Christmas just crept up on me

i don't understand it, where did the time go? how come i'm cramming my christmas shopping again? stores are getting really crowded even during weekdays....how will i ever get my list done? honestly i wish i didn't have to give gifts to a lot of people. it's silly how we try to get really good gifts for people who can very well afford whatever it is you can give them and more!

was explaining to my eldest today that we won't be buying gifts from them this year. after that big typhoon, it sure doesn't feel right if we spend more money on toys that would probably last a month, which is quite long for my kids.

why is my list so long? well i tried not to give in to feeling obligated to give gifts to the children of my friends who are sure to give gifts to my children....i have 4 so they spend a lot for mine. but then come christmas party time, it's so embarrassing to not distribute gifts to children who aren't our godchildren. i think my kids get embarrassed for us too. tried it one year and it was so uncomfortable :)

an exchange gift would solve the problem but the suggestion was shot down because someone said that it would make our kids so happy to open a lot of gifts on christmas eve.

it doesn't feel right though, having a hill of gifts per child on christmas morning. my husband feels that our kids live on excess although we're not really financially well off. but well meaning relatives see to it that our kids are up to date with toys despite our pleas to not spoil them.

so we decided to take matters on our own hands.....we have this rule at home that you can keep all books and clothes that you receive but you can only keep 3 toys per child. our kids protest a lot, it'll be the 3rd time we'll be doing it this year. but in the end they don't miss the other toys, instead they give more value to what they've chosen to keep. and where do those new toys go? we hand them out on christmas day to streetchildren.

merry christmas! hope this season won't only be of great material value to you and your family but more importantly, may abundant graces fall upon you from our Lord.

driving in manila

Driving in this city will drive you crazy! This morning I almost gave into road rage. The thought of leaving my kids motherless stopped me from ramming my car into those crazy drivers' cars. I was behind this insensitive male driver in a busy road who stopped his car just to buy a newspaper. Hello! Just because you turned on your hazard light it doesn't mean you have the right to block the road! Bozo!

Then there are those who couldn't be bothered to wait in the correct lane and choose the lane with the shortest queue.....then at the moment the longer lane starts moving, they push their way into the lane they needed to be in the first place. Hey, idiot, I'm not obligated to let you into MY lane, I was patient enough to get in line! You think only paid drivers do this? Think again, these were owner driven cars!

Phew, glad I got that out of my chest.....this driving thing, it makes me lose it from time to time....or maybe a lot! Because of driving, my kids learned the words idiot, slowpoke and ass****.....bad mom!

Generation Gap

I can't believe it, at my age (I'm peeking into 40) I'm already feeling the generation gap between me and my kids! Ever since that Disney movie "High School Musical" came out I've been assaulted with music that's so annoying each time I accidentally change the radio station in my car. My kids just love it, it's so puzzling. Maybe this is how my parents felt when the movie Grease came out. But whoever those singers are they're no Olivia Newton John nor a John Travolta. Well the boy's voice is ok but the girl! She sounds like she's singing an octave higher than her normal range.

I really wonder what it s about the movie's that so appealing. Even my 3 year old who can hardly follow a tune loves to try to sing it. And the boys, I thought it would be too girly for them but no, in my son's all boys school, I saw a boy actually try to sing it in front of a room full of parents!

I can't imagine how wide that gap would be 3 to 4 years from now when my eldest becomes a (I shudder when I think about it).....TEENAGER!

brushing your toddler's teeth

as a housewife, i think the most boring thing to do is to brush teeth. it's even more unbeareable if you have to brush someone else's teeth. can you imagine how brushing the teeth of a 2+ year old is like?

after a day of shuttling the kids back and forth between school and home i'm just so ready to plunk down into bed. but no, before i can get to sleep, i'll have to get those kids ready for bed first.

it's a chore trying to get them into the bathroom but when you've got their divided attention (which it always is at this age), how do you get them to sit still for at least 2 minutes? i tried to bargain with their dentist, 1 minute, please! for now it's ok but unless i want to pay her more each year, i'll have to get as close to 2 minutes as i can get.

i finally learned a trick that makes them want to sit and brush more, you'll have to sing! yes, sing, just like you sing happy birthday 2 times while washing hands to make sure they're clean.

first you time yourself when you sing their favorite song. sing as many songs so make up a minute or so, gradually singing longer songs as the child gets used to sitting still to get her teeth cleaned. my kids' favorites are 5 little monkeys , 10 little indians and hickory dickory duck. my husband thinks i'm cukoo but who cares, at least those pearly whites are getting the brushing they need :)