The Sweetest Things

I appreciate thoughtfulness a lot. I have always expected my husband to be thoughtful, but of course, he's the complete opposite. But I still love him anyway. I have realized that love isn't always about giving in to what others expect of you. Over the past few days, upon my conversations with different people, all of them have told me how lucky I am to have my husband. As I pondered on these, I've realized that I have failed and ignored what has been in front of me for a long time--I have married a very loving husband.

Below are some of the great things he has done for me. Sharing love and good vibes to all, please read on:

1. When I was pregnant with our first child, he took it upon himself to assist me in anyway that he can to accomplish what I needed to do before my comprehensive exams. He talked to the professors and borrowed books on my behalf. Even going to school with me and waiting for me inside the library.

2. He made sandwiches for me. He would wake up early in the morning to give me my 'baon' for work. 

3. He would make my coffee and prepare my breakfast. As I always have succeeding classes, he would make sure that I would be able to grab my favorite mug while working.

4. He would take his day off even if it was not really his day off. When I go out with friends, he would not go to work, and he would look after the kids. He allows me because he knows how difficult it is to just stay home and do everything.

5. He would cook for me. I remember craving for 'guinataan halu-halo'. He bought all that he needed for it and cooked with gusto. 

more soon:)

What I Need to Do

Christmas is fast approaching. When one has kids, it becomes the most anticipated event of the year. I now have this sense of urgency to plan something special for the kids. They're expecting Santa Claus to come for their gifts. And somehow I've realized to do these things soon:

1. Decorate the house. We only have a small Christmas tree, but despite that, I think I should add more decorations for the home. Kids are happy to see decors in different forms and colors. I am actually thinking of DIY project for the kids. Sounds exciting.

2. De-clutter. I think one of the most important things to do before the holidays is to get rid of clutter. Kids will soon have new toys and books, and old toys will soon be ignored. Easier said than done! But i'll try:)

3. Prioritize. It's cliche to include 'SAVE UP' in my list. During Christmas, expenses double and no matter how hard we compute it, it'll end up most probably negative. I think parents should learn to prioritize. It is already a given for kids to ask for anything they want, plus the fact that we also want something for the house or for ourselves. Nevertheless, I think prioritizing what we need to buy over what we like or want for now would make a big difference in our wallets.

What are your plans for the coming weeks? Goodluck!

I Need a Lift

What make a person happy? We are happy because of our family, career, money, friends, etc. Definitely a lot of answers, right? However, let's admit it that there are days when we feel down. Life isn't fair after all. So what do you do to put a smile on your face? Below are some of the simple things that I do to get that needed lift.

1. Christmas songs. While writing this article, I am listening to a medley of Christmas songs because it lifts my mood. I get to sing along with it. It reminds me of good memories and love. Some may even agree that a Christmas song brings a positive vibe. It brings the warmth of close family relationships and friendships.

2. 'I love yous'. After a day or even in the middle of doing a chore, I usually get stressed to the point of crying. An example would be cleaning and arranging my living room so that I could comfortably sit on, but then kids start to disarrange everything again and turns the room into a mess. What follows would most probably be a shouting/scolding parent and kids who'd just run around and ignore me. I experience that every day. It gets quite tiring and depressing but when a kid suddenly hugs you and says 'I love you', the anger just disappears like nothing happened. Same thing happens when I just cook the food they like or give them their favorite juices. Kids have this unexplained source of charm that turns everything positive.

3. Writing. There's something therapeutic about it. I used to have a lot of journals before, but for some reason, I have lost it, or maybe I should just do some thorough cleaning of the house soon. One of the main reasons why I write is because I want my children to be reminded of the lessons that I want to instill in them. When kids are too young, they have many questions. Even if a parent tries his best to answer them, kids may not still understand them. One of the first things I've written about in my new journal is about my career path.

4. Conversations. Isn't uplifting when you have that one person who'll listen to you without judging you? When I recently had a falling out with a friend, I really felt bad about it. My husband was there to listen to me, I think that was just enough to make me feel better.

Safety at Home

Parents will always protect their children. Having three kids meant divided time and attention. However, I make sure that I don't compromise their safety. But then there are days when we, parents, thought we've done our best to guard our children. When I recently encountered an 'unsafe entity' outside my house, I became disappointed with myself. I even asked myself, 'why wasn't I able to stop it?'. I got depressed and just kept on blaming myself. After that, life moves on and I didn't have any choice but to protect them even more. Here's what I do to ensure safety at home:

1. I don't sleep. Yes, I still watch my children sleep. Ever since I started having a child, I was deprived of sleep. I only have an average of 5 hours of sleep everyday. I seldom have naps, but when I do, it's just for 20 minutes. One will never know when trouble comes, so I choose to be awake.

2. I lock the doors and the gate. Strangers, sometimes, have their own creative ways of letting themselves in other people's houses. I make sure I lock the gate of my house all day. It prevents my kids from going out. I still allow them to run around outside, but not all the time.

3. I set rules. I always remind my kids of the rules that I always want them to remember. They should be inside the house at 5pm. They should inform me of anything suspicious. They should not talk or go with other children to other places. Yes, a lot of 'shoulds'. But despite that, I make sure I explain everything to them.

4. I trust my kids. Although I set a lot of rules at home, I sometimes allow my kids to do what they want, checking whether they apply my reminders or not. I want to give them a little independence and a sense of responsibility. I want to see if they will still do the right thing even if I'm not looking.

5. I talk to my kids. One of the most important things in a child-parent relationship is communication. Kids have a lot of questions in their minds, specially when there are rules and limitations to adhere to. One of the best thing a parent can do is to spare time explaining what might happen if their kids break the rules. Also, be honest to your kids, so that they would reciprocate. Do not sugar coat things to the point of missing out on reality. Remember, when your kids grow up, the lessons you taught them will make them ready to face the world.

REVIEW: Unionbank Dasmarinas, Cavite

My Unionbank Eon will expire in a few days, so I've got to replace it in time for my salary at the end of the month. At 9am on the dot, the Unionbank branch in Dasmarinas, Cavite opened up. Here are some things I've noticed:

1. Their bank employees, including the guard, do not know how to greet customers. Courtesy is very important because the life of their business depends on the customers.

2. My transaction only took 15 minutes. Kinda quick but it would have been quicker if the person in charge in handling new accounts did not include her other responsibilities not related to my purpose. She said she'd just open the vault. I went there to change my Eon card, so no connection at all.

3. I paid P150 for the replacement of my Eon card. I've read in numerous blogs that a fee is paid for the replacement. Apparently, there is no payment if the card has reached beyond its expiration date. For example, if my card expires at the end of August and I decide to replace it by September, there would be no charge for replacing it. It would have been better if the bank's website includes that information.

More observations next week as my card will be replaced after a week.

REVIEW: Sky Ranch

Last August 23, our whole family decided to celebrate my father's 70th birthday at Sky Ranch. It is located beside Taal Vista in Tagaytay. Buses going to Nasugbu, Batangas pass by it, and jeepneys from Tagaytay Rotunda are another option. Below are my negative and positive observations:

1. Their entrance is 80 pesos during weekends. I find it misleading because when I told the cashier that we have a senior citizen, she said that the entrance of my father will still be 80 pesos because it is already discounted. According to her, the entrance is really 100. I think that is a lame excuse not to give a senior citizen discount. So it appears that regardless of a guest's age, the entrance would still be P80.

2. Even if it's sunny or drizzling, the ride attendants are always ready to use their big umbrellas for those who will be taking their rides. 

3. Children below a certain height has a free entrance. However, I ended up paying for my 3-year old daughter's rides because the cashier said she isn't free. When my brother-in-law asked, he was told that a child who has a free entrance can also avail of free rides all throughout. How confusing!

4. It's nice to see that there are now benches around. When my friends and I first visited, we were just standing around.

My kids enjoyed their time at Sky Ranch. Aside from the entrance and price issues, the place is clean and the attendants are nice.

What I Am Proud Of

I've been a little depressed these past weeks, but suddenly had a change of perspective. The sudden change was unexplainable. So I would like to write about what I am proud of. This article includes my big and not-so-big accomplishments as a wife and mother. Happy reading!

1.I am proud of witnessing my children's milestones. 

When a mother works outside, she misses a lot. Although the work contributed by women nowadays are given more worth compared before, nothing beats seeing your child's first smile or first step. I had a child one after another, but despite that, I never missed any of their milestones. It never stops to make me smile when I think about them.

2. I am proud of knowing my husband more.

I always tell my husband that our relationship is tested by distance. In the 9 years that we have been together as a couple, 3 years of that, he stayed in Japan, 1 year he stayed in Qatar, he goes home only twice a week because his work is in Makati, and going home everything would exhaust his time, money and energy. I admit that even when we got married, we still didn't know a lot about each other. Our relationship grew as we were blessed with more children. That meant having a limited time with only the two of us. Both of us exerted a lot of effort to make each other feel special. It was a challenge at first but we were able to surpass it. Yes, it was difficult but worth it.

3. I am proud of my work.

When I was studying my master's degree in UP, I was ashamed of my job. Whenever I was asked what my job is, I would get blank stares from others. I felt that other people think my work wasn't that serious to be considered a career. I guess partly true. I've been working as an ESL teacher since 2005. Ever since quitting my job in 2009 and becoming a housewife after, I was left with no choice but to look for a job that would be easy to do at home. Still, ESL teaching came as a good opportunity. I am more proud of it now because I do not need to leave my house but still get a salary that is the same as those working outside.

4. I am proud of my little home.

I could still remember the time when I was questioned why I bought and used my husband's money for a 26.8 studio unit. I could still remember my mother-in-law's reaction upon seeing the unit, looking a for staircase (of course there was no staircase!). They made me feel I just wasted a lot of money for a small property. I had to let it all pass at that time. I am vindicated now. That small house witnessed my family's struggles and happiness for 4 years. 

5. I am proud of being a housewife.

Being a housewife and accepting that I have become a housewife were both difficult in the beginning. It was sad comparing myself to my peers and seeing how successful they have become in their chosen fields. I remembered saying that I wanted to be a housewife, but I wasn't ready with the responsibilities included. God listened to what I wanted to become and everything changed. It was disappointing at first. Doing everything on my own and still taking care of the children after was physically, mentally, and emotionally draining. But I have gotten used to it and couldn't last a day not doing a task for any of my family. 

6. I am proud of my children.

Last, but definitely not the least. I love my children so much because they complete me. They're like ordinary kids, but they're special to me. They are different in their own ways. They have their own strengths and shortcomings. They make me cry and they make me smile. When I look at them, I always think they're still babies. Even if I had a lot of difficult time taking care of them when they were smaller, I don't want them to grow up fast.