Happy Birthday in heaven

To my dearest Tito Rev. Fr. Sancho Sison OSJ,

It's been 15 years since you've passed away. If you'd only waited, it would have been you who'd preside over the mass on my wedding day! But that was not to be! "Heaven could not wait for you..."

You know I was going over FB's reminder of what transpired last year and I got to read again what I posted. 15 years of celebrating your birthday without you around! I was trying to check on fb if I have other photos of you but there was none.  So what I did was to try and google you and check if you have any photo laying around somewhere in the worldwide web. And voila! was I surprised to see a very old photo of you and and a short write-up. I had no idea that the oblates already had a website. But am glad that I was able to stumble upon it! I had no notion of what you did as a priest. All I know was that I had an uncle priest who celebrated mass, who went from one place to another in an old beaten up car, who was often assigned to buy ice cream on family reunions. An uncle priest who would always give in to his eldest sister's wishes, a priest who was always there for his nieces and nephews, and someone so humble and who practiced his vows to the hilt!

You are a gift to the family Tito! An inspiration to your parish. The Lord deemed your work here on earth done as he took you from us so many years back. Bless our trip tomorrow Tito as we go visit and celebrate your birthday at the same time. I am very excited because it will be Alloy and Allen's first trip to the seminary. It won't be Ally's first though, as the oblates have known her since she was a baby. Am sure you know the story when Alloy turned 2 -- he was about to blow his birthday candle and before he did he said that he wish he could be a priest someday! This is probably why I am looking forward to this trip. I want him to get a feel of how it is like there and to meet your OSJ family!

So till later Tito Fr! The whole family will be there! Happy happy birthday in heaven!

An open letter to my son

My dearest son Alloy,

As I was seated at the auditorium of your soon to be school, amidst the cold blast coming from the aircon; I listened attentively to what was being said. I was overwhelmed. I knew right there and then that you are in good hands (like that Metrobank ad on tv 😂) and that you will be needing my support more than ever! 

Understand that your future at the Makati Science high School, as a scholar, is dependent on you, how well you manage your time, and your best efforts. So from now on choose your books and your lessons over your gadget, choose to be prepared than to cram. Use your time wisely. Never procrastinate! Never let your focus waiver!

I am so proud of you my son! Thank you for deciding to pursue your studies as a scholar. This will be such a big help to us but more importantly, such an opportunity will open more doors for you in the future! 

The other day when you told me how excited you are and how determined you are to face the challenge is assurance enough of how well you will do! I promise to be at your side all throughout this journey as I have always been to your other siblings! 

Remember that "When the going gets tough, the Tough gets going!" 

So, good luck my son! May the force of the universe be with you! Couple your journey with lots of prayers and never let anyone or anything daunt you!

We love you son! 

Love, 

Mommy and Daddy

School's cool!

When my son told me last year that he wanted to take the entrance exams at the Makati Science high school, I was pleasantly surprised! That time I was giving more weight on what the scholarship would mean to our growing expenditure. Imagine all 288 incoming 7th graders will not only be granted free education, but would also be provided books, school supplies, school uniforms and a pair of school shoes absolutely free! In addition to that, the scholars shall be receiving a monthly stipend. Is that cool or what?! But then my perspective changed after I've attended their Parent's orientation. I must admit though, that I was really looking forward to attend. I think I wanted to see what the government funded school had to offer. So attend I did and boy! Was I impressed! They were very thorough in explaining what to expect and what they expected from us. They also explained in detail their grading system. Almost everything that we, as parents, wanted to know was discussed. So much so, that by the end of the session, only a few parents asked questions about items that needed clarification. Now that the platform has been laid, I feel that it is not only my husband and I who will benefit from having a scholar. It is our son who will benefit more from it all! And I, particularly, am happy that this is so. Getting everything free is just a bonus! What is more beneficial is what he will be learning as he progresses in the program. They used to have 11 subjects, this is because they have additional science and math subjects (so that’s 2 sciences and 2 mathematics). This year they added 2 English subjects in the curriculum. So that’s a total of 13 subjects that the scholars have to prepare for every quarter, not to mention the Performance tasks that they have to complete before the quarter ends. I know the competition will be stiff since these scholars are the cream of the crop of their former schools, most of them Valedictorians, if not one of the top 5 in class rank.

Anyway, after the orientation as my son and I were going home, I told him about what was discussed. I advised him that he should do his best as the school has a Retention program. Meaning to say that as expected, the scholars has to meet a certain criterion when it comes to their grades. Otherwise, if they do not pass the set grade requirement, then they will not be allowed to progress to the next grade level. I know my son can do it but just the same I wanted him to feel that getting into the program is no joke and that he’d have to work doubly hard if he wanted to remain a scholar. His reply? Gosh! It was priceless. He said “Mommy don’t worry, I am excited and I am very determined!”

So here’s wishing you the best my son! Don’t sit on your laurels! Go grab the gold and be an inspiration to your siblings and to your friends! We are already inspired by you!

Whimsical Wednesday

My daughter can say the most outrageous things! I have only two words for you, my only girl, "Dream on!!!" 😂😂😂

legend: BAON = allowance, HUGOT = what the heck! I could not think of an english word for this. Google it! : 😂

My Potterheads

Every night my eldest son would fix the living room, close the curtains, prepare snacks and drinks and watch Harry Potter with his youngest brother. They have finished all series about 2-3 weeks ago (and even bought a couple of books) and they are still at it. They don’t mind watching the darn movie over and over again. It is not surprising though as; in all fairness it does ignite their imagination. I remember a time when they were little, when their object of fascination was Naruto. That time to support their love for this anime, I made them a kunai using a couple of cardboards. Being the little kids that they were, they were gripped with delight! And so was I…for them!

Recently, their love for Harry Potter stirred them to research on all sort of things Harry P! They would talk to me about it endlessly. Often I would hear them animatedly put a magic spell on each other. Their vocabulary words already include Accio which they use when “summoning” their nanny, Sheila. Alohomora, when they want to open the fridge, and Expelliarmus when they pretend to fight using my small bamboo stick as wands. 

The stairs have an actual cupboard underneath

Then they got crazy about Butter Beer! Relentlessly they searched the internet for more information about the magical beverage. In my mind I was already planning a surprise. I must admit, I am quite the adventurer. I just love the idea of breathing life into the things that my children can only imagine! Making memories with them is something that am really fond of doing. It’s a big thing for me… a sort of legacy, something to remember me by. So as they’ve made Harry Potter part of our daily conversation, I announced to them one day, that I know of a place that serves Butter Beer. As soon as I said that they were all over me! They wanted to go right there and then but I told them to hold their horses as I want their sister to come with us. And so it was agreed.

Yay to Butter Beer!

The plan DID go through despite the fact that I dislike driving through EDSA! However, that day, I had no choice but to bring the car. After a couple of wrong turns, we finally arrived at The Nook! The resto opened at 1pm and we were already there before 12noon. It was good though that we were early as we’ve been told by someone from the small resto nearby that the place really attracted a good number of patrons. We were first in line and got the best seat! The place was really small but very comfy. And they had wands, robes like the ones that Harry, Hermione, and Ron wore, a broomstick, and a good number of books! It was a pretty cool place! The kids were ecstatic! They just couldn't contain their happiness. And most of all they got their taste of Butter Beer! 

heavy rains did not deter these people

By the time we got our orders the place was packed. And there was a long line of people outside waiting to be seated. It even rained but even that did not discourage the diners, some of them, already wet from waiting outside the resto. My kids, and our nanny were in awe and so was I! All in all, it was a great experience for everyone! 

Oh! And before I forget, my son made this Hogwarts Acceptance letter, which he would put by our doorstep pretending he got one! (eyes rolling)

Building courage

Back in the days I was casted for a play after auditioning for a role. I did not tell anyone about it because I wanted it to be a surprise. As soon as I got the role, I excitedly told my mom about it. The excitement turned into a defeated acceptance of having to go back and turn the role down. With shoulders slumped I had to yield to the belief that I cannot perform and study at the same time. Over the years I had a few bosses telling me that my proposed project cannot be done. And then later on find them owning it themselves. Oh I have had good bosses too! Those who allowed me to grow into my job, the ones who unselfishly trained me so that I could be better at what I do. That is probably why I did not allow these setbacks to deter me. But sometimes when I can no longer help it, I just cave in.

So there are those days when I find myself facing blank walls. No longer able to think. Just wanting the days to pass by quickly.  We let the dawn cover the sprightly morning because sometimes it is just easier to submit oneself to circumstances. Am still trying to find my way around this. Definitely, I would not want to reach the end of my life without having to ultimately reach my goal or tug at my life’s purpose. At the same time that I would not want my children growing up knowing that they have limited capabilities. Unsure of themselves. Without a purpose driven life.

One time my daughter, who is currently in College, asked my permission if she could join a school org that will require constant physical exhaustion and days of practices. I was so tempted to just say No! But I refused to. As parents we have to let our children reach their peak potentials, break barriers, and never be afraid to try. I am not saying that this is applicable to everything. No! Your child or children need to know that there is a difference between activities that would contribute to their betterment and to those that would only pull them to the gutter. My children know this and I have been very vocal about my stand on certain issues. We should always be ready to ignite even the tiniest spark if we want our kids or our spouse to succeed in life.  I would like to believe that I am guiding them, and supporting them not pushing them to stop living.

I know a couple (both doctors) who I certainly admire for being so supportive of each other and their children. I think that is the best ingredient in brewing a family of succesful people. So to the husbands who cheer their wife on ... continue doing so! Your wife will appreciate the encouragement. To parents who support their children's interests continue to motivate them they will value that as they grow up.

On fire!

Am in Hell's Kitchen! All these fire. Today I decided to turn on the heat in my little kitchen! Yes this is how it is when my energy is restrained or when it is confined to hollow spaces. I think I do better when pushed to the wall. So this afternoon I decided to make custaroons, like the ones that are popular in the malls. born out of Ms. Gigi Gaerlan's creative mind! I love them custaroons and have dilly dallied trying to make some at home. The recipe is the same all over the internet and since this is my first time to do it, I have no way to tweak the recipe yet. So am just going to include links in here that you may find useful.

Adora's box was my first point of reference then went on to another Hapag Kainan just to compare well both turned out the same everything. So like I said, I am trying this one first and will do another set should I find some tweaky moments for this recipe!

Right now I have to hurry lest my children sees this haha am sure these will be gone in a few when I want it stored in the fridge first!

I hope I did justice to the recipe :)