HotMomma

Tagging to Inspire

2008-07-01T04:45:00.006+08:00

As a parent, I know that feeling of wanting to give everything my children need, and when it is beyond my means to give, there is that pain deep in my gut because I feel inadequate to give that which my child needs or desires. The following story is not only for the parents in us but more especially about us being children to our parents and to the Lord.

I hope each one of us will be inspired by the truth that the Lord, being our Heavenly Father, desires not to keep back anything that we need, and sometimes, even those that we so desire - just like us to our kids. Since nothing is beyond Him to give, this should also give us tremendous comfort.

Well, who said that tags should just be about mundane or cute or useless things? They can also be for something as moving and emotional as the following story. Thanks, Girl for All Status, for this tag!

*** Start Here ***

Rules:
1. Simply copy the inspirational story and in the end write down the lesson you have learned out from this.
2. Put your own blog name and link. Pass or tag this to your friends to inspire them.
3. Start copy from “Begin Copy” until “End Copy” to your blog.

--- The Best Gift Ever ---

A young man was getting ready to graduate from college.
For many months he had admired a beautiful sports car in a dealer's showroom and knowing his father could well afford it, he told him that was all he wanted.
As Graduation Day approached, the young man awaited signs that his father had purchased the car.

Finally, on the morning of his graduation his father called him into his private study.
His father told him how proud he was to have such a fine son, and told him how much he loved him. He handed his son a beautiful wrapped gift box.
Curious, but somewhat disappointed, the young man opened the box and found a lovely, leather-bound Bible, with the young man's name embossed in gold.
Angrily, he raised his voice to his father and said,
"With all your money you give me a Bible?"
And stormed out of the house, leaving the Bible.

Many years passed and the young man was very successful in business. He had a beautiful home and wonderful family, but realized his father was very old and thought perhaps he should go to him.

He had not seen him since that graduation day. Before he could make arrangements, he received a telegram telling him his father had passed away, and willed all of his possessions to his son.
He needed to come home immediately and take care of things. When he arrived at his father's house, sudden sadness and regret filled his heart.

He began to search through his father's important papers and saw the still new Bible, just as he had left it years ago. With tears, he opened the Bible and began to turn the pages. His father had carefully underlined a verse, Matt 7:11, "And if ye, being evil know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more shall your Heavenly father which is in heaven, give to those who ask Him?"

As he read those words, a car key dropped from the back of the Bible. It had a tag with the dealer's name, the same dealer who had the sports car he had desired. On the tag was the date of his graduation, and the words... PAID IN FULL.

How many times do we miss God's blessing because they are not packaged as we expected? I trust you enjoyed this. Pass it on to others. Do not spoil what you have by desiring what you have not; but remember that what you now have was once among the things you only hoped for...

PLEASE SEND THIS TO AT LEAST FIVE PEOPLE SO AS TO LET THIS GREAT LESSON FLOW AROUND.

End Copy

Lesson Learned:

Trusting and believing the best in the Lord - knowing that He loves us and will not hold back anything that's good for us.

I'm tagging Gewgaw Writings, 24-Hour Paradigm Shift, Human Blogging Tips and There's No Place Like Home

My Boy and the Camera

2008-06-26T18:39:00.008+08:00

There are times when I wonder if the years I spent raising my kids were all worth it - what with all the sacrifices that I had to make and the way I chose them over my career or something. Not that I have any regrets with regards to having them. No, it's just an attempt to objectively assess if I did the right thing.

And then, I see photos that really grab me in the heart and I stop to doubt at all. Like this one...

When they get cranky and demanding and plain mean to me, I turn to blogging to heal my emotions. Sometimes, I attempt to scan my photo files for some really fascinating images to talk about just like what I want to do today. But then, I chance upon some bizaare photos like these:

I don't know why, but this little boy seems to love contorting his face to impossibility whenever he is in the vicinity of a clicking camera .

Now, before you get shocked to death, i must warn you, this is not a pretty sight. Oh! there you go - i did warn you, didn't i?

Now that he is bigger, it is not much to expect that he must have learned to smile normally in his photos, right? But this is the closest he could get to a "normal" pose.

Oh well, I think I just have to accept the fact that this boy does not have the capacity to sustain a normal relationship with the camera.

Stress. Kids. Mom

2008-06-21T15:42:00.004+08:00

It's been a while since the last time I wrote about a serious topic on mothering. I think it's high time to share another one with all of you and I hope that it helps a bit.

==============

Stress is an epidemic, no, a pandemic. It is felt and endured by all types of people from all walks of life all over the world. And, if you are wishing that you are a child again in order to have a stress and problem-free life, think again. Listen to this; “Kids are not exempt from the grasp of stress and its host of complementing problems."

As parents, we have that responsibility to ensure that our kids do not get stressed and if it is unavoidable, that they are able to cope. There are at least three ways to ensure that kids do not live their young lives under the cruel strain of a stressful life.

One, it is our responsibility to prevent stress. In all aspects of life, stress is just lurking around the corner ready to strike at an opportune time. School is the most common source of stress for children. Coping with school work, experiencing pressures from relating with different people or even dodging a bully, are all potential causes of stress.

Regarding school work, it is essential that parents teach kids to be organized with their school work and to plan/prepare properly for exams or school projects.

In the homefront, abusive relationships or simply a chaotic/dysfunctional home life can also cause stress on kids. The way the house is organized and the home is run, can be big factors on whether kids are stressed in their own turf, so to speak.

Another way to shield our kids from stress is to promote behaviours that will avoid stress in the long run. This means encouraging kids to get more physically active rather than just planting their butts on the sofa for endless TV hours. Physical activities can release pent up emotions and raise kids’ energy levels.

Healthy mental activities like reading a good book, listening to or making music or playing board games with the rest of the family are just some of the few de-stressing activities the whole family can engage in.

Aside from encouraging physical and healthy mental activities, we can prevent stress among kids by providing them with good nutrition and a calm, orderly and safe home. A balanced diet ensures that they get all the nutrients they need to promote growth and a healthy disposition. A calming environment in the home is like a haven for them – a place where they can chill and relax and of course, be rejuvenated.

Last but not least, we can help our kids cope with stress when it is unavoidable. Doing this can be anything from counseling them or simply hearing them out, taking them on relaxing trips during weekends, allowing them to sleep in occasionally when physical exhaustion is apparent.

Hearing them out about whatever stress factors they recognize in their life and explaining to them that real life indeed is not a bed of roses, gives them a hands-on education about stress and how to deal with it. Growing up with an understanding or awareness of the existence of stress, pinpointing the causes and knowing how to cope will equip kids and fortify them in order to survive in an increasingly stressful world.

Photo credits: Microsoft clipart

A Little Boy Lost, a Little Girl to be Saved

2008-06-16T16:22:00.007+08:00

Photo credit: Microsoft ClipArt

A few months ago, I posted about my friend’s son who drowned back in the Philippines. It was such an emotional time for me because I care so much for this friend – a fellow mother, and because of the fact that we would look after the boy when he was a baby, when his mom would be on duty in the hospital.

I cannot imagine the grief of a parent losing a child. Until today, my friend, who works in Canada, is still too emotional to get in touch with me to talk about her grief, except for one short message a month after the incident. I understand her silence perfectly and I can only wait and pray for her in silence, too.

But if a child is still alive with something that can still be done to save his life, then I do not want to keep silent. I want to make noise, to make people aware, to help get the attention of those who can help save his life.

Such is what I am doing now. Serena is a little girl with Neuroblastoma, a rare form of cancer. She was in remission for a while but a few months ago, the cancer has come back and her only chance of making it is for her to go to the United States for a revolutionary treatment. Raising the money needed is her father's mission now.

If you have something to help them with - cash, a connection to an individual or an organization that can help, please visit the blog set up for the purpose: Help Save Serena (or click the widget in my EntreCard if you are visiting today, June 16). Do pray for her and the whole family as well.

I am doing this appeal not only for Serena and her family, but also for my friend's little boy. I may not have been able to do something to help him but I can make his death more meaningful by being more concerned about other children like him.

Thank you so much for your help and concern. Let us join hands together to help this little girl and her family - and prove to everyone that bloggers are not just here for the fun of it, but to be of help to the world as well.

Tired Batman

2008-06-12T05:21:00.007+08:00

Superheroes are just amazing. What are we gonna do without them? They zoom into the sky and snatch people in peril. They put the bad guys where they belong and save the day for all of us, don't they?

But, have you ever wondered if superheroes ever slept and got tired? Well, I saw one sleeping on his post a few years back. He was so dead tired solving the world’s problems that he slept on the sofa – with an endearing pose to boot!

He barged into the living room one hot morning donned in this costume. He had been outside trying to save the world. Then, he just sank into a tattered chair and went totally quiet.

Of course, any self-respecting Batman should have his nemesis, Joker and this one got his. Joker aka big brother had one heck of a time laughing noiselessly as he tested if indeed, Batman has gone to sleep. Of course, he proved that Batman indeed, gets tired.

When you feel like the world is crumbling down and you seem to be hanging by the thinnest and last thread of your sanity, go over your kids’ photos and you will realize that nothing can overwhelm a mom who has given birth to wingless angels not unlike this one in Batman’s clothing.

Father’s Day Thoughts (Prayers for Fathers)

2008-06-09T17:21:00.003+08:00

Father’s Day is just around the corner and once again, the whole world is all but poised to pay tribute to the other half of the tandem we call “parents”. The western world usually celebrates the day with cards, gifts, greetings and family dinners, which are just fine, I suppose. Anyway, it’s not the price of gifts or the opulence of the Father’s Day family dinner that matters, but the genuine love, respect and gratitude we all have for our fathers.

To complement these traditional ways of honouring our fathers, I would want to suggest that we continue to uphold them in prayer, encourage them in their role as head of the family unit and not make life more stressful than it already is for them.

A father has a God-given role of being the leader, the head and the provider of the family. Of course, modern times have seen drastic alterations to that most ideal set-up with single parenthood and broken marriages everywhere. However, it cannot be denied that all things being equal, it is still most ideal and beneficial for the whole family to have Dad there in the middle of family life as the leader and head and provider.

But fathers are also men – men who are frail, weak, imperfect. Thus, they need more than good intentions and sheer will power in order to prove faithful to their role as husband and father. They need super natural power and divine intervention to fulfill their calling.

This Father’s Day, spend a few moments to pray for the fathers that you know – your own, your husband, your uncle or brother-in-law. Pray that they will not succumb to the temptation of the flesh and forget the vows they made to their spouse. Pray that they will have the wisdom to lead their family and set an example of uprightness to their children. Ask the Heavenly Father – the One Who thought about Dad’s earthly role in the first place, to help them provide, protect and care for their family. Now, more than ever, the world needs men who are committed to their families and to guard the sanctity of society’s most basic unit that is the family.

Happy Father’s Day!

Mother and Child Tag

2008-06-06T18:29:00.006+08:00

My friend Jojo tagged me. This is my favourite tag, so far because I like the theme. Well, I don't have yet digital copies of our photos while my boys were just babes but I have quite a few when they were younger, which I want to share here:

This was taken way back in 2002, when we were just starting life all over again in Manila after staying in the province for more than three years. The mattress was on the floor because that time, we still were without a proper bed. It was hard then but we were happy, what with these two cute angels with me.

This was taken almost four years later, a year before coming to the UK to join their father.

Just weeks before we left the Philippines, when we visited Subic's Ocean Adventure.

This is now - taken late last year. From these photos, you have pretty much seen how the boys grew from little boys to almost-bigger-than-mom versions of themselves.

I would have wanted to include photos of myself while breastfeeding my babies but I have none. Just lately, I have been nagging my hubby about his failure to capture those precious moments. It's over now so I can't do anything about it anymore, except to nag him once in a while (aka everyday).

As for the tag, below are the instructions:

~BEGIN COPY~

Rules :

1. Start Copy from "Begin Copy" until "End Copy".
2. Choose the photo(s) of you and your child(ren) that you would like to share in your blog, with a small story/explanation about when and where the photo(s) was/were taken.
3. Add your blog name and url blog, then leave your url post in here. And I'll add you to the Master List.
4. Please help spread this tag by tagging your friends as much as you can.
5. Please come back again to copy the update of the master list, often. This process will help new participants to get the same gains as the first participants.

Master List :

1. Juliana's Site 2. Moms.....check nyo 3.PinayWAHM 4. Surviving deployment 5. Live Love Life
6. HotMomma
~END COPY~

I am tagging GirlforAllSatus, Absolutely Moms and Liza of moms...check nyo!

May I Have Your Attention, Please

2008-06-05T03:53:00.005+08:00

I am again thanking my most frequent visitors who dropped their EntreCards in this site. Recognition is due to blogger and dropper extraordinaire GirlforallStatus, who is my top dropper for May. The complete list of HotMomma's most dilligent visitors are just to the left of this post. Again, thank you ever so much.

For my non-Entrecard visitors, you might want to enroll your blogs as well so that you can join the fun of surfing blogs and at the same time earning credits and increasing traffic to your site. Blogging, like love, is not optimized unless it is shared. And what better way to share your blog than to increase your traffic through EntreCard?

Sleep Dangling

2008-06-01T23:42:00.019+08:00

If there are some people who sleep walk, there's this particular boy who sleep dangles - my own little angel in his most comfortable sleeping position. I just want to share a few more of these photos before I totally forget they exist. These were taken when he was just five years old back in the Philippines.

I have loads of photos like these but they all have similarities in that my precious one seems to take the phrase "half-asleep" quite literally - half his body sleeps on the bed - lol! Sometimes even his pillow ends up on the floor with his feet resting on it like this:

Sometimes, no pillow...

It doesn't matter if there is no pillow on the floor. What is important is that a body part is dangling, ok?

Fortunately, he is past that stage of sleep dangling. Maybe the cold temperature here in the UK forces him to stay put under his duvet or wake up frozen stiff in the morning if he tries to do these tricks again.

Sleeping Angels

2008-05-27T19:24:00.003+08:00

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.

Tags Galore!

2008-05-24T15:08:00.003+08:00

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:

Humane Blogging Tips

A Girl for all Status

Clamor of Kalinga

Cheaper by the Half Dozen

Overseas Pinoy Cooking

Puzzled Me

Bunions

2008-05-22T17:34:00.003+08:00

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 UK. Well, for me, they really are not a source of insecurities, but I try to hide them as much as I can because they call attention to themselves even without meaning to (you know what I mean?). But yeah, if it’s possible, i’d like to change them please.

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!).

Tag Again!

2008-05-19T19:18:00.003+08:00

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

31. HotMomma by Mathe

YOU’RE NEXT~~ END COPY~~

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!

Ramblings About My Naturalist Son

2008-05-16T00:15:00.002+08:00

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!

Mamang

2008-05-11T20:50:00.003+08:00

Mother’s Day in the UK is observed in March, thus my post on the event more than a month earlier. Having celebrated Mother’s Day during May for most of my life though, I think I want to blog again to join the chorus of tribute around the world for the most wonderful creature that is Mom.

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 State College where she got her degree in Education.

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 Philippines, known for its robust student activism), she has been there and done those already. I love her spirit, really.

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.

My Favourite Momma Quote, My First Ever Tag

2008-05-09T05:27:00.010+08:00

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.

Mothering by Fathers

2008-05-07T20:39:00.016+08:00

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.

Gratitude Part II

2008-05-04T21:58:00.005+08:00

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

madWAHM

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.

My Favourite Mommy Blog

2008-04-28T06:00:00.004+08:00

When I decided to join Dance of Motherhood’s contest on favourite mommy bloggers, I did not need to take a lot of time to decide who she will be. She is Ree aka Pioneer Woman. I discovered her blog by accident, when she was mentioned by one EntreCard using mommy blogger who was also one of my favourite sites to visit. I immediately checked out the blog and man, was I addicted to her style of writing and the wonderful things she writes about!

The blog is called Confessions of a Pioneer Woman. Pioneer Woman is a mother of four and is married to Marlboro Man, her rancher/cowboy husband of so many years. She is sharing their love story in her blog, interspersed with posts about her exciting life as a rancher’s wife, which incidentally is the complete opposite of her once-glamorous rat-race kind of existence. She also has a food blog she named Pioneer Woman Cooks.

Pioneer Woman has a unique brand of writing and she is extremely funny, witty and smart all at the same time. Her photos are awesome, too! Check her out and see what I am talking about.

Dance of Motherhood’s contest is open to all. A lot of EC points are up for grabs, so if you want to join and try your luck, check out the mechanics of the contest here. Do watch out for her Father's Day contest as well. This lady is one generous blogger, I can say.