This is it.

In a few hours’ time, we go through a new phase in the changes that are about to happen to my children. While the youngest is happily vacationing with my MIL down South, the eldest child and the boy are going in different directions, to two different schools this coming June.

I don’t know how I will juggle having three children in three different schools and I know the schedules are going to be a bit crazy. I don’t know if I can still bring over projects, assignments, printed materials that have been left on a table somewhere and remembered when they are within the confines of the school.

The eldest child will be enrolling for her first semester in college.

The son will have an interview to a school because he passed the school’s entrance exams.

I hope and pray that we are doing the right thing in guiding the children through the steps for the realization of their dreams.

I am also sure that my husband and I would be there for them all throughout their learning process and even beyond that, maybe even if there are employment screening at easy back ground tasks to be accomplished for them.

Am excited for both of them. I better get some sleep because we have a long day ahead of us tomorrow.

If there is one thing very positive about Facebook, it keeps us connected to people we have met in the past.

As a teacher, Facebook made it easier for me to “keep track” of my former students. One way or another I know what they are up to, what keeps them busy or what they feel and what their opinions are in some relevant social issues.

I can stand back and observe, put a word or two when asked, applaud (albeit virtually) when they accomplish something big or small and feel proud that I have been a part of their lives.

I may not be able to physically tap their backs for a job well done nor be there to see the boss compressor at guitar center that they recently bought nor even laugh (or cry!) with them, I know that they all have a space in my heart, whether I  still remember their names (those I do not have contact with anymore) or not.

I just hope I have a big enough heart for all of them. I am also glad that we are still “under each others’ radar” even if it is only through virtual connection.

Summer Vacation is officially here.

The children have their own destinations this summer and all of them, including their cousins from the husband’s side of the family are going down South to spend summer with the MIL.

Looking at the vacation photos of some of my friends make me melancholic at times because we do not have the luxury to do these things together.

For one, since the kids are away, how can we? Sure, it would be nice to dream about having a luxury apartment in paris, even if only for a few days. Sure it would be nice to walk down the streets of Paris savoring the rich aroma of food wafting from cafes and feeling the cool weather, a good enough excuse to use clothes fit for cooler climates. I can dream for this vacation with the family, can I? Perhaps in the future, when all responsibilities have been settled.

Anyway…

Another thing would be setting aside extra budget which we don’t seem to have a plenty of, especially since we have a college-bound child for the coming school year.

Someone once said that parents need not burden their children about expenses to be incurred with their schooling because as parents, we should have known better and have planned well for these things, whether or not these are still several years from happening.

But how can one do so when there is just enough to cover for immediate needs and not have extra to save for the years to come?

Let us not “judge” and tell other parents what we think is best for their children or what we think they should have done in the first place. Maybe it would help if we try to encourage other parents than try to have them see their shortcomings which I know they are very well aware of.

Ahhh… am straying away from the topic. Even if we could not check in at a luxury hotel in the metro during long weekends, enroll in fun summer activities nor head off to a dream beach destination, we know that having each other and spending time together are enough to make summer vacation fun and enjoyable.

I posted this question in FB the other day:

How do we tell our kids that everything is ok if they are disappointed, their expectations not met and their hearts and spirits broken?

How?

This school-year has started out smoothly with the kids but we experienced a few bumps along the way. One has set us back big time and the other was tolerable. Looking back to my daily “Grateful today…” posts in Facebook (I think I should do this in this blog), I realize that we have more blessings than non-blessings or challenges. And for that alone, I am truly grateful.

We all make mistakes. Our children make mistakes and we, as parents should be there to guide them and not castigate and wait for the explanation why these mistakes happened. We may know the reasons or we may not know at all but the important thing would be to help them learn from these mistakes.

Our children will encounter hurts, pains, broken hearts and wounded spirits but what counts most is that we are there to help them grow stronger, learn from these things and guide them look for their own place under the sun and become better persons. Disappointments and mistakes will set us back and in doing so, we see the bigger picture from another angle and know that we still could do better.

We may know what should be and what is right for them but in the end, they themselves have to deal with these things and learn from these experiences. We step back and be the “wind beneath their wings” and not the puppeteer who will flap their wings for them or just have them stay in the nest, safe and sound.

Khalil Gibran wrote:

You may give them your love but not your thoughts.
For they have their own thoughts.
You may house their bodies but not their souls,
For their souls dwell in the house of tomorrow,
which you cannot visit, not even in your dreams.
You may strive to be like them, but seek not to make them like you.
For life goes not backward nor tarries with yesterday.

Here are more Life Lessons posts I wrote in the past.

I’m waiting for a student right now while watching the MIL go over her online stock exchange portfolio. That’s what keeps her busy these days, keeping tab with the up and down trends of the stock market online.

This habit of hers makes me wonder if I would be like her when I can no longer teach. I know it is still a long stretch before I retire from work due to several reasons and one being the kids are still young and in school. Unless I win the lottery IF I remember to buy a ticket haha.

Anyway…the hubby is excited too with what is happening in this online stock exchange though I still have to hear him utter some business terms like  top annuity rates. All I hear from them are figures that seem to go up a bit and down a bit. I am not sure how much she makes but it sure beats doing nothing about her stocks which has been in her possession for a good number of years. The stocks are high these days with DOW Jones registering a record high the other day.

It would probably take me a long time to understand the workings of this kind of financial investments but I am not closing my mind on these things. In fact we are thinking of introducing the son to the workings of the stock market and its trends so that his mathematical mind will be put to good use

With summer break just a few weeks to go, the children are looking forward to doing some down time and relax for a few weeks.

The eldest child expressed a desire to be enrolled in a summer program to hone further her piano playing skills. She has not had any formal piano playing lessons but can play musical pieces. She is looking forward to using great Yamaha Digital pianos soon.

Not that she is getting tired of the Korg at home. She wants to try another brand.

The youngest too is interested to further hone the guitar playing skills because she has stagnated in that area.

We have yet to see how these things will turn out.