benefits of having a life insurance

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Do you really know what Life Insurance is? It is a contract between an insurance policy holder, the person who bought the policy, and an insurer, the company who sold the policy, where the insurer promises to pay a designated beneficiary, of the person who bought the policy, a sum of money upon the death of the insured person.

If the head or the main breadwinner of a family dies or become critically ill, the family won't have to worry much about their finances if he/she has a life insurance availed beforehand. The main benefit is really about the financial stability of the family left behind.

safe online social network for kids

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I have been hearing about Club Penguin from my son for months already. His friends have been playing on this social networking gaming site for kids instead of facebook games. I once in awhile allow my son to play after he’s done with homework and studying for his quizzes.

The main focus of Disney's Club Penguin is child safety and the suitability of the game to children. So for this holiday break, instead of buying something for me *sob*, I bought a one month membership for my son.

sterling silver charm pendant from beadaholique

My son has been playing with a free membership for the past few months. But in order to access a range of additional features, like ability to purchase virtual clothing and furnitures through the use of in-game currency, a paid membership is required.

club penguin

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Club Penguin is an online game for kids where players use cartoon penguin avatars and play in a winter-set virtual world. The game was designed by New Horizon Interactive, company was purchased by Walt Disney in 2007, for kids 6 - 14 years of age.

 

 

The major focus on designing Club Penguin is child safety and the suitability of the game to children. Lane Merrifield, one of the developers stated, "the decision to build Club Penguin grew out of a desire to create a fun, virtual world that I and the site's other two founders would feel safe letting our own children visit".

 

Although free memberships are available, paid memberships allow players to access a range of additional features like ability to purchase virtual clothing, furniture, and in-game pets called "puffles" for their penguins through the use of in-game currency.

my sisters wedding

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My sisters wedding is exactly 2 months from now. I already have a few dresses on my closet so I don't need to buy one for myself. Online fashion websites are a big help in updating one's wardrobe. So each time I go to the mall and I see clothes similar to what I've seen online, which I look good on and not that expensive, I buy it right away. I remember how the world wide web helped my sisters get inspirations for the latest prom dresses.

Back to my sisters wedding. As I have said, I just need to choose a dress from my closet but I completely forgot that my son needs something to wear for the wedding also. I still have a lot of time to browse online shops or visit the mall. Hopefully, I get to find one in time for the wedding.

How to teach young child to be responsible

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Your role as a parent doesn’t start and end with taking care of everything your child needs. You have the responsibility of teaching your child to be responsible as well. When is the best time to start teaching about responsibility? The sooner, the better. Gradually though, we don’t want to overwhelm them. Instead of being responsible, they might end up hating responsibility.

 

I started teaching my son to be responsible with his health when he was barely a year old. How? I never allowed him to eat processed food. Now that he’s 10 years old, he loves eating fruits and some vegetables. He knows the importance of eating the right kind and amount of food.

 

At 7 years old, I gave him the responsibility of throwing the trash after dinner, in the garbage chute. I turned over to him the responsibility of making sure that all books are arranged well in the bookshelf.

 

At 10 years old, I gave him the task of folding small items from the laundry, after I wash it, and putting everything in the right place in the closet.

 

The older he gets, I will add more chores for him to do. Hopefully, this will help prepare him for more heavier responsibilities after finishing school.

 

What about your kids? Do they already have small responsibilities in the house?

electric fan for people with allergies

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My son has allergic rhinitis. It gets aggrevated when he gets exposed to dust or a dusty environment. But because of technological advancement, more and more things that can make people's lives easier are getting invented each day. Gone are the days when we still have to rack our brains how to install a security camera, there are now brands that offer wireless security cameras.

And people suffering from allergies need not worry about dust from electric fans anymore because bladeless fans are now available in the market. Since its fairly new, it is still very expensive. I first saw it on a deal site, still hard on the pocket even when it's already on sale. Maybe when the hype about it has subsided, it will be more affordable.

cellular phone for kids

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My son wants to have his own cellular phone. I actually gave him one about a year or two ago but he seldom use it. His school doesn't allow grade schoolers to bring any gadget in school, including cellular phones. I could already buy a nice dress with what I spent on his mobile phone, a few since his is the cheapest in the market, so I told him I won't buy him a new one anymore.

Kids his age don't need a mobile phone yet. I had one when I was 23 years old already, a few years after the first brand of cellular phone was launched. Although he'll get left out, since most of his peers own high-end mobile phones, I want teach him that he can't have everything that he wants.

When I grow up

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I’m relieved that he doesn’t want to be a farmer or an FX driver when he grows up. Not that there’s anything wrong with being a farmer, if he owns hectares and hectares of land, or managing a number of FX taxi’s. But just like any other parent, there’s nothing wrong with dreaming BIG for our kids.

 

 

Just the other day, he told me that he now wants to be an actor and a lawyer when he grows up. Take note of the AND - just in case the other doesn’t pay much? Actor? Hmm. Ok, I can imagine myself being a stage mother. But I hope he doesn’t become a liar when he becomes a lawyer.

Christmas Gifts for RJ’s Teachers

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I have to admit that I am not a big giver when it comes to Christmas gifts. Especially to those who are just mere acquaintances like RJ’s teachers and classmates. A sticker booklet for each of his 40 classmates and  desk name plates for his teachers will already debit a few thousands on my bank account.

But that’s the cheapest that I can think of, so those will do for this year. If I’m a 10-year old boy and I get an angry bird booklet with more than a hundred stickers, which is quite popular these days, I’ll jump with joy. And I do need a nameplate that I can put on my desk if I’m a teacher, right?

So there, no more problem for RJ’s Christmas gifts for teachers and classmates.

Next: for family and friends.

First out-of-country flight experience

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My son’s first ever trip out of the country happened last Sunday. Riding an airplane is not new to him, he’s been in a lot of domestic flights - his first one was when he was 4-months old. But an airplane for international flights, which is bigger and has more seats than the domestic plane that he’s used to, amazed him.

 

We took a Cathay Pacific flight bound for Hong Kong at 6:30 early morning of November 13. Yes, you got it right - we went to Hong Kong Disneyland. 

 

 

He brought a new book with him, “Just in case I get bored during the 2-hour flight, Mama”, but he never read it during the flight because he was busy playing some games and watching cartoon shows on the audio and video entertainment available on board.

 

That’s my son’s first international flight. Will have more stories about our exciting first day.

 

Teaser: he got lost in Hong Kong Disneyland.

The best birthday gift

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I don’t give out invitations for my birthday anymore. So I don’t expect to receive tons of gifts from friends and family during my birthday. I do miss opening gifts but ever since my son can already write, I have been receiving the most precious gift that a mom can ever receive. A birthday card from my son.

It’s not exactly a long love letter. Most of the time it just says “Happy Birthday”, but the fact that he makes it weeks before my birthday, “in case I forget Mama”, makes it even more special. He doesn’t really forget to greet me on the day of my birthday because I usually remind him.

Cardinal Santos Medical Center’s WiFi service

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We went to my son’s Orthopedist last week because he’s limping due to ankle pains on his left foot. I called the doctor’s clinic and found out that there were already 15 patients waiting. When we arrived, doctor wasn’t there yet. His clinic hours is from 10 AM to 2 PM. It was already 10:30 AM when we arrived, thank goodness we were still able to make it to number 16. I asked the information desk how I can access the hospital’s WiFi service. Appalled to learn that I need to pay 100 pesos to have a whole day guest pass for the wifi service.

Good thing I updated my iPod’s Pulse News application before leaving the house. The wait before our turn was a good 1 hour, but not worth it to pay 100 pesos for their wifi service.

When I grow up…

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I wanted to be a nurse, like my Aunt. But I took up Math in the University, graduated and now… I am a work-at-home mom. God’s plan for me was better than what I was planning to be. Though I made mistakes along the way, I learned a lot from it.

Just like what I read on Mark Suster’s website, Both Sides of the Table, “I think the sign of a good entrepreneur is the ability to spot your mistakes, correct quickly and not repeat the mistakes.” 

I  have been a stay-at-home mom, doing some homebased work on the side, for 10 years already. I love working at home, no boss and I work on my own time. I’ve tried different home based jobs in the past few years. I retained those worthy of my time, read: I earn from it, and said bye to those that are not.

If you’re thinking of starting up your own business or creating a blog in the near future, visit the site that I mentioned above. It will help you decide what you really want to be When you grow up.

Ankle pain, growth spurts, stretching and exercise

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RJ has been experiencing pain on his left ankle every time he walks. I noticed him limping since two Sundays ago. There was a 1-day break on his week-long quarterly test yesterday. Since he's done reviewing for the Thursday tests, I brought him for a check-up at Cardinal Santos Medical Center. Although there's no swelling and he says it's getting better, I still wanted a doctor's diagnosis.

 

I decided to bring his X-ray result from last year’s visit, the growth spurts diagnosis. When the doctor checked RJ’s ankle, he said that RJ must have probably twisted it. He prescribed a pain killer, if needed which I don’t have any plan of buying since RJ can even run and there’s no swelling, and a gel that should be applied every night. Cold compress also after applying the gel.

 

 

There was no need for an X-ray. Hopefully, the gel and cold compress will help heal the sprain faster. RJ needs to go back playing soccer.

cartoons on youtube

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My son loves watching his favorite cartoon show on YouTube. He usually use my Nokia E63 cellular phone's YouTube application. His favorite videos include SpongeBob Squarepants, Phineas and Ferb and Ben 10.

He sometimes borrow my iPod Touch but watching a video on iPod's YouTube application drains the battery so fast, I have to charge 2 to 3 times a day. I wonder if there's an application that can download videos and the downloaded videos can be viewed even when offline?

Scholastic book fair

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My son's school holds an annual Scholatic book fair. The fair is currently on-going, until monday of next week. As I was browsing the books the other day, I noticed they have lots of christmas gift ideas for kids. My son, a certified bookworm, already bought two books. He's kind enough to say that he'll get the 800 pesos from his bank account. But since he's so sweet to do that, I said I'll pay for it.

He got his love for reading from me. Definitely not from his dad who I think is allergic to books. He even wants us to throw away some books because there's no more space in the bookshelf. So his solution is not to buy a new bookshelf but to throw away some books! So RJ knows who to approach when he finds a book or magazine that he likes to buy.

My son, a proud Mama's boy

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My son is a very sweet boy. He's already 10 years old but he still hug and kiss me in front of other people. Although that's not always the case, I just succeeded, I guess, in brainwashing explaining why he shouldn't be ashamed of being sweet to his family.

I remember when he was 4 years old, we just arrived in his school and I waited for the see-you-later-kiss. But he went straight to his classroom. I caught him just in time, before he opened the door, and I asked for a hug and a kiss. He did hug and kiss me but with an averted gaze.

I talked to him after school, he's getting conscious, he doesn't want his classmates to tease him. "Are you a Mama's boy?", I asked him. He said "Yes", maybe because he doesn't want to hurt my feelings.

"Being labeled a Mama's boy and showing your affection to people you love is not something you should be ashamed of. You should be proud that Mama loves you and that you also love Mama very much. If someone teases you again, just ignore them."

I'm hopeful that he'll forever be a sweet boy. 

homeschool?

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Here I am again, confused whether to homeschool RJ or not. He’s a very smart boy but his report card last quarter made my heart sink when I saw it. His grades are better than more than half of his class but, still, it was way down below my expectation.

If I homeschool him, he’ll have more time for sports, art and music class. And we’ll also have time to travel. He’ll learn more things outside of the classroom than inside the classroom. And maybe we can stay in the province for good, pollution here in the city is very bad. We can stay in a different province every month or two. Maybe we can buy park models, we can bring our house anywhere we like.

Sounds fun!

But first things first. I have to decide first whether I have the patience to teach my son 24/7.

step-by-step guide to shaving

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How can one avoid nicks when shaving?

Try searching it online and you'll surely find page after page of shaving tips written by so-called shaving experts. But here’s the only guide that you need, a step-by-step guide on how to have an ouchless shaving experience.

Prepare the following:
An exfoliating face wash
Shaving gel or cream
A sharp twin-blade razor
Face moisturizer with SPF 15 or higher

The first step is to take a hot shower. Use a gentle exfoliating face wash while taking a hot shower to help open the pores. The warm moisture of the shower also soften the stubs. Hot steam towels are used in barber shops for the same purpose.

While the hair is still soft after a hot shower, or you can also do this while you’re still in the shower, lather your face with a shaving gel or cream. Leave it on for a few minutes before shaving, to soften the hair more for a closer shave.

Now get a clean, sharp twin-blade razor and dip it in hot water. Making sure to not put too much pressure, start shaving with the grain of your beard. Do not shave too close to the roots since that can lead to shaving some skin off your face, ouch! An electric shaver can do the job in a few minutes. A very good investment especially if you're in a hurry for a date or a meeting.

After shaving, rinse with cold water and pat dry. Apply moisturizer to soften the facial skin with enough SPF to protect the face from the harsh rays of the sun.

I am participating in a blogger campaign by Bucks2Blog about shaving tips and was compensated. All views and opinions are my own.

Gesundheit

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I keep encountering this word, Gesundheit, when I was researching about sneezing and allergy. What does it mean and what is the word’s significance to allergy and sneezing?

 

 

The german word is apparently used to wish good health in response to a person who has just sneezed. Based on Wikipedia, the expression might have stemmed from the Middle Ages when the Bubonic Plague was threatening European health.

 

Gesundheit is the more commonly used God bless you in English.

semestral break

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RJ will have a one week vacation before the start of this school year’s second semester. We’re planning to go to Hong Kong Disneyland. Disney’s Halloween 2011 is from September 22 to October 31. Every Thursday through Sunday of the said dates, also October 4 and 31, the Headless Horseman will be seen after 6PM searching for villains who escaped with his head.

RJ though is torn between Hong Kong Disneyland and Universal Studios Singapore. He asked me to look for the best deals and my job doesn’t end there, I have to tell him what the pros and cons of the said deals. Personally, my choice is a Disneyland trip because of the Halloween special. I have to sell this travel idea to RJ. 

allergy season again

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It’s definitely here again. The dreaded allergy season. I have to live with constant worry that my son’s daily bouts of sneezing might turn into an asthma attack. Hopefully not.

 

I don’t want him depending too much on medicine but his sniffles and sneezing attacks won’t stop without the help of an antihistamine.

 

 

This reminds me, I have to look for a new allergologist. And a new allergologist means that RJ will be subjected to an allergen test again. His last one was 6 years ago anyway so there’s really a need for this test to determine if there's a new substance, or allergen, that he's allergic to.

 

I love the -Ber months but since it’s also synonymous with allergy, I don’t like it that much.

samoyed puppy

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I'm currently reading Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother by Amy Chua. I agree with most of her parenting style, partly because the "western" method of parenting doesn't work with my son. I'm not done with the book yet so I can't really rave or give a thumbs down rating yet.

I'm actually on the chapter about their dog. They have a Samoyed dog which is said to be a very intelligent dog and doesn't smell like one! My son has been begging for a pet dog. But because he's asthmatic, I'm hesitant to buy a pet dog for him. I have to find out if Samoyed dogs shed a lot of fur because it's not just the smell that can trigger asthma.

Is there a one stop shop to buy dog things? As early as now, I want to know if there's a place I can run to when I encounter dog problems, in case I buy one for RJ.

should i give up?

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I put a lot of effort in preparing healthy meals for RJ. I usually spend hours in the supermarket, choosing the ingredients that doesn't have much or any preservative, for the week's menu.

 

For a person who doesn't like to cook, yup that's me, I am becoming exasperated with his picky eating. One minute I'm jumping with joy because he likes what I cooked, then when I cook it again he says he doesn't like it because it's yuck! It doesn't matter if I cook it again a few days after, the second or third try is always yuck for him.

 

 

Should I just give up and give in to what he wants? Bacon, ham, eggs and other processed food every single meal everyday?

My new gadget

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I usually do blog post drafts on my cellular phone's Quick Office application. I noticed that everything loads pretty slow, even opening a text message, after only a year of using the phone. I guess cellular phones, no matter how big the storage capacity is, can only accommodate a few installed applications and games.

I decided to buy an iPod touch 4G so I can still write blog posts even when I'm out of the house. I have to look for a good document management system. I need one that has the capability to store and organize documents. So far, I'm happy with my choice to buy an iPod touch. Loading time is excellent. It's even much lighter than my cellular phone, very easy to carry anywhere I go.

musically gifted

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My son RJ is very good in composing songs, complete with lyrics and melody, even when he was still in preschool. I noticed that he can carry a tune even at such a young age. He's interested to learn how to play different musical instruments so I enrolled him in guitar and piano lessons last summer vacation.

He wants to have his own computer so I'm looking at refurbished netbooks online. He said that it would be easier for him to store his composed songs in his own computer. He also wants to learn more piano and guitar pieces on his own. All he needs to do is search and install a tutorial software on how to play the piano or guitar.

I want him not to waste his God-given talents so he has my full support in his journey in developing all his skills and talents.

strict mama

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I'm going to be very strict again. My being lenient, since June - the start of the school year, has made my son irresponsible. The trial period is over. As much as I don't want to be a very strict mom, I don't have a choice. My being a very understanding mom, seldom gets angry, has turned my son into something that we both don't want him to be.

 

 

He has tried my patience more than a dozen times. He doesn't copy his assigned homework and the schedule of quizzes. This has happened a lot of times, I talked to him calmly, explaining what it will do to his class ranking. Maybe because I was sooo understanding, he tried doing that a lot of times. Mama won't get mad anyway!

 

Today, I just had enough. I will not allow him to be an irresponsible child because I don't want him to be an irresponsible adult. From now on, when he does something wrong, I will make sure he understands the gravity of what he did and I will make sure that he doesn't do it again.

How to choose the right golf club

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My son loves spending time with his dad in the golf driving range. My bonding time with my son is a weekly movie date and a few hours on the driving range is his bonding time with his dad.

He needs new set of clubs though. His junior golf clubs are now too short for him because his dad bought those when he was only 3 years old. He's now 10 and need clubs that are more appropriate for his height. A golfer usually carry 14 golf clubs but since RJ is not a seasoned golfer yet, he only needs a half club set.

The most expensive golf club is not necessarily the best golf club. Before we decide on what golf clubs to buy, the first step that we did was to compare the different brands in the market by searching for online reviews.

But what's best for one person doesn't mean that it's also the best brand for another. The next step to do is have RJ try out the top golf clubs based on the online reviews.

Here's a list of important things that needs to be checked when buying golf clubs.

Length - RJ's old golf clubs are already too short for him. A good length should allow a normal swing at the ball.

Weight - A club should be light enough to take it in the right position at the top of the swing.

Shaft Flex - Choose clubs that have nice, flexible shafts. It will give more height on the shots.

Grip size - If the grip is comfortable and it doesn't feel like one is holding a baseball bat, then it's the right grip size.

Hopefully we'll be able to find a new set of clubs, callaway golf clubs perhaps, for RJ soon. He doesn't want to borrow his dad's golf clubs since it's still a bit long for him.

I am participating in a blogger campaign by Bucks2Blog and was compensated. However, the views and opinions are my own.

school report card

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RJ's first quarter report card was given yesterday. I was not satisfied when I first saw his grade average of 90. But I don't tutor him anymore, he studies by himself so it's actually a very good grade. 

Hopefully he'll get higher grades next quarter.

school bus problem

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Aside from the school bus' schedule of picking up my son in the morning, which is very early, my other problem with them is they always have a problem with their aircon. It’s always broken. I get worried whenever I see the windows open. There’s too much pollution in the city and my son has allergic rhinitis.

They always bring it to the same car repair shop, afterwards it still has the same problem. They’re just wasting their time and money on a repair shop that cannot fix the problem.

I have transferred my son to 3 different school buses for the past 4 years and I don’t want to look for another one. I already trust the driver and the bus mother on this bus service so I hope they fix the problem with the bus air-conditioning system.

bedtime drink

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My son’s drink special for tonight is this…

 

 

… a mug of warm milo chocolate drink with marshmallows.

 

He’s been asking me to prepare this for a few days already. But we’ve been coming home late for the past few days and there’s no time for him to have this bedtime drink.

 

But tonight, finally, he was able to enjoy a big mug, he used my mug, of warm chocolate drink. He went to sleep with a smile on his face.

 

what’s for lunch?

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This is RJ’s packed lunch for school today, fried chicken. Fried food. Again.

As much as I want him to eat something more nutritious for lunch, the most that I can do is fry something early in the morning. I’m not a morning person so I’m still half-asleep at 5:30 am. And his lunch time is at 11:30 am. I’m worried that some other food like vegetables, or any other food with sauce, might be spoiled already when he eats it at lunch.

Whatever nutrients he missed for lunch, I always make sure that I cook something more nutritious for dinner.

Linking to:

chubby ain’t cute

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There’s quite a number of chubby kids in my son’s school. No, he’s not one of them because he’s as thin as a stick. He’s not malnourished, says the school doctor so I’m not concerned.

Back to the overweight boys in his school. A chubby baby is cute, yes. But once a chubby baby grows into a chubby 6 year old, not cute at all. When I wait for my son in the school canteen, I’m really shocked how some parents buy lots of food for their kids after dismissal. A pizza is enough to feed a hungry child, but pizza, tacos, burger and pasta! The school even has a program that helps these big boys lose weight but if the parents are not cooperating...

I wonder what these parents would do when they see these (advertisements) online: click here for weight loss pills for your child and click here for restaurant deals for kids? What do you think would they click?

I feel sorry for the kids actually. Some can’t even run or walk fast. I sure hope that their parents realize that they are not babies anymore and that being overweight isn’t cute and isn’t healthy.

my baby is not a baby anymore

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Finally, my first time to join. I have been wanting to join Manay Rose’s Nostalgia meme but I’m either too early or too late for the linky whenever I visit her site.

That’s my son RJ, when he was still in preschool and he still likes playing with his LeapPad. I miss hugging that little boy in the picture. Of course I love hugging the big RJ but I also miss the tiny little arms hugging me. I’m very lucky that he still loves to hug me. He’s now 10 and some kids his age are embarrassed to hug their parents in public. He also can’t sleep without hugging me, so sweet.

Hopefully he’ll still want to hug me even when he’s in college or has his own family already.

Stress-free day

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Finally. After a week of too much stress, I had a very relaxing day today. RJ’s quarterly test was scheduled this week and I had to help him review. Although he’s doing well in school, I still want to make sure that he’ll do well with this week’s test since it has the most weight in his report card grade.

I would celebrate with a box of cigars but I don't smoke. My dad on the other hand would probably do that. Friday is supposed to be a laundry day but I decided to just do that tomorrow.

RJ also had a stress-free afternoon. He had his last exam, for this quarter, which is Math this morning. For him, just like any other kid, studying is synonymous to stress. He de-stressed by playing Hero City on Facebook.

How to “smoothly” review for exams

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This post is intended for mommies who, most often than not, loose their cool when helping their kids review for school exams. That happens especially when the child doesn’t want to review and is dilly-dallying instead of focusing on studying. That and cramming equals STRESS!

 

stress-free study time = mommy who doesn’t look like a dragon

 

I hate cramming, not just with studying for exams but anything that involves last-minute anything, because I don’t want to stress myself. When I’m stressed, I usually can’t breath well. Not a good feeling so as much as possible I avoid getting stressed.

 

So how do I help my son study without any stress at all? We start studying a week before the exams. That way, I also get to identify where he’s already good at and where he needs to allot more time reviewing.

 

Do you have some tips on how to help your child review for school exams with less stress?

 

RJ's sports activities

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RJ has already tried different sports. And there’s more on his list (of sports activities that he wants to enroll in).

When he was 2 years old, I enrolled him in swim class at Rizal Memorial Stadium with my 6 month old niece. My mom will surely get mad at me and my sister, if ever she read this, since she doesn’t know that we enrolled my niece also. 

At 3 years old, his dad bought golf clubs for him. RJ, once in a while, accompany his dad in the driving range.

this is for sale, who wants to buy?

At 5 years old, we enrolled RJ in his school’s soccer club. But he’s so talkative, he finds time to talk with the other kids and doesn’t concentrate on the game. His dad jokingly told him, “Son, this is not golf so you don’t have to do ‘business talks’ with the other kids while playing.”

At 5 years old also, he tried out for his school’s swim team - he got in! He was also part of basketball club every Wednesday.

At 8 years old, he got “bored” with swimming. They train everyday and joins swim competition every weekend. So I allowed him to focus on basketball instead.

This year at 10 years old, he’s into soccer again.

And he wants to enroll in baseball next year.

That’s my son’s sports adventures, what sports does your child like?

Summer vacation in the province

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The last family trip that we had was last summer break. We had a two-month vacation in the province. RJ was able to get to know and play with his cousins. I was able to have a stress-free life for two months, well almost-stress-free.

 

Life in the province is so simple. If there’s a school there that’s as good as the school’s here in the city, I would definitely prefer living there. But the education system, even the private school’s there, are not as advanced as the RJ’s school here in Manila.

 

How I miss life in the province.

 

Ghost Rider

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I don’t have any idea who Ghost Rider is but I think my son’s drawing is really nice. I’m glad that he spent some time drawing yesterday, instead of playing with the PSP (he’s grounded from playing) or reading his K-Zone magazines.

 

 

 

I would love to see him draw some things pleasing to my eyes and not that scary, but this is good for now. 

 

I will buy him more how to draw, or paint, books. I would rather spend lots of money on good books to hone his talents than spend on things that doesn’t even do him any good.

 

Do you have a green thumb?

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My Grandpa has.

There’s this small plot in front of the family house in the city and a bigger piece of unused land at the back. A few of our tenants, we used to rent some of our vacant rooms before, tried planting on the dry and unhealthy soil. But no one was successful.

My Grandpa, who I call Lolo To, started cleaning the soil to make it more healthy. He patiently removed the broken glasses and rocks every spare time that he has. He also made compost pits all over the yard, every time a pit is full, he covers it with soil and digs another compost beside the already full one. 

grabbed from Grandpa’s FB account

He’s very patient with gardening. And now that he’s retired from work, he has more time to spare in adding more flowering plants and fruit bearing trees to his small farm in the city.