Stage MOM

Yes, I admit it. I am a certfied stage Mom and I just can't help posting videos, photos, updates and blah blah blah about my kids. hahaha!

Before I got married and had children, I couldn't relate with some parents who talk endlessly about their kids' seemingly 'significant' developments, their milestones, how cute they are, what they can do and etc.and etc and etc. Yes, I would listen to them still but at the back of my mind, I would say, "so, what's so special about that?" hahaha!

And now, here I am a member of the club...hahaha!

Anyways, enough of the long introduction. Let me direct you to the latest videos of my kids. hehehe!!

Check it out at My Li'l Princess Diary and My Li'l one.

I hope you'll have fun watching and be amused as I am..hehehehhe!!

Children are a real blessing

The stage mother in me has surfaced again..heheh! So, if you're tired of moms continually babbling about their children, then you know what to expect from this entry. :)..so better make a slow move and hop to another blog.

Seriously, I'm just so blessed with my little girl. Here are her stories for today:

This morning, we went to the Center to send Annie, who's been a volunteer at the Center (for 5 months) to the train station. Before we left for the station, all of us ( 9 of us) gathered together to pray for Annie. My Hubby asked one of the staff to pray. And while he was praying for her, my daughter whispered in my ear, "Amma, I want to pray for Aunty Annie too." So, after our friend's prayer, I told Annie that Tricia wants to pray for her too. " Sure, Trish, thank you!" was Annie's reply. Here was Tricia's prayer. " Lord, I pray for Aunty Annie, Lord. Bless her Lord. SHe miss her Amma and Appa so much. Her home is far far away. I pray that as she rides the bus , she will be fine. In Jesus' name, Amen!" Wow, it was just so sweet of her that Annie ended up with tears in her eyes. As Tricia's mom, I'm just so blessed with her that as young as she is, she already knows how to pray publicly. I think prayer has already been ingrained in her because there are times too that I overhear her praying aloud by herself. Like the time I was at the kitchen washing dishes and she was bathing inside the toilet and I heard her pray aloud, "Lord, let me not have bad dreams anymore..."

The team with Annie (the one with the yellow bag)

Then this afternoon, I told Tricia that our activity for the day will be to sort out her toys. I asked her if it'll be okay for her to give away some of her toys to the kids in the village. She thought long and hard and said, "Okay". So, I told her that I will go through her toys and she decides what toy to give or not. While I was saying this, I was thinking, " Oh uh, maybe this is a bad idea because she might end up keeping everything I show her". But anyways, I gave it a try. I took her basketful of toys and went through her soft toys first. She has lots of soft toys mostly given as gifts to her and most of them are her favorites. So, I put out her toys (oh and bags too) one by one and asked, "Do you want to give this away?". Surprisingly, she said "yes" to many of the toys including her favorite Barney which sings everytime you press the tummy. Well, maybe she has outgrown Barney by this time. She only kept her very favorite ones like Rabbit, Eeyore, Kanga and etc. She even helped me rummaged through her basket and offered to give away some of the other toys and bags. She actually gave quite a lot! One big plastic bag full of toys. Her basket is not overflowing anymore. She also asked me at one point, " Are we giving this to the T---- children, because they don't have toys?" I'm just blessed again because material things don't have much hold on her and she has a heart to give to other children. I expected that as a child, she would want to keep all her toys because in the first place it's hers, but not my little girl and it's a great blessing for her to have such generous heart.

Okay, I think it's enough babbling for now about my li'l girl, if not I could just go on and on and on until no one would want to read my blogs anymore because it's already boring. :)

I'm just blessed and I thank God for my li'l girl. He has given me the privilege to take care of such beautiful children.

An excerpt from the "Invisible Woman"

I got this article from one of the sites that I've been subscribing to. It's an excerpt from a book by Nicole Johnson, it's for all the mothers out there especially the Stay at Home Moms it's so much an encouragement to read this especially at the low and tiring times that we have. It's a great reminder for God's purposes for us. It's quite a lenghty read but it's worth it so, read on...

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It all began to make sense, the blank stares, the lack of response, the way one of the kids will walk into the room while I'm on the phone and ask to be taken to the store. Inside I'm thinking, "Can't you see I'm on the phone?"

Obviously not. No one can see if I'm on the phone, or cooking, or sweeping the floor, or even standing on my head in the corner, because no one can see me at all. I'm invisible.

Some days I am only a pair of hands, nothing more: Can you fix this? Can you tie this? Can you open this?

Some days I'm not a pair of hands; I'm not even a human being. I'm a clock to ask, "What time is it?" I'm a satellite guide to answer, "What number is the Disney Channel?" I'm a car to order, "Right around 5:30, please."

I was certain that these were the hands that once held books and the eyes that studied history and the mind that graduated summa cum laude -but now they had disappeared into the peanut butter, never to be seen again. She's going, going ...she's gone!

One night, a group of us were having dinner, celebrating the return of a friend from England. Janice had just gotten back from a fabulous trip, and she was going on and on about the hotel she stayed in. I was sitting there, looking around at the others all put together so well. It was hardnot to compare and feel sorry for myself as I looked down at my out-of-style dress; it was the only thing I could find that was clean. My unwashed hair was pulled up in a banana clip and I was afraid I could actually smell peanut butter in it. I was feeling pretty pathetic, when Janice turned to me with a beautifully wrapped package, and said, "I brought you this."

It was a book on the great cathedrals of Europe. I wasn't exactly sure why she'd given it to me until I read her inscription: "To Charlotte, with admiration for the greatness of what you are building when no one sees."

In the days ahead I would read - no, devour - the book. And I would discover what would become for me, four life-changing truths, after which I could pattern my work: No one can say for certain who built the great cathedrals - we have no record of their names. These builders gavetheir whole lives for a work they would never see finished. They made great sacrifices and expected no credit. The passion of their building was fueled by their faith that the eyes of God saw everything.

A story in the book told of a rich man who came to visit the cathedral while it was being built, and he saw a workman carving a tiny bird on the inside of a beam. He was puzzled and asked the man, "Why are you spending so much time carving that bird into a beam that will be covered bythe roof? No one will ever see it."

And the workman replied, "Because God sees."

I closed the book , feeling the missing piece fall into place. It was almost as if I heard God whispering to me, "I see you, Charlotte. I see the sacrifices you make every day, even when no one around you does. No act of kindness you've done, no sequin you've sewn on, no cupcake you've baked, is too small for me to notice and smile over. You are building a great cathedral, but you can't see right now what it will become."

At times, my invisibility feels like an affliction. But it is not a disease that is erasing my life. It is the cure for the disease of my own self-centeredness. It is the antidote to my strong, stubborn pride. I keep the right perspective when I see myself as a great builder. As one of the people who show up at a job that they will never see finished, to work on something that their name will never be on.

The writer of the book went so far as to say that no cathedrals could ever be built in our lifetime because there are so few people willing to sacrifice to that degree.

When I really think about it, I don't want my son to tell the friend he's bringing home from college for Thanksgiving, "My mom gets up at 4 in the morning and bakes homemade pies, and then she hand bastes a turkey for three hours and presses all the linens for the table." That wouldmean I'd built a shrine or a monument to myself. I just want him to want to come home. And then, if there is anything more to say to his friend, to add, "You're gonna love it there."

As mothers, we are building great cathedrals. We cannot be seen if we're doing it right. And one day, it is very possible that the world will marvel, not only at what we have built, but at the beauty that has been added to the world by the sacrifices of invisible women.

Keeping my girl occupied

This blog was supposed to be posted last night ...

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I think I have a 'bored' kid in the house and I'm the one to be blamed for it. :) Before Lyle was born, all my attention would be with Tricia, we would play together, do some coloring, writing and other activities. But after the birth of my 2nd baby, things have changed. My 100% attention for her has only become like maybe 40%?? And I ended up just letting her watch cartoons ( not good!) while I take care of Lyle and do other things ( not to mention, internet..hehehe!). Sometimes, she goes with her Appa in the office which is good since there's a lot of toys in the children's room and there is this volunteer who likes her so much and really is so patient spending time with her and playing with her. But most days, she's just in the house looking bored (pity her!) .

It was just yesterday that I just realized that she must be so bored in the house. I saw her daydreaming and staring blankly on the wall. When she's not daydreaming then she plays and talks to herself, imagining Mowgli or Alladin with her. So, finally I decided that I need to keep her occupied again and let her do some activities. And today is the 1st day for such..:) Even if it entails more work for me since I'd be juggling between the 2 kids, but it's for the good of my daughter and maybe me as having a bored kid in the house isn't easy to take care too.

So, DAy 1 is baking day! After her short nap I told her she's going to help me bake some brownies. And immediatly her eyes widened and said, " I like that, Amma!"..then on the way to the kitchen she was hopping and said, "I'm so excited!".

Good thing I still have some cake ingredients left and even the butter was barely enough. So, I tried the Brownie Recipe from Hershey's kitchen. When we were baking she said, "Thank you amma for letting me help you". Hmmmm...so sweet of her and made me want to do more for her. Then, I just prepared all the ingredients and let her do the pouring and mixing. She was quite good in following instructions but...as curious as she is, as soon I turned my back from her she would do all the other 'illegal' things like licking the cake mixture and experimenting on her own. Hmmm,, have to always keep watch as things get messy real quick when she's on the 'loose'.

After we mixed all the ingredients together and put the brownie batter in the oven, she also helped me clean up and wipe the table. Hope she'll be this helpful even when she grows up. Then,we waited for the brownie to be baked but she was just so excited to see 'her' work that she asked me every 2 minutes, "Is the cake, finished already?", "Is the cake finished, already?", " Is the cake finished already?" Arrghh...help!!

Tricia bringing the used bowl and utensils to the kitchen.

Yes, she can wipe the table nowntoo. This isn't 'illegal' child labor, ok? :)

Frosting time!.As if she really knows what she's doing..

Eating time!

Our brownies...

looks yum but I think my sister's brownie recipe still taste better.

So, there goes my DAy 1 Activity for her. Tomorrow we will all be in the office for a meeting so, it'll give me a chance to do some lessons for her (when Lyle is asleep) as there are a lot of kids' materials available there.

So, I already planned out activities for her in the future. Next week, she'll have formal classes (twice a week) with Teacher Junjun. Then, we're trying to check out the cost of gymnastic classes at the public stadium (yeah, gymnastics, she just loves it! all the jumping, rolling and etc). Last year, we heard it only costs about 300-500 baht a month (unbelievable!) but she was only 2 years old then and they only accept kids from 3 onwards. She might have gymnastic classes once or twice a week. Then, I'll try to teach her piano lessons, twice a week (once she gets a small electric piano, the cheap one of course..hehehe!) . I've read at the Baby Center that once you teach the child how to play the piano as early as 3 years old, they will be good in maths and logic when they grow older. I was never good in maths even if I had piano lessons, but maybe because I was already about 9 years old (?) when I had my first lesson. Too late huh? So better try it out and start early with Tricia so, she won't be like her mom who cried in college coz she almost failed/dropped Math 11..hahaha!!embarrassing!

So, there goes the schedule to keep my 3 1/2 old girl busy. I just hope everything will turn out well; gymnastic classes will be cheap, we can get a good quality electric piano for a cheap price ( not the disposable one..I mean the one that gets broken after 1 use) and I'll have more time and motivation,( coz I can get lazy at times and just end up putting cartoons in the dvdplayer) to let her do some other activities. All the best for me and Tricia! :)

15 things that change when you have a baby

Found this from Baby Center and would like to share with you too.. this is just so true for me. Italics added are my own comments.

15 Things that Change when you have a Baby.

1. You finally stop to smell the roses, because your baby is in your arms. - Actually the baby smells better than the sweetest roses..:)

2. Where you once believed you were fearless, you now find yourself afraid. - hahaha! so true!! that's why my hubby keeps on wondering why I could drive the Lapasan Hi way before with our 'kagang, kagang (worn out) jeepy and now i'm so afraid to drive and even just to park the car in the garage. Is there hope for me? hehehe!

3. The sacrifices you thought you made to have a child no longer seem like sacrifices. Everything is just so worth it.

4. You respect your body ... finally. - Imagine, God has given our body the ability to nurture and grow beautiful babies.

5. You respect your parents and love them in a new way. - yes, they've gone through a LOT taking care of us too. I wonder if we were babies easy to take care.

6. You find that your baby's pain feels much worse than your own. - Countless of times I've been teary-eyed or felt like crying too when my baby felt pain..like Tricia's first immunization.

7. You believe once again in the things you believed in as a child.

8. You lose touch with the people in your life whom you should have banished years ago.

9. Your heart breaks much more easily. :)

10. You think of someone else 234,836,178,976 times a day. - Yes, now, I have 3 ( hubby and 2 kids) people to think of 234,836,178,976 times a day. hmm...I have a very occupied mind.

11. Every day is a surprise

12. Bodily functions are no longer repulsive. In fact, they please you. (Hooray for poop!) -heheheh! I remembered , several years back when I was still in my teens, I swore that I'll never have to wipe poop for anyone even my kids as I really disliked it. My siblings asked, what if i'll have my own kids, who will wipe their poop. And I retorted, my husband will!. hahahha!


13. You look at your baby in the mirror instead of yourself. - This one, I can't relate much. I'm not so fond of looking at myself in the mirror. I can even survive without one. But what I know, I couldn't stop staring at my baby and won't get fed up staring at him.

14. You become a morning person. - no choice..

15. Your love becomes limitless. - abounding

Blogs...blogs..blogs..

Am I a blog addict now?..hmm...I'm not so sure..hehehe! But one thing for sure , blogging keeps me occupied and serves some kind of an outlet for me being a stay-at-home mom. Blogging or internet for that matter, keeps me in touch with the world even if most of the time I'm just here at home doing routine stuff. It's kinda funny though that even in my 'busy' schedule of the juggling act of taking care of the kids and stuff, I still find time being online. But as what I've said, it's an outlet for me so, I try hard to find the time and maybe that is to keep me sane too..hehehe! Just like the fact that I couldn't just stay in our house for a whole week without going out.. ( if that happens, that'll be a miracle but for sure you'll find a grumpy me.) So, that explains why we go out to Carrefour few times a week even just to buy bread.

But it was quite a comfort to know a few days ago, that I'm not alone. I was able to find out from my friend that she's like me too. She couldn't stay in the house for several straight days especially that she's homeschooling. She even said that in a week, they set a time for her to just go out alone ( without the kids and hubby) and have some time for herself to be refreshed and renewed. She finds it very helpful for her and for her family too because if she can not have her time alone, she'll really be very cranky the following week..hehehe!

My hubby also encouraged me to do that too and again been prodding me to pick up on my driving so I can go out on my own anytime..but I guess I've just been lazy of being 'independent' for the past years..so used to depend on my Hubby for everything and be like princess...but maybe, I will try to do that..go out alone, have time for myself without kids and all...but where will I go? What will I do then??? Maybe i'll just end up thinking of my hubby and kids the whole time while I'm out....hahaha! Hmmm...that just proves that I don't have a 'life' on my own anymore..everything is just about my family...okay..I'll do that next week..:)

Can anyone babysit my kids for an afternoon next week??

Racoon eyes,sleepless nights....ZZZzzzzz..

If anyone sees me now, they will surely notice my racoon eyes...yes, dark, deep circles under my eyes..the visible sign of having a new baby from sleepless nights..hehehe!! Baby Lyle sleeps sweetly the whole day and is fully alert and awake at night! aiyooo... he's a night person like his Amma and Appa. Or maybe more of a dawn person. By the time we would settle down to sleep , that will be the time he's awake! hahahah! But even when we're tired, so sleepy, dizzy and groggy we couldn't help but smile and adore him whenever we see him with his eyes wide open and ready to 'play'. Like his Ate Tricia, he wants to be 'entertained' when he's awake. Good thing though, he doesn't want to be carried much, so less backache for us now. :)

So, I guess we will somehow get used to these 'sleepless' nights until he can sleep throughout the night..When would that be? When he reaches 5 months? hmmm..so, that would be another 4 more months to go..:)

The Summary..

Yes, it has been almost a month since my last blog..and so many things has happened ever since: My family (Mom, Sis, nephew and cousin) came, my Mom in Law came, I gave birth to a handsome baby boy..:), my family went back home and so did my Mom in Law. huhuhhuh!!

I won't be telling much about my baby here since I've also created a separate blog for him..:) But my birth experience was really pleasant! My family was around and the hospital where I was admitted was really good!! The service was 1st class..the nurses and attendants treated me like a Princess! The facilities were excellent. We were like in a hotel. The room had cable tv, microwave, water heater, fridge and WI FI!!hahaha! That explains, why I was already chatting the day after my operation, which left a lot of my friends confused!hahaha! They were asking me, "I thought you just delivered, then why are you online now?".

So, all these comforts for only 34,000 Baht. By the way, I had a CS operation and stayed in the hospital for 5 nyts and days. When I calculated it in Pesos, the bill was almost the same when I delivered Tricia in the Philippines (without the Philhealth deduction) and we were in a WARD (with 3 other patients) that time..and my poor husband had to sleep on the dirty floor!! haaayyyy...and good thing we only stayed for 2 nyts and I got discharged immediately (which was a relief!).

So, the past few weeks was indeed busy. We were busy going around town too. heheheh! My family did their shopping and ate in a few restaurants to try the Thai food. :) I even had to go out for grocery a day after I got discharged to buy things for Baby Lyle's dedication. hehehe! (laagan gyd!).... to be continued

puzzle fun, scribbles and etc.

I think I have really become a certified stage-mom now. I'm just so proud of my little 3 year old darling..We continually thank God for her giftings and abilities.

Just about a month ago, an uncle gave her a set of jigsaw puzzles..it ranges from a 6 pc puzzle to a 24 pc. Pooh Bear puzzles. It especially indicated in the box that it is meant for 6 years plus. So, anyways, I just tried to help her solve the 6 pc. puzzle first, and gradually helped her with the bigger puzzles as well. Then, as time went on by our little Tricia learn to love it and can solve the puzzles by herself. She started to solve the 6 pc first, then immediately the 12 pcs..and then the 24 pcs. Wow! we were just amazed as how fast she does it. It's also so amusing to watch her do her puzzles and singing or humming at the same time. Like a pro!

Well, thanks to the Uncle who gave that as a gift for her. If not, I would never have discovered her love for this activity. It also gives me some time to rest or read the newspaper or anything interesting as she's busy concentrating on the puzzle work. Yes, indeed it's a good break for me.

Other than that, our little daughter is starting to love to draw too. Finally, her drawings are clearer now other than just plain scribbles and googles. :) Even though her people look more like aliens than humans but at least there is already a visible image of what she wants to draw. She can now draw me with a big tummy or her Appa carrying a lot of balloons...she also draws herself with her 'messy' hair and even her rabbit that died a few weeks ago. She would be usually be 'sad' everytime she draws her rabbits. poor her!

OK..I think that's all for now. It must be boring for you to read about a Mom continually babbling about her child's ' accomplishments'. Well, if you have one, i'm sure you could relate with me.. If you don't have any yet...wait till you get one...heheheh!