The Happiest Season of All

And it is not even over yet....
It has been a most pleasant Christmas season. We still have the New Year's to look forward to. I just realized this could be one of our best Christmases ever. Why? It is because my children are still children. They are really the ones going ga-ga over Christmas. Most of what my husband and I do is for them to truly enjoy and understand the gifts the Season brings. I can't help but wonder, what would Christmas be like with them a bit older.

My being on Facebook and being an avid 'photo album poster' on the site has made me feel even more blessed. I do it because I want to highlight the many beautiful people, places and events in my life. Through the months I have been doing it, it has been almost therapeutic for me. It help me to be more grateful for everything, even the simplest of everyday things.

This Christmas season is of course - no exception. It has been a parade of blessings all the way; from seeing old friends and new, family, my children's happy/ ecstatic faces, decorating the house for the Holidays, wrapping presents, learning new recipes, last-minute shopping with my Mom, the big laugh when my cousin Nokky took off his shirt, wore a Santa hat and walked cat walk style during our clan Christmas party. Ha, ha! It has been a wonderful Season... and it is not even over yet....

Let's be silent....

I want to be silent for a few minutes and try to see where I am in this whole holiday chaos. My kids, especially my son Blue is tooooo excited over his gifts. It becomes overwhelming since it is all he thinks about. He gets impatient and even worth strangling. He, he! but hey, he is a kid and Christmas is really the kids' turf after all Christmas is about a child....
I approach Christmas with a bit of regret. It has been a busy year and honestly I could have done preparations earlier. I actually hate being part of the Christmas rush. So next year I plan to make a countdown calendar....

Speaking of calendars, I made a novena calendar for my two kids this year. It has paper windows stuck on them. Since December 16, they would open a window each day and read a good deed and a prayer or set of prayers that go with it. I got the idea from my Mom who gave me a set of cards similar to my windows when I was small. She has kept it with her all these years and was given by a nun when she was a little girl. I enjoyed following the cards as a girl so I tried to make some for my own children now. I believe I have began another Christmas tradition. In spite of the lost chance to get organised for the Holidays at least I was able to make the novena.
This afternoon, we go to a party with my high school friends. I have had, in this week alone 2 friend lunches/ breakfasts, two Christmas parties. My family has three more to go! Whew!!! But I can't complain. We are enjoying a wonderful Christmas Season and are so blessed. It has been a good year. I can't stop being thankful. I refuse to even think of whatever challenging situations my family went through this year - the good always out weighs the bad - always!
Finally, a monk once said, " To live deeply, you have to live slowly." :) So each day I try slow down, breath, live as joyfully as I can.

Better Cry Now, Than Cry Later

Today I left the office early and fetched my two kids from school. It's the middle of exam marathon week and I just though of treating my kids for some down time, my style. Our deal included lunch and new books for each of them from Fully Booked. It was a good plan.
Since Christmas break is just around the corner, my kids were starting to collect little presents from their classmates. My daughter, Yellow was so excited over a small bottle of "kisses", tapioca looking stuff that grow, give birth etc. It is like the modern day grass head. Remember those? Anyway, I reminded her not to take anything to the restaurant with her. Of course she did not obey me. I am really hoping that this rebellious stage of my kids is just that, a stage. So we had a good lunch and went for doughnuts after. Happy and content, we boarded our car for home. Guess what happened next? Yep, my daughter left her bottle of kisses in the restaurant. As expected, she wanted us to turn around and go back to the restaurant. For a moment, I agreed but then I realized hmmm, this is my break. I decided not to go back for the kisses. I was hoping she will learn her lesson this time. You can imagine the scene in my car. Yellow was more red than yellow. She then asked if she can call her Dad, who is out of town. It was during the phone conversation that the tears and screaming came.... But my husband was one with me on this. We did not go back and I am hoping that she did learn her lesson, even just the 101 of it.
During this "stage' of rebellion, I find myself almost desperate for my kids to just 'get it'. We still have a long stretch to go.
I read a saying today, 'Better cry now than later' from a magazine I was browsing at the bookstore. I want my kids to learn as much as I can teach them, while I am here. I want to prepare them, educate them and correct them.
So I am willing to make them cry to learn even when it hurts me too.
I was thinking of going back to the restaurant tomorrow to find the 'kisses' but I would rather not. So for now, we shall cry...And hope she does get it somehow.

Bye, Bye Birdie! Hello Birdies!

"Lolo Boy, saan ka pupunta?" " Gaby, kumain ka na?" " Get, get out!" " Upo, Upo!" These are only some of the many mini sentences our pet, myna bird in Palawan had learned to say over the last ten years. I say HAD because I learned from my husband who flew there this morning that our beloved bird had passed on last Sunday. Of course, I just had to shed a tear or twenty. My thoughts race back to the original owner of this bird, Daddy, my late father-in-law. Daddy had passed away four years ago and left his pets to our care. My husband and I were only too happy to take care of them; 1 myna bird, three dogs, chickens and geese. Now with the myna bird, we called it Kiao gone I feel Daddy is even more gone. Somehow the presence of his pets have kept him somehow 'here". It is such a coincidence that the day before Kiao died, my husband and I just bought two lovely cockatiels for our kids for Christmas. Could it be providential? Maybe. Maybe it was really time for Kiao to go...He was done here. I am gonna miss Kiao...I still miss Daddy... Welcome, Acrobat and Rug-b, our new pet cockatiels!

Beginning to Look a lot Like.....

 







 Just a day ago, I was thinking that I was not feeling so Christmasy this year. Anyway, my husband, Mr. BB and I began to do a little Christmas shopping yesterday and I guess it got me into the Christmas spirit...a bit. I am not saying this in a negative way. I think since I am really busy with work and have lots to finish before Christmas, I am not completely free to just let go and enjoy the season as much as I want to.
But my kids are already giddy over their possible loots and I am not so giddy over what they are asking from Santa. My husband, Mr. BB and I have already reserved two cockatiels from this sweet girl, Melly Wong who breeds them to give to the kids. But the gifts they are asking from Santa are expensive. So I mailed their letters to Santa the other day. I told them that Santa appeared on CNN and was complaining that some kids are asking for very expensive gifts this year; tooo expensive that he might not have enough a budget to make toys for other kids. Yeah right! Of course my daughter Yellow believed me at once and my son Blue DID NOT. Anyway, after so much debate; Santa never appears on TV, Santa never runs out of budget they decided to take action. They began calling their other suppliers; my parents and brother... AND they sealed their deals! Ha. ha! Smart resourceful kids of mine, smart mommy me.
So, despite of my deadlines and work load during this holiday season, I have already saved a few thousand of pesos. Yey! I can buy the Fino bag I have always wanted to buy! JOKE! Hubby, Mr BB will buy that.
Okay, I guess I am already feeling a lot like Christmas!

Days Like This

I never thought I would get hooked on using a computer. I used to be a Waldorf parent, Being a Waldorf parents meant going all- natural and unplugged. ( No TV, internet, etc) Up to now I still don't let my kids (They are now 8 and 6) watch TV everyday. Sometimes weeks pass without any TV for them at all. Since I have been on the computer a lot lately, I have heard them tell me things like, "Mom, you are beginning to develop a very bad computer habit.". But I am enjoying myself. First I was inspired by a dear friend's blog site. I then got hooked on Facebook. Now I am starting a blog. I am excited.

I have been having a not so good week. Have you ever been the subject of some very bad gossip which is not even true? I am in that situation now and I want to cry. Maybe this is what this blog is for today---a virtual/ cyber good cry.....Wow, I am feeling better already. I believe it must be the writing which I have not done for so long that's a good perk. I have always enjoyed writing. I don't know to which direction this blog will go but definitely it will say a lot about me,...I need this...