2015, Here Goes...

New Year, New Me!!!

BAHHH! That's what I say all.the.time!  Truth is, it is nice to have resolutions. It helps one reflect on goals and if you keep them as your guide, it will let your memory-gap'ng self remember what you originally want to do. 

But still, Rose... You had 10 resolutions the previous years?! Add that to work and home responsibilities, how busy did you want to get? It got to being totally unrealistic.

This year, I'll stick to what is important.

1) HEALTH - I vow to remember to take care of my health more. Healthy food, healthy lifestyle, exercise. Realistic weight-loss included. I am going to see my cardiologist regularly.  Because... How else do I try to be there for my daughters' important life events?

2) SAVE - I can't stress it enough how valuable it is to start saving up for our future. How else can the kids go to college?

There are items under this list - things that will help me achieve goals 1 and 2. Not surprisingly, the things that make me miss these are inter-connected. 

3) TAKE TIME OUTS - spend time with friends outside of the pffice environment. This keeps parents sane. 😱

Let's see how this year goes. Happy New Year, friends! May this year have all the good things of last year and all the great things that hasn't been offered before.

-- Rose

Update from the Tooth Fairy

A short update on my last blog post - that Tooth Fairy note has just made its way to kid viral-ville!  I mean, everyone in my daughter's class has seen it (the teacher included).  One of the classmates brought it home so she can show her family!  Lol! 

All my worries about my daughter being too shy to go to school with chipped teeth were just no basis worries.  I am relieved.  I guess now we do not have to rush on having them repaired.  I was told that it wasn't cheap.

So I am thanking my dear ole fairy friend for coming to the rescue.  My husband and I still cringe whenever we think about that night but, at least, Pots got over it.

How she looks like in Rise of the Guardians

The Tooth Fairy's Emergency Call

A few hours ago, I received a message to call home because my 7-year old daughter had a small accident. A few minutes after that, a text message from my husband arrived to inform that Pots had her two front (permanent) teeth chipped.  I had a heartbreak.  I didn't have a lot more information but that.

It turns out, she was playing in the bedroom and was running when she tripped on the see saw and landed face first.  My husband said he heard a crack. :(

.....

On my way home, my thoughts were racing - how can we have it fixed without scaring her?  Without traumatizing her... How much and how soon can we do this?  Was there anything that she could have hurt because of the fall?  Will her classmates make fun of how it looks?  My daughter is awfully shy.  I hope she will be okay.

By this time, I felt my insides somersault!  The thoughts were not helping.

The half-full thought to this, is that, it could have been worse.  I cannot even write what could have happened when she landed differently on that hard floor.  I thank fate, the Lord, the protector, heck, even her luck that it is JUST chipped teeth!

The tooth fairy, naturally, will make the experience less bitter when she wakes up tomorrow.  She has a couple of notes and shiny coins in the past.  This one is extra special. Check out the notes below:

The original letter (on the right) was written by Pots' Dad but since they are best friends and she knows her Dad's handwriting by heart, I had to rewrite it.  She will not know in the near future her parents do this.  Of course she will know when she is old enough.

Coupled with the silver coins that can make the experience less scary, we hope the note is read and taken by heart.

Feeling the Good Vibes Today

I came across a surprise blessing this afternoon as I was on my way to work.  

Credit it to a 2-week hiatus from work, I did not have small change to give to the bus fare collector.  Confident that they have change for a thousand pesos, I proceeded to paying.  This was when I was rejected - the bus collector said I should have told them while we were in the terminal.  He had one pending payment of the same denomination.  He wouldn't have enough change for another one.

Starting to panic, I searched my bag.  I found 10 pesos, that is it.  What should I do?  I do not want the people to think I am free-loader - I need to pay.  I searched my bag again (good God give me a miracle) but there was really nothing there.  

A soft tap on my arm led me to look at my seatmate, who was then holding out fifty pesos.  "Here take it.  Pay for somebody else when you have the chance.  Pay it forward!"  My mini-miracle!  I paid and gave her the change plus the coins I got from my bag.  When I got off the bus,  I thanked her again. :)

Image from jayroeder.com

These are the good things that make your day, no matter how small the gestures are.  I walked to Glorietta from EDSA and got snacks for two.  Gave one to the taxi driver who drove me to work.  Kuya, with a smile on his face, was hesitant to get it.  

"Buy one, take one po ba sa McDonalds?"  I told him it was a good day.  Told him the story.

When we got to the office building, he waived and smiled.  I guess the positive vibes have been shared.

I hope you have an amazing day!

How to React to an "Ugly" Baby

I saw an article that was shared on Facebook.  It was quite catchy, especially for Moms like me.  How can it not catch your attention - How to React to an Ugly Baby.  It is sure to be funny.  Read it when you have the time!

Photo from wikiHow.com

Someone I know gave an awkward "Ohh, baby!"

Luckily, we never had worries that friends would look at our girls and say how ugly they are.  We were blessed with beautiful daughters.  One thing I am sure that you know already is that, for parents, their babies are the most beautiful blessing in the world.  Don't argue and tell them otherwise because you will not like the consequences.

I can imagine though - if my husband had shown any of my pictures or introduced me to his friends when we were just going out, I would probably have gotten an "Oh cool" before they decided that turning away would be the best decision of their life.  Or my getting a "Wow, Kano!" or "Perfect 10!" if I introduce hubby to friends.  Perfect 10 because he is slim and I am on the plump side. 

So we are just a regular-looking couple blessed with wonderful looking kids. The gene-gods were good to us.

It works. Heh.

Recovering the Mojos

One person who amazingly doesn't lose his writing mojos is my husband Tag.  Apart from writing his full fantasy/romance/suspense book Regions of Passion, he has so far published 4 short stories and novellas that are available in Wattpad and Amazon.

If you want to indulge in some reading, please add him on Wattpad.  His book, Regions of Passion, is distributed as a series for free.

Just sit down and start writing - that is one tip he gave me to end this blogging drought. He said he gets his writing discipline from practice.  I wish it was that simple but really, I think he just has that gift.  He sits down, breathes and starts writing.  That simple.

I'll leave you with a synopsis of his book.  I hope you'll like it.

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Ingrid Semeska is a sixteen-year-old girl living in Ohio, in the summer of 1990. Life is going poorly for her: She is failing high school, her foster mother and brother abuse her, and she has a terrible habit of pushing away the few people in her life who love her. One of these people is Scott Bremman, a twenty-year-old grocery worker who is uncertain of himself and what he wishes to do with his life.

Things are going to change for them both, and soon. After Ingrid is attacked even more violently than usual by her foster brother, she flees into the protecting arms of Scott and her friend from work, Lisa. Lisa knows things about Ingrid--that she was born in another world during a war, and there are currently forces in action intent on destroying that world forever--that Ingrid doesn't know herself. It's time for her to find out, and return to that world as the only person capable of saving it from darkness. 

Regions of Passion is a novel by Tag Cavello.  It is 380 pages long.  You can find it in serial form over at Wattpad.

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Happy reading!

Mother's Day. - Pots, Pans and All

I used to have these thoughts of grand gestures of Mother's Day. It's Mommy's day, we get to celebrate with the whole family over a festive yet quiet lunch somewhere fancy. Maybe even a quick stroll in the park so I can take great snapshots of the girls and their Dad while they play. Maybe some pampering time, my tired and sad feet needing their much needed treatment.

Instead, my day was mostly about washing pots and pans, moping the floor and re-moping them when the girls spilled their drinks for the nth time. Cleaning the bathroom (that's soooo long overdue). My day was mostly about hearing the kids argue and keeping them from biting each other's heads off. Boy, I can tell you that that is NOT fun! 

We did have a movie afternoon. Watched The Incredibles one and a half times (yes, encore!). Ate fast food, popcorn and had soda pop until we couldn't have sugar anymore.  I heard the kids laugh while they bounce and run, while Violet and Dash find their way out of the forest.

Now I sit here on my bed while i look at the girls sleep and watch my husband play video game for a night cap. I can say that my day's awesome no matter what happens. I did not have the grand gestures, the pampering and all. I did get one thing right.  I spent the day with the family - the reason why I celebrate my day.  I'm cool! As my daughter said over and over yesterday, it is the BEST.DAY.EVER!!

I hope you had a great mother's day!