Mommy Moments - Look at that Mess

I think that all mommies (and daddies) would agree with me that children will be children - and they love to get dirty! The pictures below were at the time when Joaqui was curious with any thing that he gets his hands into. This was in Bataan when we first went to the beach with him. He was a mess with all that sand, but it was evident that he had fun.


At 2 years and 7 months, he likes to make a mess around the house. He would put out all his toys from his toy box and would scatter them all over. I often tell my husband that it seems like we have 5 children in the house when we only have 1. : ) He also likes to re-arrange pieces of furniture by moving them around. Even though this is the kind of mess he does when playing, he knows how to put away his toys by playing "shoot the toy in the box."

For more of Mommy Moments, go here.

Thursday Thirteen - Sweets and Treats

header courtesy of samulli

I love desserts and if I have the talent, I really would like to bake all the sweets I am craving for. Hubby knows that and so he got me a mixer so that I can get started on baking 101. These are the 13 goodies I would like to bake:

photo source here

1. Blueberry Pie

2. Cranberry Swirl Cheesecake

3. Carrot Cupcakes

4. Chocolate Torte

5. Red Velvet Cake

6. Cream Cheese Brownies

7. Buttermilk Berry Muffins

8. Peanut Butter Cup Cookies

9. Cinnamon Rolls.

10. Chocolate Chunk Cookies

11. Peanut Blossoms Cookies

12. Tiramisu

13. S'mores

when it rains it pours

It happened to me again. When it rains, it pours and not only does it happen with blessings. Sometimes it happens with trials and challenges also. As our phone line had no dial tone last week and no repair man was in sight, we had to go to the house of my in laws so that I can work. They had good internet connection and all I had to bring was my laptop computer. It was quite a long drive going there and as we were on our way, our car air conditioning failed. It was really hot that day, so we had to travel all the way to Valenzuela City from our place without cool air. Even if we opened the windows, it was still hot. But I guess good things still happen to good people because a neighbor of my in laws who was a mechanic was there when we arrived. He also has a small auto mechanic shop and he has the parts that our car needed. In fact, he also now has diesel parts, air conditioning compressor and more. Our car's air conditioning was repaired before we went home two days after. And as the challenges came one after another, the solutions to these challenges came with the help of some really good people. Apparently after six days of waiting, our phone line was repaired and it was such a relief. It was quite difficult for us without the internet connection and I can work from home again.

Sometimes my first reaction when something goes wrong is to be irritated or annoyed, but thinking about the past week, it made me think that sometimes I just really have to wait and be patient to be able to think clearly on what I can do about the problem, rather than being a problem myself. ; )

Spread the Love

Joanne of Me, Myself and I asked me to spread the love and so here it goes. Thank you very much Joanne. I appreciate your thoughtfulness in giving me this tag.

Rules:

1. Copy the badge and put it in your blog.

2. Link back the person who passed you this award.

3. Spread the love to at least 10 or more bloggers.

I'm spreading the love to all my blogger friends, just feel free to post it in your blog and spread some more love.

Mommy Moments - First Steps

Joaqui's first steps were one of the proudest and sentimental moments for me as a Mommy because it was a sign that my baby is growing up fast and from the time that I was always helping him to take his steps, I had to let go of his hand for a while so that he can walk on his own. He was able to walk on his own when he was exactly 1 year and 2 months. It came as a surprise to us and I was just really happy that we were able to capture it.

This was during the Chinese New Year and I saw this cheongsam and bought it for Joaqui. He looked really cute in his costume and it was a conincidence that he first took steps on his own during this time.

I just want to share also that I think Joaqui first learned to run than walk. Until now, he is always running around and he walks fast. ; ) He also did not went through the crawling stage. When he learned to sit, next was standing up and then walking or should I say, running.

More First Steps here.

an addition to the family

Joaqui will soon have a cousin! My sister-in-law is currently pregnant and everyone in hubby's family is really happy. We don't know yet if the baby is going to be a boy or a girl, but my sister-in-law and I are already excited to buy baby stuff. She asked me for advice on the essential baby gear that she needs to purchase and I told her that she will have to buy onesies, tops and socks because the baby will need them right away. I also adivsed her to look for a good crib, preferably with a changing table to put in the nursery. And since I am really excited for the new baby, I have been searching online for body suits and bibs to give to her. While browsing online, I also saw some really cute stuff for Joaqui like Sponge Bob underwear and a pink robe for one of my god children. It will be perfect as a Chistmas gift!

I also told my sister-in-law that as early as now, she can already shop for activity sets like a walker and a playpen. Joaqui used to have a playpen and he used that a lot. My hubby plans to give the future baby children's books like Good Night Moon by Margaret Wise Brown because we both believe that you can instill a love of reading to children as early as they are born. A lot of people usually give educational toys as gifts to babies or children and those are great presents, but I also prefer creative toys to encourage the artistic mind.

Right now, I just told her to take care of her health because the baby will depend on her for nutrition. Fortunately she has not had a difficult first trimester and her pregnancy is progressing wonderfully. We are just happy for them and we are praying and hoping for a bouncing healthy baby in a few months' time.

tantrums and discpline

I now realize that being a parent is one of the most difficult jobs, especially when I have to impose rules on a 2-1/2-year-old child. Lately Joaqui has been throwing tantrums right and left for no apparent reason at all. Well, there is a reason - when he wants something, but he just can seem to wait and has been impatient most of the time. I felt really bad yesterday when I had to hit his hands because he threw his water tumbler on the dining table while we were eating. It sent some food and plates crashing on the floor.

I said to myself that I will never hit or spank my child, but it seems that I really lost control on that incident. However, after I hit his hands (which was not quite hard), I explained to him my reason for doing so. I am now researching on the better ways to discipline Joaqui. I do not want the hitting to happen again. I have read about "time outs" and other types of reinforcement. Hopefully I would have a better way of disciplining him the next time he throws a tantrum.

the importance of rewarding employees

I am so proud of hubby for having been recognized by their company for a job well done. This shows that the employer reinforces the actions and behaviors they want to see people repeat. This way, employees respond well to incentives and to recognition for doing especially good work, and it is a sign that the employer appreciated the effort the employee made. Rewards do not have to be expensive like a large formal party or bonuses, although a financial reward would truly be encouraging, it does have some disadvantages.

Rewarding employees can be done in many other ways like taking the staff out to dinner, distributing a bag of groceries or fruit basket, or purchasing a gift card. This looks like a simple thing to do, but somehow it does keep an employee motivated. It is important to note that employees who contribute to meeting organizational goals or who improve the the efficiency, effectiveness, and economy of the company can be rewarded. Awards should be used as a tool to recognize past performance as well as motivate employees to continue high peformance.

Non-monetary rewards are more varied and unique than cash awards and offer two major advantages over cash rewards; they help meet employees' needs for recognition, growth and responsibility. While telling employees they are appreciated should be obvious, an employer should be specific about what they really liked, so that they not only feel appreciated but can do it again.

Mommy Moments - Playtime

Make a Smilebox slideshow

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Thursday Thirteen - 13 Things I'm Thankful For

header courtesy of samulli

I was not able to do my T13 last week because the little boy really had a bad case of tonsillitis. He had fever spike of 39 degrees C and since my mom just got back from a trip out of the country, I was alarmed. We brought him to his pediatrician and I was relieved to know that he just had tonsillitis. It was also my birthday last week and so I am doing a thankful T13 today. Things I am thankful for....

1. I'm thankful to God for all the blessings that he continuously pour upon me and my family.
2. My health. It's not perfect but good enough that I have not been hospitalized or confined, and I have not suffered from any injury or trauma (thank GOD).
3. My hubby. His love and support for me and our family keeps me grounded.
4. My son because he gives me the simplest and the greatest joy in my life.
5. Good friends. I may not have that many friends, but the ones I keep are those who have been with me through good and bad times.
6. My work. Its flexibility and financial rewards make me proud of what I can accomplish.
7. Bumps on the road. Life's ups and downs make me stronger and wiser and appreciative of what I already have.
8. Being able to laugh when things get tough. I can smile my way through difficulties and look on the brighter side of things.
9. Memories. Being able to reminisce and look back on all the wonderful things I was able to do, the people I've met, places I've been and looking forward to more life's adventures.
10. Today. Right here, right now.
11. People who give much of themselves for others - volunteers, teachers, priests, social workers, etc. and all those who served our country and other countries. It's a brave thing to do.
12. Internet. I have traveled many a places, met a lot of different people, shared other peoples joy's, consoled a soul and prayed for those I haven't even met.
13. Being ME.

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thank you Genebei Faith!

Thank You Comments

I hope my simple thank you will suffice. I love the digital scrapbook greeting you made especially for my birthday. You are one of the bloggers that I admire because of the inspiring thoughts you write in your blog. Thank you so much.

Visit Her and History to see the greeting she made for me. She's always worth the read. ; )

PC retirement

Our desktop computer is getting slow, sometimes real slow. Its memory sometimes fail because of the used space as we store pictures and other pertinent data regarding my work in our desktop. Although we have added an external drive for the pictures, still sometimes while I am working and I open a lot of files, I get bored waiting to upload and download files.

If budget is not a question, we would have opted to buy a MacBook Pro as the Mac laptops are slim and sleek and the 13-inch MacBook boasts of two different processor configurations. The MacBook Pro is really hard to resist with its aluminum unibody enclosure, advanced longer-lasting battery and enhanced LED-backlit display. A lot of hubby's friends also say that it is easier to edit photos using the MacBook. And as a medical transcriptionist, the keys are curved to perfectly fit fingers and the keyboard is illuminated helping you type even in low-light settings.

Of course as with all gadgets, it does not come without disadvantages like, for example, Macintosh computers cannot be personalized as easily as personal computers, but I think this would only affect the sincere gaming enthusiasts. For its simplicity and attractiveness, the high-end features definitely outweigh the disadvantages.

4th of July outing

Since the 4th of July Holiday in the U.S. was a major holiday and only a few dictations come in from the doctors, our company holds its annual "summer outing" on the 4th of July. This time it was in Cattleya Farm Resorts in Antipolo. Joaqui was the first one to go swimming because he so much loves the water. The next day, he spent half a day in the pool swimming and jumping. We had one very happy little boy by the time we came home. : )

blow the candles!

In a few more hours, I will be celebrating my 33rd birthday and I really have no plans of a big celebration, maybe just dinner with my family. I am still worried about Joaqui's tonsillitis as he has not been eating or drinking well at all, but I am hopeful that he will get better really soon. Hubby was asking me what would I want for my birthday and I said it's up to him. I would appreciate any gift he would give me.

Every year, I also give myself a gift - a reward for myself and I was thinking about Indian jewelry, but I want something that is authentic. I got interested in ethnic items after I made an online salwar suits shopping from www.utsavsarees.com where they really emphasize on quality and latest fashion. They also have jewelry and accessories which are beautifully crafted and made to last.

So with gifts or without gifts, I am thankful for another year and another candle to blow on my birthday cake.

Mommy Moments - Pouting Face

I don't know if the pictures below would fit in this week's theme for Mommy Moments. I was looking through Joaqui's pictures and these are the best I can come up with him pouting. I tried to take a picture of him pouting, but he would not cooperate. Joaqui is such a happy baby and he would only pout or cry when he is having a bad mood, which is not often, or when he is not feeling well.

More pouting faces at Mommy Moments here.

what's in a name and a lawyer

Jennifer is such a common name that actually there was a time that it was the most popular girl's name in the USA. It was supposed to be spelled that way, with a single letter F, but my mom wanted to be creative (or I guess it was the effect of anesthesia) that she specified my name with a double letter N and double letter F. Ever since I was a child, my teachers had trouble spelling it correctly and so now I have a multitude of school records and other records with my name spelled both with a single F and double F.

Although my birth certificate has the correct spelling, still on legal matters I had to present records which are consistent. We are in a middle of some family-related situation on estate settlements and I have to produce certain legal papers, so this issue with my name came up. We are just lucky that a family friend referred us to a very good family lawyer who can provide skilled, prompt and diligent representation regarding these matters. He represents cases and clients in a wide variety of family law areas and has worked with San Antonio Family-Law-Attorneys.

So far he has provided professional legal advice and has addressed all of our legal needs and we will just wait and see how it turns out. I do hope that we can navigate through these minor legal waters easily with the help of a family law attorney.

one word meme

Thanks to Mommy E of the E planet for this tag. Sorry if it took quite a while. ; )

USING ONLY ONE WORD! It's not as easy as you might think! Copy and change the answers to suit you and pass it on. It's really hard to use only one-word answers. Be sure to tag the person who sent it to you!

1. Where is your cellphone? Piano.
2. Your hair? Black.
3. Your mother? Vacation.
4. Your father? Forgiven.
5. Your favorite food? Chicken.
6. Your dream last night? Vivid.
7. Your favorite drink? Tea.
8. Your dream/goal? Happiness.
9. What room you are in? Living.
10. Your hobby? Craft.
11. Your fear? Death.
12. Where do you want to be in 6 years? Canada.
13. Where were you last night? Here.
14. Something that you aren't? Fashionista.
15. Muffins? Blueberry.
16. Wish list item? Notebook
17. Where you grew up? Suburbs.
18. Last thing you did? Drink.
19. What are you wearing? Tee.
20. Your TV? On.
21. Your pets? None.
22. Friends? Many.
23. Your life? Balanced.
24. Your mood? Great.
25. Missing someone? Friends.
26. Car? Parked.
27. Something you're not wearing? Religion.
28. Your favorite store? Bag
29. Your favorite color? Pink
30. When was the last time you laughed? Now.
31. Last time you cried? Clueless.
32. Who will resend this? You.
33. One place that I go to over and over? Supermarket.
34. One person who emails me regularly? Arlyne.
35. My favorite place to eat? Home.

the best deal on used cars

The blogosphere has really added me new friends and I just received an email from a blogger friend who just moved to UK from Malaysia. She was having a difficult time adjusting as it was really a new world for her. Her previous email was about how she wanted to have a car to use to and from work in the hospital, but she still cannot afford a new one. She was not so sure about buying used cars, but I told her not to worry and I will try to search a UK site for her where she can get superb deals on used cars and new cars.

I gave her the site BuyYourCar and she immediately checked it. She cannot believe on the thousands of cars on their list which are below the typical list price. She was so happy because she found a bargain on used Audi cars that she will definitely buy. All the while she was getting frustrated on finding the right car for her, and she is just delighted that there is a site like BuyYourCar. It definitely made life easier for her, at least in her search of a car. She says their selection is the best she have come across and will definitely recommend it to her friends who are not only looking for used cars but also car lease as well. I am happy for her and I bet her next email would be about the places she had been to with her new wheels.

Mommy Moments - Encounter with Pets or Animals

Even at a young age, I can sense that Joaqui likes animals. He can identify a lot of animals in his books and flash cards and would want to pet an animal that he sees.

His first encounter with wild animals was when we went to the Manila Zoo when he was just one year old. He is very much familiar with the elephant.

This was in the Kindergarten Zoo of the Manila Zoo. He was not afraid of the snake at all and in fact, wanted to bite it.

His Mamu likes to give him pets. The first was a bowl of small fishes and now he has a pet rabbit at Mamu's house which his Tita Mylene calls Osagi. He likes to hold Osagi.

And chase him too around the house. We don't often let him hold Osagi because Joaqui can be a little too rough on him.

Have a happy weekend everyone! For more of Mommy Moments, click here.

Thursday Thirteen - I am a working girl

Header courtesy of Samulli

Since I am temporarily working from the office, after working from home for more than a year now, I realized that there were a lot of things I did miss working outside the home. It's like a new experience again and although I miss my son, I am glad that I braved a change in my routine and the world around me seemed a little bit different from my perpspective.

1. The morning rush excites me.

2. Having to commute going to work is a little bit difficult as I am not used to going out in the middle of a rush hour.

3. Tall green tea frappuccino with hazelnut from Starbucks. I missed this!

4. Working in an office cubicle where there are other people actually working other than me!

5. I enjoy the view from the window on the 12th floor in the office.

6. Chatting with co-workers.

7. I actually get a lot of things done without a 2-year-old boy asking me to make him sit on my lap infront of the computer and play with my computer mouse.

8. I am looking forward to going home and be with my little Joaqui.

9. It is a little quiet here in the office.

10. People watching - other than the people I live with inside our house.

11. Fast food for lunch is not bad. In fact, I get to eat different kinds of food - Mexican, Chinese and McDonald's.

12. I have to use a pen and paper in the office. When I was working from home, I put everything in my computer.

13. I can only blog but I can't play games (like Farmtown in Facebook) in the office while working. : )

Fore more of Thursday Thirteen, click here.