Thursday, March 31, 2011

an earthquake, one fateful friday

on march 11, 2011, between 5-7pm

(note: i didn't get around to writing this post soon enough, i was rather distracted + worrying most of the time seeing the coverage on tv about how devastated japan was after the twin disasters + now the threat of a nuclear melt down looms, as if the ordeal the japanese people went through was not enough, my heart went out to them, as well as my prayers of courage + hope + grace)

i was in my usual perch in front of the pc whilst jared was tearing our room down, climbing up + down the bed. it was a friday afternoon + i planned to catch up on writing some entries for the friday blog memes i intend to join that week while i browse through the facebook status message of mummy friends on facebook. mommy karen posted that an earthquake of 7.6 (confirmed later on to be 9.0) magnitude was registered in japan that afternoon. it was actually no news since japan has been known to experience tremors every so often i thought. then the news on the 30 meter tsunami came out + a little later after that i felt a sudden jolt shook me from my online reverie.with the broadband cord swaying beside our room window + my chair shaking as if someone is playing with it from behind, i concluded, yeah, it was indeed an earthquake. 

i searched online for the latest on what is going on in japan + was astounded + shell-shocked by the magnitude of the disaster + the devastation it left afterwards. raw footage of people fleeing from their houses, of the tsunami itself sweeping cars, trucks + even planes in its wake, of the ground breaking apart + water spewing from it shortly. it seem all a part of a great disaster film, except that it is happening in reality. which made it all the more scary.

a quake was predicted here too between 5 and 7pm of the same day + i decided not to leave jared alone in the room (in his playpen, of course) so i can take a shower + waited for my sister to arrive first instead. i searched for more news about the plight of japan online while i waited.

my heart goes out to the japanese people for having to go through this ordeal, thinking how quickly their lives changed in split seconds. it made my pining over my weight + bulging mid-section seemed trivial, childish even.
source
i wake up with a grateful heart each day after that. grateful that once again our country is spared from such tragedy + that we continue to enjoy life's little + simple pleasures like having a comfortable home, clothes on our backs, the members of my family all alive + not a single one missing, well save for mum + pops. i now appreciate the blessing of merely being able to wake up each morning...
source
it has been awhile since that fateful day + the japanese people continues to struggle + get on with their lives, day after day. rescue operations were able to discover a lot of missing people + sadly a lot of casualties too. people are huddled in temporary shelters + food, water, clothing + other primary needs are slowly becoming scarce. resources are stretched too thin + the country is in crisis. many organizations are already in japan providing the much-needed help + relief. Let us do our share to help japan. here are some of the organizations you may want to consider donating to in order to help fund their emergency response:

and if you are a blogger too, you can also join in PostNJoy's help japan promo, they will donate $2 for each registered entry you send in.
Help Japan Earthquake and Tsunami Victims

let us do our share in helping japan. remember that no amount is too small, whatever amount of money you wish to donate will go along way.

Wednesday, March 30, 2011

where-to weekend: Expo Kid 3 on april 02


school's finally over + summer has officially started. to reward your schooling tots for a job well done, why not bring them to expo kid 3 this weekend .

here's what's in store for your kiddo:
  • kindermusik opening 
  • interactive booths for sampling of fun summer activities
  • cooking for kids with chef golda laurel + maya kitchen
  • fashion show by elle
  • gymboree parachute time
  • camp explorer onstage show
  • the stork studio photography
  • portion with musik garten (+ now that i've mentioned it, i will be giving away a musik garten gc to 1 lucky reader, will be posting it here within the week, so please watch out for it!)
  • my masterpiece movement muti-arts show
  • a free limited edition expo kid backpack will also be given to first 50 kids to arrive and participants of onstage activities:
photo from expo kid
not only that, expo kid 3 will also showcase 40+ exhibitors and vendors of the best stuffs for kids!

entrance is P25 + children below 12 years old gets in for free. 100% of registration proceeds go to the momshare outreach program.

so if you + the kiddos have nowhere to go this saturday, mark your calendars with "expo kid 3" for your next where-to weekend destination!

Tuesday, March 29, 2011

blogger fest 2011


 you are cordially invited!

what:  blogger fest 2011
where: event center, thunderbird resorts, rizal
when:  16 april, 2011, 11am-6pm
target attendees: 200 bloggers
attire: smart casual
note: free entrance

why i registered:
  • this is a great venue for free mentoring on blogging + networking with other pinoy bloggers + companies
  • learn the basic know-how + advanced tips + tricks of blogging from notable guest speakers (confirmed speakers as we speak are: jonel uy of Blogger Manila, Antonio Carranza Jr. of PusangKalye.net + fitz villafuerte of Ready to be Rich)
  • watch demos + exhibits of products, gadgets + brands from event partners + sponsors
  • workshops + one-on-one consultation with the blogging powers-that-be
  • join on the spot contests + activities
  • have fun, relax + enjoy the luxurious thunderbird resort in binangonan while you learn, nuff said!
nice view
it's always fun to meet up with fellow bloggers, mummies or not, that is why am so looking forward to this, plus i've never been to thunderbird resort so that is another worthwhile experience.

who's going to bloggerfest? see you there!

music monday: earth song by smokey mountain


In celebration of earth hour last saturday, i am sharing this very old song from my most favorite group back then, the smokey mountain. here's the lyrics to this timely song:


if the earth could sing a melody
it would be a lonely tune i swear, no harmony
if the earth could play a symphony
all the seas and all the oceans would splash desperately
if the earth could write its history
names of those who strangled her will figure prominently
if the earth could plead insanity
it would spew us all to a distant nameless galaxy....
comprised of lone female member, geneva cruz, + tony lambino, jeffrey hidalgo + james coronel (+ later on james will be joined in by jayson angangan, zhar santos + chedi vergara) this kid-group was very popular here in the country + the neighboring asian countries too. singing socially-relevant songs, this group taught me a thing or two about the environment, nationalism + some other important stuffs kids my age ought to be pondering about. i say they've become a major influence in my teenage years. i only wish kids nowadays can have someone like them to look up to + idolize.

here's another song (this time from the second group), paraiso, which they performed in a songfest in japan + won!

my late entry to this week's






Come join Music Monday and share your songs with us. Rules are simple. Leave ONLY the ACTUAL LINK POST here and grab the code below and place it at your blog entry. You can grab this code at LadyJava's Lounge Please note these links are STRICTLY for Music Monday participants only. All others will be deleted without prejudice.

PS: Because of spamming purposes, the linky will be closed on Thursday of each week at midnight, Malaysian Time. Thank you!

meet me on monday 40th edition


Questions:

1.  Crunchy or soft tacos?
2.  Do you scrapbook?
3.  Do you take any daily medications?
4.  What is your favorite sound?
5.  Where were you born?

My answers:

1. crunchy tacos!nom, nom, nom!

2. i try too, but am not really that creative. with my sister's help i managed to keep a lot of jared's first year photos in an album ;)
photo
  3. nope, i veer away from meds as much as i can
photo
4. my favorite sound is the voice of my son saying "ma" with conviction + urgency

5. i was born in taguig city, philippines all those many years ago

Sunday, March 27, 2011

whatta wonderful week 08: baby's day out


last week (march 14-20) went by like a breeze, i barely had the time to breathe deeply to clear my lungs + seven days are gone in a heartbeat.

what made last week wonderful? apart from my son's bowel movement returning to normal (here's my post about it). we spent most of the day cooped up at home (whilst i try to finish most of the chores earlier) then  jared + i can go out for a stroll in the late afternoons when the sun is no longer ablaze.

by mid-week, jared, jared's dad + mum trooped to sm city baliuag (right after we stopped by a hospital to have jared's feces exained) for a late afternoon baby's day out. it was the first time we all went there together (the last time mum + jared were there was when jared was still such a tiny baby), we explore the shops, discovering some window shopping potentials, swing by the department store + bought these lot for the little man:
been wanting to get one of this for jared since last december
huge bubbles!!!
a rumblin' tow truck :)
and went to the groceries afterwards + bought milk for jared, among other stuffs. mum also got to sample this delicious hotdog sandwich in the foodcourt, while jared + his dad clowned around after eating.  we saw this huge statue of pooh + his gang, unfortunately i failed to take photos but promised to do so, the next time we stopped by.

the rest of the week was mostly spent at home, doing stuffs online, finishing all of my writing task for the week, posting some articles on my blogs + watching some more of the movie up, despicable me + a lot of pocoyo episodes too.

i've been limiting jared's viewing time to an hour at least or two hours maximum, so we have a lot of time for play + offline fun, which we mostly spend playing with his new toys + blowing those ginormous bubbles (much to my son's delight). hopefully we can sustain this, am aiming for a tv-free childhood for my son + thinking of painting + arts 'n crafts, playing soccer, going to the park, amongst others to form his first-few-years-of-life-memories. wish us luck ;)

our week was swell, how about yours?

Friday, March 25, 2011

friday fill-ins 2011.12


FFI


And...here we go!

1. Why does it always seem like time flies way too fast.

2. facebook is equal to unfinished posts here .

3. My favorite breakfast includes milk + cereals or i can do with a hash brown or two.

4. harry potter was the last book I read when i was pregnant.

5. I am SO glad jared's bowel woes are over.

6. someone arriving with ready-made dinner would make me feel better right now.

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to watching a film with my son here at home, tomorrow my plans include resting, resting + more resting and Sunday, I want to go to the mall or anywhere just to be out!

mommy moments: i ♥ the color white!

mommy moments

white, i realized just now, is one of my favorite colors + i remember when we shopped for jared's stuff for the first time, we bought most items in white: cloth diapers, tiny shirts and shorts, pajamas, bibs, mittens + socks, binders (which i only get to use once or twice), tie sides, bonnets and blankies. everything is in white, thinking it is a very cool color + that jared will be comfortable wearing them. i still buy mostly white sandos (the ones he usually wears at home, or what we call pambahay or pang araw-araw in our vernacular) for jared up to now,since he sweats like crazy + i think the white color helps him cool down.

here are the photos of my son in white:
jared in white ensemble, just minutes after he was born



a sleeping jared, in his white things + white blankie too, at home

with mum this time, in white shirts, taken during mommy lace's event in activefun last year
wearing his white pocoyo shirt + tinkering with the cotton buds tub!
don't forget to join us this week, simply click on the badge for more of white mommy moments! for the meantime, i need to spend some time offline...

have a good friday everyone + see you later!

love + light!

Thursday, March 24, 2011

ending my diarrhea woes...

i posted about jared's diarrhea problem a week ago + am only too glad that i really have nothing to worry about. brought my son's stool for fecalysis + his pedia said all seems to be normal  but prescribed protexin restore just the same. this is to be taken each day (1 sachet a day to be mixed with his food or milk) for the next 5 days. protexin restore, according to philippine pharmaceutical directory is a non-prescription gastro/digestive drug (with generic name fructooligsaccharide {fos}, probiotics) and cures digestive disorder amongst infants including:
  • diarrhea associated with antibiotic therapy
  • irritable bowel syndrome
  • enhancement of natural resistance to intestinal infection
  • indigestion
  • flatulence
  • bloating and constipation
  • lactose intolerance
the end to my woes equals:
  • protexin restore @ Pph67 (about $1.60)/ sachet = Php 335 (about $8)
  • fecalysis = Php65 (about $1.50)
  • mum's peace of mind + baby's comfort = priceless
so far jared's stool has improved in consistency compared to the watery + gooey ones from last week, hopefully after taking his meds for 5 days, things will get back to bowel normal. am only glad the little man is as energetic + vibrant as ever.












join + be one with the earth


just a few more days mummies, be sure to mark your calendars + your alarm clocks to 8.30p on saturday, 26 march for the earth hour. this year we are asked to go beyond the hour + think of other ways we can do to help mummy earth after earth hour is over.

for ideas + tips, or if you want to add in your idea for an awesome earth hour activity, or for more information on how you can support earth hour further simply visit the earth hour site. you can also download logos + badges, or fun stuffs by pocoyo, who is the first global kid's ambassador for beyond the hour campaign.

momstoday's mommy power

source
you are cordially invited!
mommy power: modern moms in modern times
9th of april, dusit thani hotel, makati city
morning program: sa ugoy ng duyan (for preggy + newbie mums)
afternoon program:  a mommy's day special (for mums of babies + toddlers - it is your day off!)

registration for both events is P300, and P175 for am or pm event only (this fee is inclusive of am and pm snacks). so. if you're free on that saturday register now + discover what makes you a special lady + the source of hope, peace, and strength in your family. simply click on the image or call 888-0333 and look for marketing for more details. 

see yah!
{update: i just registered for the pm event + am now waiting for my confirmation number} 

ftw!

i joinedMy Adventure in Mommyland february giveaway + i won yet again! (hope this winning streak continue for the rest of the year as i joined as much giveaways as i can! hooked, am i?) + i just received my prize yesterday morning,

it was copy of the book resurrecting anthony. based on my recent thumb-through, the book is about a family's journey through struggle + overcoming obstacles after their 12 year old son collapsed in school and suffered brain damage.
sure is one interesting read + i can't wait to begin...hopefully if i finish all my online tasks + the household chores  by thursday, i'd get some free time to curl up with this book...
will be posting a review once i'm done...again, thanks tania for my new book!

Wednesday, March 23, 2011

test...

Tighten logic with malleable spanners

yet another wonderful week?

i was late, yet again, in posting this week's entry to this blog meme, why? whatever recollection of how wonderful last week was is marred by the jarring memory of the tragedy that struck japan last friday + i was at some point questioning whether it was a wonderful week indeed, so here i was doing an online note, + convincing myself at the same time, that though it had been horrific + disastrous at best, we are still left with a few, little reasons to celebrate the week that was....
  • it was still quite a wonderful week, even if my son is having a problem with his bowel movements, i am thankful that he doesn't have fever or is down with some other kind of sickness
  • that even if we've never gone out much recently, we still enjoy life's little pleasures like having our stroll in the afternoon or early in the morning round the neighborhood
  • that even though i sometimes worry about my son having speech delays or whatnot, there really is no cause to worry, my son is as talkative as the next child, the only problem i have is to decode much of his gibberish speech. i patiently await the next intelligible word he will utter
  • that even though we continuously pray for our distraught japanese brothers, it is also worthy of mention that we are indeed lucky to be spared from such colossal catastrophe
i leave you with this touching photo of a 9 year old boy, toshihito aisawa, holding up signs + looking for his parents, cousin + grandmother in an evacuation center in ishinomaki, miyage prefecture:
*update: glad to know that this boy is reunited with one of his cousins, read story here
source
my uber late entry to last week's whatta wonderful week.


    Tuesday, March 22, 2011

    sunday stealing: 5000 Question Meme, Part One



    1. Who are you? a stay-at-home full-time mum to my son, jared!

    2. What are the 3 most important things everyone should know about you? that i am a loyal friend, that i hate being lied to + that i try to be as nice as i can any given time..

    3. When you aren't doing memes like this one what are you doing? joining online giveaways, checking messages + updates on facebook or playing cafeworld

    4. List your classes in school from the ones you like the most to the ones you like the least (or if you are out of school, think of the classes you did like and didn't like at the time). i love the english/filipino subjects best + i tend to be a bit nervous come algebra + trigo recitation i think math sucks big time!

    5. What is your biggest goal for this year? a memorable celebration of my son's 2nd birthday + get regular jobs online. i'd love to travel too!

    6. Where do you want to be in 5 years? 5 years down the road i'd love to be a master at cooking by then, totally adjusted to a mum's life with a 7 year old son. hopefully, earning enough online to be financially independent + give my son a comfortable life. i'd love to be 5kilos lighter by then too!

    7. What stage of life are you in right now? the stage of trying to be the best mum my son ever had

    8. Are you more child-like or childish? childlike i'd like to believe

    9. What is the last thing you said out loud? i think it's goodnight or i love you

    10. What song comes closest to how you feel about your life right now? i don't know the name of it or  who sang it but the song goes: am exactly where i'm suppose to be...i guess that best describes how i feel about my life now!

    11. Have you ever taken martial arts classes? nope, but would love to!

    12. Does your life tend to get better or worse or does it just stay the same? i'd like to think that it tends to get better.

    13. Does time really heal all wounds? it depends on which wounds you want to heal, some heals over time, some you'd just learn how to survive with them...

    14. How do you handle a rainy day? stay inside + wear yellow to bring in some sunshine!

    15. Which is worse...losing your luggage or having to sort out tangled holiday lights? losing my luggage i think

    16. How is (or was) your relationship with your parents? i was a mum's girl + i'd always have her accompany me even when i enrolled in college...we were never really close to my pops growing up + i truly regret that i came to appreciate + understand him more when i was running out of time...

    17. Do you tend to be aware of what is going on around you? yes, especially now that too many things (think tragedy + earthquakes) are going on

    18. What is the truest thing that you know? that love survives death

    19. What did you want to be when you grew up? for a while i wanted to be a free soul, get myself an rv + tour around the country, but that was the old me

    20. Have you ever been given a second chance? yes

    21. Are you more of a giver or a taker? giver

    22. Do you make your decisions with an open heart/mind? i'd like to think i do it with an open heart

    23. What is the most physically painful thing that has ever happened to you?

    24. What is the most emotionally painful thing that has ever happened to you? losing both parents within 3 months in the same year.

    25. Who have you hugged today? my son!

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