i see it often in church and it makes me cringe. a girl who couldn't be more than 6, wearing a spaghetti strapped blouse, denim mini skirt and black boots with heels. my mother would say, she's a child, there's no malice in it. of course there's none, it's just a little kid wearing grown up clothes....wait a minute, a grown up shouldn't be wearing clothes like that either.
i'm not really that conservative but i don't like how teenagers dress up these days....too daring. now if it were a teenager or an adult wearing those clothes, i'm sure a lot of people would be lifting their eyebrows.
so why not start early and teach your kids to dress up decently while they still listen to you? i figured if i allow my little girls to dress up with skimpy clothes now, how much less would they be wearing when they hit the teenage years? will i be able to sway them then? don't think so....
Tuesday, September 04, 2007
Tuesday, March 06, 2007
It's summertime again!
As much as I'm looking forward to summer vacation, I also dread the days that all my kids will be home and complaining of having nothing to do. Last year I was felt that I was the busiest mom in metro manila, driving to and fro taking one child or two to some lesson that they're taking during the summer. This year my husband and I limited the summer lessons to 2 per child. I have 4 so we have 8 lessons all in all to pay for. I'm not sure which will be more expensive, next year's tuition or summer expenses :)
I plan on limiting the TV time of each child so keeping them away from it will be a big challenge. So two weeks ago we had a family meeting to agree on the things that they wanted to do during the summer. There were the usual picnics at the park (we have a really nice park in our village), biking, painting, baking cookies, swimming in our inflatable pool. But the surprise was that the kids wanted to visit some museums! We've had a summer before where we took them to all the museums that we knew of, and there were some good discoveries. I did some research and found the following:
National Museums - there are 2, the other one is in a newer building which I believe was the old Finance building. The coolest thing you can see there is a shipwreck. My boy loved it. In the other one there was a fossil of a whale....even cooler
Ayala Museum - We've seen this at least 2 times already but still the kids want to go back to see the dioramas. I guess since they now have Civics in school the things they see are more relevant to them.
Malacanang Museum -I've always wanted to visit the malacanang but that part of Metro Manila I generally avoid because of traffic. This year maybe I can make that trip, small sacrifice to keep them out of the couch watching Disney channel...I so dislike the show "That's so Raven"......moving on.....
Shoe Museum - I'm really not looking forward to driving for half a day to look at shoes the rest of the day, but I'll do anything not to turn on that TV for at least a day.
Air Force Museum - This one I just found on the internet. Since my son loves anything that's connected to the military we'll definitely make a trip there.
Other museums you might want to visit is the Central Bank museum along Roxas boulevard and the Lopez museum. In the first one I think during the whole time we were there we were the only visitors....come to think of it, we were the only ones in the Lopez museum too! My kids found it cool that they saw books in the original handwriting of Jose Rizal!
The Museo Pamabata is worth a trip IF you've not been there before. It's sad how some exhibits are no longer functional because I guess Filipinos generally do not know how to behave in a museum. We were there for a school field trip just recently and I was disappointed to find out that there was nothing new added in the last 2 years I think. We were there a couple of years ago but there were no new things added.
Well, good luck to you dear parents and enjoy the summer!
I plan on limiting the TV time of each child so keeping them away from it will be a big challenge. So two weeks ago we had a family meeting to agree on the things that they wanted to do during the summer. There were the usual picnics at the park (we have a really nice park in our village), biking, painting, baking cookies, swimming in our inflatable pool. But the surprise was that the kids wanted to visit some museums! We've had a summer before where we took them to all the museums that we knew of, and there were some good discoveries. I did some research and found the following:
National Museums - there are 2, the other one is in a newer building which I believe was the old Finance building. The coolest thing you can see there is a shipwreck. My boy loved it. In the other one there was a fossil of a whale....even cooler
Ayala Museum - We've seen this at least 2 times already but still the kids want to go back to see the dioramas. I guess since they now have Civics in school the things they see are more relevant to them.
Malacanang Museum -I've always wanted to visit the malacanang but that part of Metro Manila I generally avoid because of traffic. This year maybe I can make that trip, small sacrifice to keep them out of the couch watching Disney channel...I so dislike the show "That's so Raven"......moving on.....
Shoe Museum - I'm really not looking forward to driving for half a day to look at shoes the rest of the day, but I'll do anything not to turn on that TV for at least a day.
Air Force Museum - This one I just found on the internet. Since my son loves anything that's connected to the military we'll definitely make a trip there.
Other museums you might want to visit is the Central Bank museum along Roxas boulevard and the Lopez museum. In the first one I think during the whole time we were there we were the only visitors....come to think of it, we were the only ones in the Lopez museum too! My kids found it cool that they saw books in the original handwriting of Jose Rizal!
The Museo Pamabata is worth a trip IF you've not been there before. It's sad how some exhibits are no longer functional because I guess Filipinos generally do not know how to behave in a museum. We were there for a school field trip just recently and I was disappointed to find out that there was nothing new added in the last 2 years I think. We were there a couple of years ago but there were no new things added.
Well, good luck to you dear parents and enjoy the summer!
Monday, February 19, 2007
life is short
i try to pass by the adoration chapel after i drop of the kids. it gives me strength to face the day. last week after a few minutes of prayer i got into the car and found that my husband has been calling my cel. called him back and found out he's been in an accident. i thank God even up to today that he was ok. but the other driver was not.
i know that God protected him while i was with him in the chapel. i'm glad that i did, had a full schedule that day but i passed by the chapel anyway. all over the world there are chapels where our Lord waits for us to spend time with us alone in prayer with him. but we are just too busy. too busy to spend even just a minute. but our Lord is never too busy. while we are so busy and preoccuppied with what we think is important in life, He takes care of everything. He makes sure that you are safe, that you are healthy, oh and He also makes sure you learn your lessons.
and what lessons did i learn that day? learned that that morning could have been the last time i said "i love you" to my husband....that in everything we should pray....that we should never be too busy to stop and say hi or good morning and thank you to our Lord.
i know that God protected him while i was with him in the chapel. i'm glad that i did, had a full schedule that day but i passed by the chapel anyway. all over the world there are chapels where our Lord waits for us to spend time with us alone in prayer with him. but we are just too busy. too busy to spend even just a minute. but our Lord is never too busy. while we are so busy and preoccuppied with what we think is important in life, He takes care of everything. He makes sure that you are safe, that you are healthy, oh and He also makes sure you learn your lessons.
and what lessons did i learn that day? learned that that morning could have been the last time i said "i love you" to my husband....that in everything we should pray....that we should never be too busy to stop and say hi or good morning and thank you to our Lord.
Thursday, December 14, 2006
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.
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.
Friday, December 08, 2006
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!
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!
Friday, October 27, 2006
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!
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!
Sunday, October 15, 2006
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 :)
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 :)
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