We feel sad for fellow Filipinos affected by flooding during the past weeks just as we also feel sad for those in other countries like Australia and Brazil. Ondoy had us scarred and scared and the thought that there is a possibility that this will happen is not exactly something to look forward to.

Having easy access to news bits enables us to know what is happening to the other side of the world. As much as possible, I try to   involve the children in the discussion about events, whether negative or positive, that help shape the world. Sure, there may be issues that are too strong for them to grasp but then these are explained in simple terms.

I want the children to know what’s going on in a bigger picture and not just concentrate on what’s happening around them. I’ve talked to children who can name the latest games, gadgets, new and fun places at the malls, even name the latest movie and the best fat burners but are surprised that the there is so much happening that they don’t know about.

Sometimes we even watch viral videos trending in the web for more info.

Moms and dads, do you let your children watch the news? I do especially since they have once a week news reporting in class.

Choosing the right day care for you child is a process that needs to be thought about and researched properly. Be it for a few hours where you can leave your child for a few hours while you attend to personal tasks or longer periods where your child will stay as you go to work.

Questions such as these below should be asked:

• Should the center be closer to home or closer to the workplace?
• Would you prefer a smaller group or one with several children?
• Has the center been duly accredited?
• Has it receive any recognition in its field of expertise?

To get the answers to these questions, be prepared to ask and research. Be wary too of the source where you are are getting answers from.

Read more here…

I got my blue and silver Hoopnotica travel hoop last month. Ria‘s sister bought these in the US and had it shipped in a balikbayan box which came before Christmas. Salen got hers too.

Since I’ve been too lazy to go back to my morning walks, getting a hoop would probably inspire me to get on my feet and get rid of stomach fat. Been hooping on most days though I still yet to see if anything will happen. I even think I’ve been getting even bigger where it’s not supposed to be so. Sigh…

I see my youngest daughter looking longingly at the super big hoop and I know she wants to try it too. When we have spare time, we will try to look for a smaller hoop for her to use. I think it would be fun to do this together.

Shadow for today’s theme.

This is a dinosaur foldabot that my youngest child made:

The photo has a lot of shadows in it. And the dinosaur head looks kinda scary to me

Foldabots are free paper folding activities from a local children’s magazine. My youngest child is the artsy-fartsy one and has done wonderful art works and illustrations including these and this.

continue reading this entry »

I was able to watch President Barack Obama live on net tv yesterday, as he addressed the people in Arizona during the memorial service for those who passed away in the Arizona shooting rampage.

I was deeply touched by the president’s speech.

And some of what he said were as I remembered it: “we not only look backward but we also look forward… do not forget to tell your loved ones you love them, everyday… what’s important is not fame, money, but how we lived our lives, how we loved and what we did to make the lives of others better… I believe in our imperfections, we are also full of goodness”

And I was doubly touched when I learned about Christina Taylor-Green who was a part of the Faces of Hope book.

“I hope you know all the words of the national anthem and sing it with your hand over your heart. I hope you jump in rain puddles.” continue reading this entry »

Apart from the capping of broadband usage, increase in fares for the MRT (which I ride twice a week) and taxi rates (which I ride at least thrice a week), increase in toll fee rates (not really that much impact with me except having this means increase in the price of fresh produce that are brought to the metro by way of these expressways), our beloved Philippines is going to face a grim scenario this summer: lack of water supply and 3-hour rotational brownouts.

Here’s something for the summer that we might not look forward to:

Decrease in water supply/level. We are used to not having free flowing water 24/7 where we live. I’ve been blogging about this for a looong time but we have suffered much much longer, experiencing the lack of this basic service called flowing water from Maynilad. I’ve said it then and I will say it again, they can adjust with schedules but not allow intermittent ones like now-we-have-water-at-this-time-and-none-tomorrow.

3 hour rotational brownouts are totally uncool (literally and figuratively) during summer when the scorching heat is unbearable. This early I’m thinking of looking for honda generators for possible purchase. Not really sure if we can afford one though.

I could probably survive the heat during brownouts but we can’t  have my son who has asthma suffer through this.

Why all these issues? I think it all boils down to so many people using resources that are not managed properly.

Sigh…