours.
May 9, 2008
My Favourite Momma Quote, My First Ever Tag
1. Irresistible Fascinations / Naomi 2. Dance of Motherhood / Dette 3. Life and Me /Pinayjade) 4. HotMomma / Mathe
I was tagged (as if I know the meaning of the word! - lol!) for the first time ever by one of my favourite bloggers, Pinay Jade. Hey, girl!, if you are reading this, then know that I somehow figured out how it works - thanks to your short explanation.
So, I am supposed to share my favourite Momma quote and then tag my other online friends. It was not easy to make up my mind on the best quotation in my book because we all know there are tons of beautiful things that can be said about moms.
At first, i was just gonna share a simple joke: What is a six-letter word that picks up things and starts with an "M"? No, it's not magnet, it's mother!
But then, I thought, Mother's Day is kinda special and I might as well get more serious with sharing my favourite mommy quotation just to inspire everyone. So, here goes:
"God could not be everywhere, so He created mothers" - a Jewish proverb
Isn't that beautiful? As beautiful as the hearts of women who selflessly set aside their own desires for the sake of their children and families. Mommas are amazing and it takes a God to think about creating 'em.
In turn, I am tagging 24-Hour Paradigm, GirlforAllStatus, Petula Wright, A Transformed Life, Pinay American Fink and Sasha Says.
May 7, 2008
Mothering by Fathers
I read in a magazine about these two women who have just released their book on parenting. These gorgeous women have adorable kids, married to successful men and have the figure of glamorous celebrities. As in, they look really fetching and glamorous. If they have not written a book on parenting and have not posed with their children (eight between them), I would not have believed that they are actually moms.
Having said that, I must say that I am not writing about how great they look – it’s just something I can’t help mentioning here. I haven’t actually read their book so that is not what I am posting about either. It is something about a piece of information they divulged during the magazine interview that caught my interest. Fact is, they both had bad or sad experiences with their mothers, though they eventually made peace with them when they were older and had their own families. Both of these women authors positively affirm that they received considerable amount of mothering from their fathers. Considering that these women (as it appears) turned out to be good mothers and wives, their dads must have had done a good job with them.
One of the two women-authors, whose parents divorced when she was very young, considered her weekends as her lifeline, when she would get to see her dad again. Living with her mom throughout the week was almost unbearable, according to her and her time spent with dad was the little sunshine in her life.
This struck me quite hard, because until now, I really haven’t entertained the idea that fathers can potentially have profound effects on their daughters in terms of how they will end up eventually as parents. I mean, they can be great parents, of course, and they can positively influence their kids to do well in life. But particularly to help their daughters to be better moms someday is quite foreign to me.
I don’t have scientific data, I know, but being made aware of this possibility makes me suddenly realize how hands-on a father my husband is, too. Well, he may not have the culinary skills to feed his children with nourishing food, but he sure knows how to be there as their mentor or friend in a lot of ways. He is there to teach his kids how to tie their shoelaces (believe me, I could not break down the whole process into simpler steps for the boys to understand!) or to help them with their school work.
The thought humbles me, actually, because I now suddenly realize that I am not the “star of the show”. I have my husband who is my brilliant “co-star” and who knows how to complement my mothering with his own brand of parenting. Of course, I cannot expect him to mother the boys in exactly the same way that I do – though I sure would love him do that.
By nature, men are not designed to give the kind of mothering that moms actually give, but they are designed as well to contribute to the parenting process with their unique contribution of leadership, strength, boyish playfulness and laid-back approach to life in general.
Whereas for me, I do my share of mothering with a little bit of tenderness, strictness and a good measure of obsessive-compulsive style thrown in. Plus, of course, the other good things that can be expected of a mother (I’d like to think that).
I am thankful for having a man who has this ability to commit to his role and responsibility as a parent. Somehow, I have more reason to believe that my boys will grow up to be more adjusted in life, given the right modeling of fatherhood they got from their Papa.
May 4, 2008
Gratitude Part II
First off, I’d like to apologize for not posting sooner. The days fly so fast I did not notice that it’s been a week already since my last post. Nevertheless, I have a series of posts in the can already and I should post more often from now on.
For starters, I am now thanking those sites/blogs that provided me with the most number of clicks through the adverts they graciously ran for me. This is a promise I made in my post before last. It is an understatement to say that these sites are invaluable to this humble blog’s existence.
Chronicles From the Middle of Nowhere
While the aforementioned blogs provided the most number of clicks, the following five blogs are the most cost-efficient to advertise in. Though, I am not sure if the term "cost-efficient" means the same thing in terms of EC points. For one, I can’t understand the way EC calculates the cost of ads across different sites. Whatever, I think it is worth trying advertising in these blogs – these that are to follow and those ten I mentioned earlier.
So, there you go, the people who make blogging a lot more hopeful and pleasant for me, knowing that through my ads in their sites, I stand the chance of attracting some visitors. I know there are a lot more bloggers I need to meet. With EntreCard, I should be stumbling upon them one way or the other.
However, in itself, EntreCarders exist in a bubble, as there are other sites out there that are also worthy of our time to visit but are not connected with EntreCard. Whatever, I am just making the most of what EC can offer to me at the moment. To all of you fellow Entrecard users, thank you so much.
