Can I Have A Pug?

"Mom, can I have?" Words from my son every time he sees cute dogs and puppies. All I can answer back is: "Not yet darling, when you're older". 

At a tire shop as we waited for our car to be fixed, we saw a cage full of  Golden Retriever pups. They were really cute, that I also begged my husband for one. Then a Pug came out... Franky got very excited to touch it. He really loves this dog. Since he was a baby he's been holding a pug stuff toy given by his Godmother. As soon as he saw the pug, he totally forgot about the Golden Retriever pups.  It's a good thing that fixing our car's tire  took a bit long, Frank was able to play with the dog. Then over the weekend, our family dog in my hometown gave birth to 5 puppies.  Again, Frank asked if he can have one. 

-photo source-

We understand the child's urge to have a pet.  We're going to get our son a pug, that's the plan ever since,  and we will give it to him. We're just waiting for the time when our son can be responsible taking care of pets.  Having a dog inside the house is not easy. It's a different responsibility, it's something that we just  can't set aside every time we don't feel like it. I also like to have a pet dog running inside the house, but for now being a housewife, I can't juggle with another task at the moment. A task that can wait. It's just a matter of time, we will eventually get there and play with our own pug someday.

What if we surprise him with one sooner than later :D

Personal Blog on Multiply

All personal blog are going to be posted on my Multiply site. But...open for my contacts only.

Personal: anything that will fall under my individuality, stuff about me, things I love, down moments, challenges, life's lessons (personal impact) latest accomplishments and goals.

Anyway, from the very beginning, my blogs has always been about family, life and marriage,  that's why I decided to close my personal life to some people only. Food will always stay open to everyone and dropping resumes. My blogger friends can still follow my stories on Facebook see you there

Montessori It Is

And busier week to come... My son's assessment this Wednesday, interview for us parents and the orientation.

For the past 2 weeks I have been fixing my son's requirements for school. As of Saturday, my husband and I made a  last minute decision to transfer our son to a Maria Montessori School. It took us almost 2 months just thinking whether to transfer Franky or not. The school is just 10 min- walk away from our new home. 5 minutes if I'm going to use the car. 

The tuition fee is doubled compared to Frank's previous school. As parents we want to give what's best for our son. It may be a bit heavy in the pocket than before, but we believe that the traditional Montessori way will help him boost his confidence and it will greatly aid with his development in school. But if you're going to do cost comparison, attending Montessori will save us more energy, and Franky's time in school is going to be longer. From 3 hours, he's going to be spending 6 hours for school year 2010-2011.

Money is not a problem when it comes to aiding our son's future. My husband and I both graduated from a Montessori school. We're sure of the positive outcome on our son.

My husband graduated from Maria Montessori in Alabang. Me, from Morning Dew Montessori. Not to forget, I transferred from Assumption, and Montessori did the job, it brought out the best in me. I became very active in various school activities, my grades went up, my shyness vanished all of a sudden, I became free of the things that are holding me back when I was still in a traditional school. And I carried "the confidence" until I got married and started the family I have right now. The "Right Confidence", not the one that goes all the way to the head.

Plus, this Maria Montessori School offers Grade school,  it backs up our plan for the next 5-10 years.

Please bear with me because I can't mention the real name of the school online (security reasons).

Why Montessori?

• Inner guidance of nature. All children have inherent inner directives from nature that guide their true normal development
• Freedom for self-directed learning. The Montessori method respects individual liberty of children to choose their own activities. This freedom allows children to follow their inner guidance for self-directed learning
• Absorbent mind.  The young child (0–6) has an absorbent mind which naturally incorporates experiences in the environment directly into its whole basic character and personality for life. This mental faculty, which is unique to young children, allows them to learn many concepts in an effortless, spontaneous manner. It also allows them to undergo the key phenomenon of normalization to return to their true natural development. After the age of about six, this absorbent mental faculty disappear.
• Prepared environment. The right precise conditions around children allow for and support their true natural development. For young children, the environment must be prepared in this way by providing a range of physical objects that are organized and made available for free, independent use, to stimulate their natural instincts and interests for self-directed learning.
• Work, not play. Children have an instinctive tendency to develop through spontaneous experiences on the environment, which Dr. Montessori referred to as "work"^. In this sense, the children's normal activity is attached to reality in the present moment, rather than idle play through such means as toys and fantasy.

• Observation and indirect teaching. The teacher's role is to observe children engaged in activities that follow their own natural interests. This indirect teaching to control the environment, not the child, contrasts sharply with the ordinary teacher's role of implementing a pre-determined curriculum. For example, a Montessori method class has the teacher resolving misbehavior by refocusing the child to some positive activity, rather than engaging in the ordinary system of rewards and punishments. -source- 
These are just some of the concepts that Montessori practices. 

“Education is a natural process spontaneously carried out by the individual and is acquired not by
listening to words but by
experiences upon the environment.”
- Dr. Maria Montessori-

Pictures Of Me but Without My Camera

Weird for a blog title right? A bit confusing too. Here's why. I seldom get photographs from certain events since most of the time for the past 2 years, I was the one working behind the camera. If not that, I always volunteer to take the picture. Then at the end of everything, I only get like one or 2 photos of myself. Sometimes, I get blurry or not so good- looking shots. On a recent wedding we celebrated with some friends, I  opted not to bring my camera or anything at all (not even a clutch bag). It was the night when I thought that I should just go with the flow.

Everything turned to be a huge success on my part. I mean, having no bag around was already an achievement for the night. The whole evening was fun, my hands are free. My right hand holding my Margarita and my left hand holding my husband. Above it all, I know that most friends from our circle will bring their cameras that's why I totally felt that it's time to take a rest from taking photographs.

Half of me felt incomplete though,  like something important was missing. Well, my camera was not with me...  I bring my camera (dslr or digicam) almost everyday, anywhere I go. Then, half felt normal in a sense that I was able to celebrate "the usual way". I have all the time to talk, meet and greet new people, enjoy some cocktails and simply have a cool evening.

Receiving photographs from other people and getting tagged from various albums brought so much excitement. For the very first time I wasn't doing the tag, for the very first time I ended the celebration with me still looking fresh, for the very first time, I was able to cherish every moment of it.
Photobooth: fotoloco

For the last 2 photographs, I would like to thank Jon San Pedro, a very good colleague and close friend of ours. For this opportunity: I would like to send my warm wishes to Ria and Rowny. It is actually us who should be thanking you guys for sharing this special event in your life and as a rare opportunity  for me.

May 16, 2010: The Crescent Moon and Venus

It was around 6pm when my son Franky noticed this unusual  celestial alignment last night. It reminded me of a symbol. Maybe a flag or a respected emblem of a religious group. To describe what I saw: It was very nice to look at, especially with the reddish hue of the sky as the sun was going down on the other side.  I wanted to stop and take a picture, but we were literally driving in the middle of the road.

When we got to our destination, it was already dark. I  got off at the other side of the mall. As I crossed the bridge- way, this wonderful sight waved at me.

People filled the bridge- way taking pictures of the moon and the planet Venus. Am I lucky or what? This is the third celestial wonder I witnessed for 2010. The sight is nicer from afar to appreciate the form it made.

Once In A Blue Moon January 1, 2010

Solar Eclipse January 15, 2010

I would probably say, that I was just at the right place and time. Unlike the first 2 events early this year, I've never heard of any news about  this third alignment. Most of the time we see Venus near the moon, but not this close and not as wonderful. As always, here in Southeast Asia, we're  blessed to witness most wonders in the sky at very window of our own homes.

Something New and Old I Like: My Mp3 Player

I practically have everything in terms of basic essentials when it comes to gadgets. Why am I sharing this?

1. Point Of View.  It helped me stop from going from one store to another. Through the years I was able to acquire all these essentials. At the same time, I got very satisfied that I don't have the urge to upgrade all the time.  It is always important for me to  stick to it's real function. For surfing the net and instant documenting, a laptop it is. Calls and Text, a cellphone. Pictures, camera. Videos, video camera. Music, an MP3 player. We all have our own preferences. Some wants an all-in-one machine, some wants to get whatever is new in the market, some as a collection, for the rest, one is enough.

2. Suddenly I need an upgrade.

3. Justification: If there's an upgrade I need...

That's for my old MP3 player. It's so small, and tiny (L2",W1") I have been using this MP3 (Creative Stone Plus) for almost 3 years now and still works  perfectly fine. At first, I was just thinking of getting new earphones (a super duper nice one). But then again, why not upgrade the whole set. My husband's been using Creative even before we started dating. I took after his choices. If we're going to talk about durability and function together, Creative has it. The other night, as we were browsing in an appliance shop, I was able to take a good look at Creative's latest product: The  Creative Zen X-Fi2.

-photo source-

The specifications are exactly what I'm looking for: an upgraded MP3 player nothing more, nothing less. It's like putting the functions of my old player to a bigger body with upgraded features, updated programs in a slick new look.

We were in the appliance center to buy new electric fans. We went to the Creative stall instead. By the way, it was a choice between the Creative MX and the X- Fi.

What Inspire Me The Most

An entry for an Inspiring blog anniversary contest from:



The only factor that inspires me the most are my 2 boys...
 

My boys gives me inspiration through the bond I share with them. They're my purpose in life. I learned how to become selfless because of them, I learned how to appreciate the small things that I didn't notice before.

Frankly, the things and joy I have right now were the biggest surprises in my life, it's like a grand gift handed over to me. I didn't expect that family is going to be my lifetime achievement. When I was single I saw myself as a career woman, if not, as a business person. But I am happy for the life HE chose for me.

To add, my husband told me just last night that he wants to get into business soon, I never thought that I will still be given something to fulfill me as an individual... Family and the blessing to do what I've always wanted.

Thank you Chris for this wonderful opportunity to share our moving factors in Life... Continue to give inspiration and words of encouragement... I am happy for you, your blogs first anniversary. Looking forward to more great years full of stories on love, hope and INSPIRATION.

To share your inspiring moments:

1. Write a post about what inspires you and make sure you link back to this contest page saying it is your official entry.

2. Write another post about this contest with the list of sponsors on it.
Here is the list of my sponsors and the prizes.

The contest will start from May 15 until May 30 12am EST. The winner will be chosen via random.org and announced on May 31.

Here are the Sponsors:

1st Place
Seiko's Diary - $30
Topics on Earth - $10
SAHM Hosting - INFO Domain with Free Blog Hosting

2nd Place
Mommy Rubz - $5
The Mommy Journey - $5
Chris Chronicles - $5
SEO Friendly Blog Directory - $5
Rubz Online - INFO Domain with Free Blog Hosting

3rd Place
WAHM sa Pinas - $5
MommaWannabe- $5
Pinayjade - One Year Free Hosting

Gathering For Unity

May 7, 2010 marked my year Extraordinary.

1. It was my first time to campaign for a certain candidate.

2. It was my first time to share the voice inside me, what I believe in.

3. It was my first time to experience meeting de avance.

4. It was my first time to witness and experience true camaraderie and unity from all walks of life.

It was fun. Happiness filled Rizal Stadium, night of May 7, 2010. That moment was for everybody to be thankful for each and everyone's contribution on keeping a good impression for Presidential Candidate G1BO Teodoro,  a job well done... On all honesty, I was not really for G1BO Teodoro since the start of the campaign period. Not because he is under Lakas- Kampi or under the umbrella of the Arroyo Administration. Like the rest, it's because I don't know much about him. I kept an open mind and studied each candidate. There were times when I saw the lighter side of Manny Villar, the works of Dick Gordon, I listened to Jc Delos Reyes, and Nicanor Perlas and #1 on my list at that time was Noynoy Aquino. But when I gave G1Bo the chance, all I said was: "this man is different" and like what my Mom took as basis and from  the words of my sister-in-law : G1BO Teodoro was the only candidate who has never uttered any deregatory word towards the other presidential hopefuls only to gain votes or following.

For the very first time, I  became very vocal on my concerns as a citizen, I was able to post shout outs and I didn't hesitate posting stuff online about my candidate. He taught us to be open, to listen, and to express how one should feel without stomping on anybody else.

Over-all, win or lose it is the whole journey that made  an impact in this meeting de avance. A journey that few candidates notice and appreciate.

At the  May 7, 2010 Meeting De Avance, G1BO Teodoro's speech was heart- warming. It was a speech filled with words of gratitude. The campaign is over, it was his time to thank the people who supported him and those who continue to believe in him. Nothing more. This man is full of humility.

As for my family, we did our part, we tried and we will continue to practice what we started with G1BO. The values of helping the country and the elected president. A new beginning, a new leader but life is going to be the same, it's up to us to stand and make a big difference.

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A person who DOESN"T SAY ANYTHING AGAINST HIS FELLOW CANDIDATES, a person who's able to make a STAND ON HIS OWN, a person who's ABLE TO MAKE A BIG DIFFERENCE, a person who PRACTICES CAMARADERIE, a person who KNOWS HOW TO LISTEN and MAKES FIRM- WISE JUDGEMENTS AND CHOICES, a person who is READY TO ACCEPT DEFEAT and WILL HELP STABILIZE OUR COUNTRY, THAN destroy the elected leader, a person WHO VALUES and LOVE HIS FAMILY, will no doubt, LOVE HIS COUNTRY AS MUCH, a GOD -FEARING, GOD-LOVING person... these are STRONG CHARACTERISTICS that makes up a good leader.

REGARDLESS OF TRACK RECORD, PARTY AND STATUS. A candidate will not qualify if he/she is not capable basing it on history of Philippine Politics (at least from the moment I was awakened) . Basically, anybody can run for Presidency as long as you're of legal age. We placed the most experienced politicians, but most of them succumbed with greed and malicious judgements and totally forgot about THEIR JOB: PUBLIC SERVICE and GOOD GOVERNANCE. 
Politics was made to have rules and procedures to follow. For the past years we all witnessed how people juggled around with these rules, how our country played in this game. THIS IS NOT A CONTEST. Popularity is not gauge in order to put somebody in position. 

Look for the moral aspect, listen to the words that comes out of each candidate's mouth. Consistency ON HIS GOALS with a timeline set in order to make achievements. NOT hopes and dreams that will eventually be left behind. Then decide.

*The views and opinions expressed on this blog are purely the blog owners

Seiko: Ang Friend Na Masuwerte

A one of kind Mom, a one of kind Friend. Mommy Seiko of Seikos Diary is a very dear friend to everybody. She never misses a birthday greeting within her circle of friends "the marce club". The best part, even a non-member bows down to this person. On my recent birthday, she was one of the first who remembered and greeted me. I wasn't really expecting it, because I didn't mention anything about my birthday online. 

Naisip ko nun: "the best talaga si Mommy Seiko"

I look up to Mommy Seiko for her experiences in life, her love for family, the way she treasure friends and the events that makes her whole as a person. 

Happy Birthday Mommy Seiko! You're full with inspirations...

Photo Fiasco

Why Fiasco? Well it's photo sharing gone wrong.

Emotions are at it's peak as the campaign period comes to an end and we're nearing the big day when Philippine politics will make another mark on history. 

With that, we all have our own picks, we all have our own little way to show support. And my way of showing trust and support to my candidate is through a photograph.

I took an image for my sister with her hand pointing up holding a presidential candidate's baller id. I shared it online. 

People asked for permission to use it. I don't have any problems when it comes to sharing. This picture is a form of expression for me, and so I gave my go signal through my sister Ella as she posted it on Facebook. Tracing back the people who asked permission, there's this one user who removed my watermark on the photo. I know she didn't intend to own the photo, but once watermark is removed, viewers will get the impression that the photo is owned by the person who posted.

Personal feedback: it's a very sad thing to do

Removing one's signature from the photo which is not yours is a big no-no whether it is under license or not. Self-explainable. If it's not yours, don't change anything.

The internet is the perfect place to apply  "the freedom of everything" . I gave the rights to share even if they don't link back or give credit, just keep the image as it is. My photo may not look as impressive but it's still mine. The only way to recognize the owner is through his/ her watermark.

To end:

The other party apologized and posted the original photo with my watermark. Thank you for doing so. I may have judged this user, but remember, in everything you do, reflects the kind person you are. I'm glad she did her part. Thank you for keeping an open mind.

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The owner(s) of this blog is not compensated to provide opinion on products, services, websites and various other topics. The views and opinions expressed on this blog are purely the blog owners.