Stuffed toys for Bearhugs for Baguio which we willingly gave because we have to “sever” our tied loyalties to these toys.

Cabbage Patch and Tinky Winky (of the Teletubbies) were played for some time by my eldest daughter, now 14, when she was younger. Hello Kitty and Snoopy in helmets and Daniel were from McDonald’s happy meals, still wrapped in its original wrappers when I “found” them. Baby Doll with white head served as baby Jesus in two Christmas productions with my young students. B2 is from the duo Bananas n Pajamas. The brown bear is mine from half a lifetime ago.

It was not hard to say goodbye because these stuffed toys have been not been played with for a long time. In fact, the two younger children were surprised to see these when I got these out of the closet.

I fervently pray that the children who will get these Bearhugs will feel happy just as these stuffed toys and bears brought happiness to us

Happy weekend!

photohunt

“Gratitude is not only the greatest of virtues, but the parent of all the others.” ~Marcus Tullius Cicero

“Thank you.”

Two words that can make a huge difference in our lives and our relationship with others including people we do not directly know.

When was the last time you said “thank you?”

My sweetness of gratitude are offered to:

1. God for continually blessing my family and helping us keep the faith despite the many bumps along the way.
2. My parents for their unconditional love.
3. My husband who is supportive of me and who is devoted to the children.
4. My children who bring me constant joy.
5. My students and their parents who continually trust in me to guide their children.
6. My RL and virtual friends who impart life lessons spiced with humor and wit.
7. The readers of this blog (and my other blogs) who inspire me to write post that will help me reflect and ponder life’s lessons, hoping I could make a little difference in their lives.

So, I ask again, when was the last time you said “thank you”?

Had there been times when you have forgotten to say these words and regretted later on because it was too late to go back to that situation and utter these two words of gratitude?

Are you thankful for the little and simple things around you?

Have you experienced feeling thankful from the bottom of your heart?

Have you been thankful for life’s challenges and tough times?

How many different ways can you say “Thank You” and would you be able to take a sweetness of gratitude photo to share?

Unleash your creative juices and take a photo about the sweetness of gratitude by joining the Spread the Sweetness of Gratitude Photo Competition.

Who can join: Legal-age Filipinos living in Greater Manila area only.

How to join:

1. Showcase your photograph (must be your original work) showcasing the theme sweetness of gratitude.
2. Post this photo in your online site and link the entry to the gallery at Thank You Day Philippines.
3. Post the link in this article as a comment to qualify as an entry in my blog. Make sure you provide your correct email address when you do so.
4. One or more people may be featured in your photo but make sure permission has been granted to you upon posting the photo.

Selection Process:

1. Five (5) entries will be chosen from this blog to qualify. This contest is also being run by other bloggers like me.
2. Winners will be determined by a panel composed of employees of the sponsor and its PR agency, GeiserMaclang Marketing Communications, Inc.
3. The top 3 winners among all shortlisted entries will receive a Toblerone gift pack.

Contest period: September 7, 2009 2:00pm till October 16, 2009 5:00pm Tuesday, November 10, 2009 at 5:00pm

Check the Thank You Day Philippines site for more details.

Thank you for your interest.

Henry Ward Beecher said “The unthankful heart…discovers no mercies; but let the thankful heart sweep through the day and, as the magnet finds the iron, so it will find, in every hour, some heavenly blessings!”

By the way, thanks to Shabby Princess for the free digital scrapping elements

We are not a sports-minded family. If counting watching racing sports on TV or for real and playing racing games in the computer counts, we are probably sporty then, chuckles.

That is my hubby who loves to ride on two-wheeled vehicles which (rolls eyes) include a motorcycle.

photohunt

Happy World Teachers’ Day to all the teachers

October 5 is World Teachers’ Day as per the signing in 1966 of the UNESCO/ILO Recommendation Concerning the Status of Teachers.

Being a teacher does not just mean having a degree geared toward teaching (in the academe). Anyone can be a teacher though what is being taught can be debatable.

Anyway, for me, being a teacher is really fun, not minding all the hard work I put in what I do especially since I am a special education teacher. We have to challenge ourselves to try something outside our comfort zone to be able to learn lessons that will enhance and enrich our experiences.

Of course, we should know how to have fun too

I get Valentine thoughts and wonderful messages. Of course it would be good to be the Teacher of the Year but being appreciated for all my hard work and dedication is good enough for me.

Teachers are like parents too and for those who are single, be prepared to teach life lessons to your students.

There are so many things to teach: reading, love of books, dealing with anger management and cutting classes, teaching behavior management, not keeping (bad) secrets from trusted adults, dealing with emotions, distinguishing good touch from bad touch, correct spelling, even sitting and arts and crafts.

These are just the tip of the iceberg of values, wisdom and knowledge a teacher can impart to the students.

Teachers are also compasses, guiding their students to the right direction and teaching them no matter what, life is beautiful.

Of course, there would be people who will not be happy with you like this one or this or even this. When parents like these are encountered, just be professional so they will not trample down on you just because you are a teacher. Gah.

This was what I have written three and a half year ago:

continue reading this entry »

Last year we practiced frugal Christmas by doing handmade gift tags, baking home made goodies as gifts and using inexpensive gift wrappers. We did this to save on some expenses but at the same time not sacrificing value.

How did it we do it? By doing arts and crafts.

What did we do then? A lot.

Handmade tree decorations including paper stocking tree ornaments.

We gave away bargain books wrapped in Japanese paper with personalized gift tags attached. The gifts looked nice, if I may say so

In a few days time, we will be starting to do our arts and crafts again. This time, I hope to include personalized photo holiday cards to give away so we can visit the post office and mail these personally.

Email me your home addresses so we can send you one

Braving the downpour and the winds, my three children and I trooped to Active Fun SM North EDSA Annex last Friday for a play date with mommy blogger friends and their children. Active play is encouraged here for children ages 2-12. One can even have his/her party in this venue. Now what could be more fun than playing with your guests afterward?

The kids had so much fun! We moms had fun too and I have to say spending time inside with the children was fun, fun and fun! Yes, playing, moving around and interacting with friends is way more fun and beneficial than being a couch potato or playing computer games.

It was difficult to take photos because the kids were on the move. No complaints though, just showed how much they enjoyed playing: running, playing on the floor, climbing, going down the slide, burying themselves in the ball pit, building blocks, shooting basketball and so much more.

Mauie, Cess, Trixie (my daughter), me, Chats, Salen, Feng and Cookie.

Hmmm… I forgot to ask though if parents can join their children inside. We were able to go inside to take photos. And another thought, who needs diet pills when one can burn a lot of calories just by having fun? Wheee!

Here is one last group photo with Apple Morales. Happy smiles = had fun

Active Fun Children’s Play and Party Centre SM North EDSA can be found at the 3rd floor of SM North EDSA Annex, Quezon City.