superhero raya

i am so proud of my first daughter raya! we are so blessed! most kids her age (she is now 3.9 years old) wants to be a princess. raya wants to be a superhero because she wants to save people's lives. :) she believes she can do it all and can never be hurt because she is a superhero.

it's not not only cute but fulfilling. as parents, we try our best to inculcate in them good set of values of course. we set standards and i admit, i expect a lot considering that i'm a stay-at-home-mom who's got plenty of time for her kids.

so during our very first parent-teacher-conference, me and husband gelio met with the teachers together becuase we believe that we can give each other strength. haha! we don't know what to expect. we don't even know what happens on PTCs! maybe, we are also scared to know of raya's limitations. and as i've mentioned in my previous blog, her flaws could reflect on us. but then, her strengths are also a reflection on our parenting. so here are some of the results i can remember...

like what we already noticed, she needs to improve on her identification of numbers. the teachers are giving her extra activities and exercises to help her with it and she willingly comply at all times. we are also trying to teach her every possible way we can without the pressure. learn through play.  

the superhero in her shows everytime she helps anika, the youngest girl in the group, with whatever. she is always at her side willing to offer her services. even if raya is the second to the youngest, she teaches her classmates how to dance! even if its ballet, she can make her classmates (boys & girls) follow her.  she is sociable in a way that she participate in class and join her classmates with all the singing and dancing and all the activities whether its new to her or if its a bit difficult for her. she welcomes newcomers and guests with a warm "hi".

she is actually focused everytime she is doing something especially when she likes what she is doing like coloring and doing puzzles. she is so good at it that even the teachers are amazed. clap! clap! clap!

raya is happy at school even if it means wiping the table or sweeping the flor. she gladly volunteers herself to be the cleaner. very responsible that she packs away the toys after playing.

we are pleased with the results. we believe that we made the right decision in enrolling her at age  3.6 and in the school that is well balanced.

we are blessed to have a superhero who is strong and gentle, ready to help with a smile, eager to learn, sweet and has a big heart.

passion

passion, according to wikipedia means, an intense emotion compelling feeling, enthusiasm, or desire for something. A person is said to have a passion for something when he has a strong positive affinity for it. A love for something and a passion for something are often used synonymously.

i love to bake. so how come i am not good at it? so it's not true that if you love what you do, you are good at it? well, it's not all the time that it's bad, it's just that, it's not perfect. and i want it to be perfect! :) i follow the cook book. i use the right ingredients. i didn't go to a culinary school but i know that there are lots of good chef/bakers that didn't have it too and yet they are good. so it coul be that it's not baking that i am passionate about but it's the eating part? hmm... probably :) but i'd still like to learn how to bake [perfectly] what i love to eat! hay!

i'm passionate about my kids. but i do get tired :(

i like to read, but sometimes, i find it hard to make time for it or to find a good book.

i love sports. i used to do tae kwon do in high school until 1st year college and i was  part of the UP rowing team whole of my college life.  now, i don't play any sports.

again, Confucius said that it is important that you DON'T stop. keep on going.

that's why i attended photography class. because i like to learn to take good photos. and i have the best subject which is my family. the events and activities that we have is more than enough practice for me. and my teacher said that we cannot get it in one or two classes. so keep on learning and keep on clicking :)

i'm glad that my husband loves to read books as well. so we share. it doesn't matter that i just read 1 book per month or every other month, at least i do get to read. i'm actually reading a couple of books at a time...the Bible, inspirational book, finance, novel, parenting and of course my kids' books :) wow, talk about learning!

sports, maybe some day. ill stick to my walking and sit ups first. and i honestly want to try yoga.

the baking... i still have a long way to go and a lifetime to practice. i know i'll reach that perfection. i also try to search for recipes online. i attend some cooking class especially at Nestle Club when sked permits it :)


as for my kids, i'm still learning the ropes of motherhood/parenting. yes, i lose control at times, but i'm learning. i am growing up as well.


as my 3 year old raya sings, "keep practicing, keep practicing..."

happy 8th month robin!

i cooked mac & cheese (a lot of thanks to my titas in australia for sending us a lot of different cheese), chicken bbq and choco loaf to celebrate rob's 8th month.

 

we are happy and proud of her. she smiles a lot and that makes her more beautiful!

she can push herself up and stand. actually, she'd rather stand than sit down.

she crawls so fast. most of the time, she knows when to stop so that she won't fall off the bed :)

two of her incisors have started to show.

she eats a lot. she even likes ampalaya and broccoli.

she is sweet. when she wakes up, she gives us a kiss or reach for our hands to let us know that she is already up.

i can't remeber when did it start, but she can now sleep through the night. meaning, 8 hours of sleep. straight. yipee!

she also laugh a lot everytime her ate raya plays with her.

she is in good health, a happy & strong baby.
aaahhhhh... life is good!

her weakness, my weakness

i saw Raya's school calendar and was reminded that the parent-teacher conference in her school is near. i asked huband if he could be the one to face the teachers and discuss Raya's performance with him cos i don't want to do it. i am honestly scared :( i am pretty sure that Raya have some amazing qualities such as that she could easily finish a puzzle, she is eager to learn, she wants to play with her classmates, she likes her surroundings to be clean and that she packs away her toys after using them and a lot more. she is one smart kid i know. but i am also aware that there are areas for improvement. who doensn't want her child to be perfect anyway? :) i am scared because her weakness is my weakness [as a parent], right? i know for a fact that she can't yet identify numbers and the alphabet even if she can recite and sing them.  and so it is my responsibility to teach her. so if she doesn't know, that means i couldn't teach her well? or my teaching skills are not right for her? or teaching time isn't enough? something isn't right. hmmm... i should exert more, huh? simple things, and yet so hard to teach. its always like that right. the simplest things are the hardest to learn, to teach, to practice. and this is what i call learning from your kids! :)

a bit of rain

i received a call from Mahal today informing me that the company has given some of them a slight increase in their salary. it might not be much, but it sure is an unexpected blessing from above.

thank you Lord!

robin at 7 months

yey! at 7 months old, robin can stand and sit. she needs help though. but she is so strong! she would grab on to something -- the headboard, our leg, our tummy or our hands -- then push herself up :) when we put her in her crib, she doesn't want to be in a lying or sitting position, it has to be in standing position.

she crawls so fast that she can't be left alone on the bed even for a second. i don't want to remove the bedframe anymore like what we did when raya was a baby. instead, i added some pillows around her (which she can easily go over to) and placed some mats around the bed. 

when she poops or wakes up, you wouldn't hear a cry from her. we sometimes would know if she's awake when she has fallen off the bed already. hehe. 

also, her 2 incisors (lower part) have started to show up. i found out when she bit me and it hurts :)

i counted her spots the other day ;) i think there are about 17 spots in her body.  i don't know if its adding up each day or it's just there ever since. some are beginning to lighten already.

she is still talkative. even at 5 in the morning! sometimes, she grabs my finger or kisses me (with open mouth and all that saliva!) to let me know that she is awake. she is my alarm clock. wow, tipid. hehe.

oh, and her face is changing too. i really think she looks like me. i know it!  

tough year

this has really been a very tough year for me, for us. deaths, marital adjustments, parenting issues, business & work challenges and financial struggles. i keep on telling myself that i do hope this year will end because i am hoping that 2011 will be different, will be better.  but is it really the year that matter? circumstances? or its just me? or its just fate? yeah, i know that "everything happens for a reason" and that "God is preparing me for greater things" and "this too shall pass" and i do beleive that.  

so for now, i'll just breathe in, face it all, pray more and never stop hoping.

i am

i'm in my thirties, married, got two kids and yet it still surprises me on the things i discover especially about myself. i learn and grow because i am a wife and a mother.

a lot of my friends say that they never thought i would be a housewife and a stay at home mom. maybe because i used to organize events which requires partying all night. i was also into sports which requires me to train in the mornings and afternoons and even on weekends. i have diverse set of friends whom i hang out with every week. in short, i just go home to sleep, take bath and change clothes :)

well, that's the teenage life. married life and motherhood is different. and i can say that it brings out the best in me :) i have my kids to thank for. raya, a toddler and, robin, an 8-month old baby. and of course, a very understanding and supporting husband. 

in this new phase of my life, i became more patient (tho i need to stretch it some moooorrree!) especially when it comes to tending to raya's constant need of attention and robin's  assurance every time she cries for no reason at all. it takes a lot of effort not to spank raya when she is being a brat. and can i just say more patient with my husband? (sorry mahal!) well, men are from mars. period! haha! i try to forgive easily. how can i not be when a "sorry" is followed by a hug and a kiss from a kid? i try to be creative too so as to turn a boring day to a fun filled day. it could be a baking day, or a puzzles day or a time at the park day or an ice cream day, etc. i also find creative ways to teach raya about numbers, alphabet, how to write, drawn, and talk about God. i can also cook now. well on a regular basis. im still not that good but at least my family isn't hungry. i think i am more practical too. again, ive learned the expensive way. buying things that are of no use. realizing later on that i could buy stuff at a cheaper price. i now found out that some things are really not worth buying. i am not selfish, but i learned to think of myself less. tending to my family's needs is on top of my list. its ok for me if i don't get an 8-hour sleep, just as long as i rise up early and prepare their things and breakfast. i learned to be a kid again where playing is fun. its both a learning and bonding moment for us.

there are plenty of things, really. sometimes i myself could not believe that i could do it. so i just offer a prayer of thank you to God for allowing me to be better and for seeing it. for giving me these special people who could bring out the best in me. i am humbled. 

it makes me want to be a better person. to seek and know God more. so i could pass this on to them. cos the joy and peace it brings... its so amazing!