Birthday Plans

The little boy is turning 8 on Friday, and so this stuff-toting, budget-conscious mother is thinking ways to make him feel a bit more special on that day. If it will fall within the budget, I like to have it different from his previous birthdays. However, we can’t afford anything pricey now. Although I would love to surprise him with the latest models of cell phones, you know those that begin with a lower-case “i” like iPhone, iPad, etc. but these are unlikely as of the moment. He’ll have to wait until he is older and more responsible.

And since these technological gewgaws are impractical, I thought these places can be his other options to spend the Big Day

What else can tickle the mind of an 8-year old but the wonders of Science? Try the Mind Museum at Taguig City and experience looking at flowing lava and see him amazed with the giant replica of astonishing T-Rex. Grawrr!

The boy will surely be delighted with the now becoming famous swimming pool waves. Amana Water Park will certainly entertain him all afternoon playing with waves, gliding down water slides and be mesmerized with the giant superhero stone sculptures of this resort. However, it’s a wee bit far and so the budget may double up because we need to rent a van.

This is another interesting place to visit. The boy had been there during one of his educational trips. Museo Pambata is open daily except Monday. I say, this is more interesting than the National Museum if it’s the kids you want to keep amused.

And finally, sign him up to Jollibee Summer Worshop and make his summer Jolly happy. This is a one week summer class where they are to meet twice a week. They will do art, prepare meal and make new friends. They will be given own uniform and have graduation later on. Not bad.

I am excited for him to do any one of these.

Do you have 8-year old? what would you do to entertain him? May be we can share ideas.

Saying ‘I Love You, Son’ With Kiss All Over the Place

I am not sure you are aware, blogging has made me a tell-all mother ever since I got into writing blogs. And being a son, you will not be spared like your father and eventually your little sister into this little side journey of on-line diary. Why you ask, doing this thing? Because whether my post is a lot of nonsense or a serious one, this is where your mama chills out a bit. Especially when days are harder and life is cruel. You see, I don't feel things lightly, and I listen to what my feelings tell me.

You are a blessing, have I told you that? Not only because you are my spitting image. What a big head you have when you came out. Of course I know that a baby's head is disproportionately large compared to its body and thin neck. And the mystery ends when I ran into old family photos and saw my enormous cranium. Yes, you are my son alright.

Your father and I had crazy days and nights raising you. How’d we felt terrified each time you catch fever. You see, your terrible tonsil played a big part of your childhood. You are forever with tonsillitis sending you frequent bouts of high fever convulsions. Oh how I want to cut from my memory that fateful night when you turned blue. I thought you were going to die. But the Lord is good, he so loves me, he let you live.

I love you, you are my first born. I will never let anything harm you. I will fight to death if anything or anyone put you down. They don’t know what we’ve been through. Too sad, your father and I are not born rich and so you will not inherit from us a castle or a huge farm or big stocks to big time companies. But surely, we will always have in mind what is best for you. Hope you grow up to be a God-fearing individual. Keep up the good work, and if ever I die and live again, I would still like to be your mother.

Just promise me two things: to always keep an eye on your little sister, and don't talk to strangers.

How I Feel In Photos

Do you ever feel like being trapped not behind steel bars or solid walls but real-life dramas? Not chained, but you feel that there seems to be no way out. Sometimes the hardest things to bear are not really the one you see, but the one you feel.

But sometimes we get sad about things and we don’t like to tell other people that we are sad about them. We like to keep it a secret. Or sometimes we are sad but we don’t really know we are sad. So we say we aren’t sad. But really we are.

― The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, Mark Haddon

(Source: escapereality) (Photos: My Summer Twist)

Happiness is...

• Accepting the fact that you are really getting older. (Kind of like watching Robert Redford, do you remember when the switch occurred where he went from one of the most handsome man on the face of the earth to be a grizzly old guy with a leather face?)

• Embracing your womandhood and ability to procreate. Even if it makes you what Regine Velasquez is now. I still love her no matter what.

• Acknowledging that you are only as old as you think you are. Ignorance is one but denial is another. Having all over body pain after a work out is a tell-tale sign that gone are the days when your body doesn’t care what you do.

But seriously, happiness is such an underrated term. Walk down the street and look at people. Really look at strangers as you cross them. I am willing to bet you can pick out the happy people in a fraction of a second. A blink of a glimpse is all it takes to know the difference between who is happy (they may look dumb, but they're blissful) from who looks miserable (they may look bright, but all those brains in the world are useless when you don't even want to get up in the morning). And so I ask, what makes a person really happy? I want to believe that from where I am right now, with my present circumstances and how I square in life in general,

I totally rock on two things:

• Having adorable kids and go from being indulgent, self-centered, single gal to stuff toting, budget-conscious and control freak but nevertheless caring, responsible mother of two. How dare I to complain?

• Enjoying life and realizing it before find myself strapped to oxygen tanks or my butt confined to a wheelchair...

So how about you? Tell me, I want to know, I may have undiscovered happiness waiting for me around the corner.

This Kind of Hug

Embrace. Cuddle. The kind of hug where you just want him to be all over you. Embracing everything a woman should feel with a man of her love. May be a kiss on the forehead, or fingers intertwined or his chest to your back, but the real magic lies in his clutching arms that say “you are mine”. The feeling so raw, all pure bliss and joy. You could almost feel and smell the love. Suddenly, you just want the time to stop.

'Darling after all, I will be the one to hold you in my arms'- Al Jarreau

Taking Extra Fat to the Next Level

You know what else comes when you hit 30’s? Aside from raising stubborn teens, you also gain stubborn fat. Fat that won’t come off easily. This so because older people metabolize fat slowly. They don’t burn calories fast like younger people do. And the result? Saggy arms, bulging stomachs and fatty hips. All these while facing early mid-life crisis.

But I guess you know this already.

I am not fat my whole life. But I can’t recall myself being skinny even before either. Not too heavy but I was always on the round side, that’s why I’ve been in and out of gyms for many times. As I’ve said before I have great aversion for dieting. I love dinner like I love my breakfast. I can’t start the day without them.

And so this new craze is for me.

ZUMBA!

It's exercise, sure, but it's really dancing.

When I hear the sultry Latin beats I swing my hips like Shakira. I cumbia like Selena, and I salsa like Gloria Estefan.

I feel like one of Christina Aguilera's backup dancers.

The truth is, there are very specific circumstances that are enabling me to do this.

• It’s free. Who doesn't love free? It was actually better than free. It was like someone handed me P16,500.00 which is equivalent to one-year membership to Gold’s Gym. Only I don't have to pay taxes on it.

• My kids are all big enough that it's OK for me to be a couple of hours late two nights a week. One of my girlfriends was telling me how frustrated she is that she can't exercise more. She has a one year old. When I had a one year old, I sure couldn't work out. At all. He won't be one forever. When he's ready, you can think about getting ready.

• My husband has been willing (and able) to go home early and watch kids on workout days. Although we pay someone to look after the children, I am more comfortable that he himself gets them dinner, gets them cleaned up and in jammies. This is huge. Without this, forget it.

• The work out place is near my house. In fact, it’s right beside hubby’s store where he works as a Manager. This convenience is critical. I guarantee if he ever decides to move, he better consult with me. Because if he moves too far away, I'm done.

• Lastly, I did found a new environment and meet new friends. A healthy, happy environment, and health happy friends. I say I became happier, more up beat. Although I am so sore after the calisthenics, I like what the endorphins does to me.

So far.

How Was Your Long Weekend?

Have your spare Snickers handy because you're about to have the laziest, dreariest and idlest Tuesday tomorrow when you are back to work. And for lack of better tonics, may be Snickers can give you the stimulant you need to boost up. You see long weekends can be really sedating at times. So snap out of it and do it, earlier the better. End of long days of basking in the sun, lazy walk along dreamy beach, and bloody spending of money. And in case you didn't leave the town and just stayed at the house, and watched all teledramas available on TV, yes that too will end tonight. I know this will be hard for all of us. As scary as I imagined childbirth. However, there is also the option of avoiding all these anxieties.Here are my other thoughts so far this Monday morning

• If I was a mature person I would admit that the first screw up of my going back to slavery aka work was my own fault since I didn't realize that long weekend is not designed for me live in fantasy where what I do with time, energy and intelligence is not important. Long day off is time to revitalize and to catch up some rest so you can face work with more rested and refreshed you, and thereby leading to good level of productivity.

• Accept that work is a part of life and nothing good come out from idling and wasting time away. I have a more than healthy spine. I am lucky because I'm able to walk and move and finish some sort of things that I will be later compensated for. Not bad.

• I don't know why I like to harass myself, but not only can I not resist a challenge, but I have to take that challenge and make it even more difficult. Work is one good way to challenge yourself. You can either go around it and make people believe you made an insurmountable contribution, or really work hard and the belief that you have actually contributed to the good organization and efficiency of the company is all the more rewarding.

So there you have it, my lovelies. Remember, if you don't like your work, you'll need three times the energy but if you look at it not as a curse but an opportunity, you work no more. For when you like it, is work no longer but sheer enjoyment.

AMAZING

by Littleyana

I too have wondered What you see in me I tried so much without success I can’t think the inner mystery ```````` People wonder where the secret lies I lie, I curse, I laze Phenomenal woman Lord, that’s too far from being me ```````` You may have done it differently You can shoot me with your words, You can cut me with your eyes But you still took the lonely cross to die ```````` Oh Lord, you are amazing You hold me in the palm of your hand But who am I kiddin’? For tomorrow again I will lie ```````` Nailing you back, again and again Always going back to the slavery chains My mouth spilling words, all profanities Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing ```````` Bu my salvation does not depend on me Or my knowledge how to live life right Your grace transcends above all In the flush of love's light ```````` I can be me, I can like me I am righteous, because You died for me No old memories of guilt pleasures Or ancient histories of pain ```````` Thank you Lord, we rest in your finished work Help us to remember your sacrifice always To live, to rest, to take life easy Because you gave your life, your all for me ````````