Tread Carefully -

- please.. It usually takes me hours to finish a blog. Let me tell you - it gets me really excited when I have put a story  or a series of unrelated stories into one. It's like giving birth every time - the bit where you meet your newborn for the first time. And I have to admit feeling really pleased.

I am a mum to two preschool kids. I can't even count the number of times they surprise me with words like reality, idea, actually, imagination used in the right context - just a few that I can remember off the top of my head. But other times I long for adult conversation, and blogging has become that avenue for me to do a narrative ( because I can't do that with my kids - I get politely interrupted with "excuse me mummy, I have something to tell you") and a creative outlet, if I may be so audacious to use that term.

So when I found out that some people, a few of whom are very close friends of our family, were offended by one of the points I blogged about, I was deeply saddened. I was literally physically sick that I almost could not accompany my son to a birthday party!  Never mind that they have long forgiven me way before I even found out!

I thought maybe there are others who are just lurking out there and not saying anything, just waiting to explode. (we don't want that.. I can get a bit dense, unless I am told that there is an issue)

What prompted me to ask them was an incident totally unrelated, with another person then becoming historical, finding undertones on stuff that I blogged in the past. What I found very sad about the later was - this person, whom I thought knew me better, would much rather talk to others instead of confronting me about the issue. Even after I opened doors for a conversation, the "door was slammed" all because of a misunderstanding. After giving it some thought, I realised that there was more to the issue as I thought I knew or the whole thing would not be blown out of proportion. Which happens when offenses are not dealt with. But no judgement there - just wished it was dealt with differently.

I remember being confronted  as a  young person, and learning early that - people who are NOT part of the PROBLEM or SOLUTION do not need to know about an issue or it becomes gossip. And if I ever get offended, I should speak to the person involved. In cases where I do not want to, I should just let it slide. Or look at the situation from the person's point of view, hopefully it will shed some light over the differences of opinion.

Because of the abovementioned incidents, it made me rethink why I blog, what motivates me to make time to put together my thoughts, and tell stories etc. Anyone who knows me well will hopefully know that I will never  offend them ON PURPOSE!  I think of myself as transparent - the what you see is what you get sort. I do not subscribe to disposable relationships, thus I don't go about making friends while secretly scheming something on the side.  I would like to think of myself as one who aspires to builds up, not tear people down. Many times I had to bite my tongue in the name of keeping quiet when I have nothing positive/encouraging to say. 

With all those thoughts invading my mind at different times, it made me realise that maybe I needed to state the obvious and spell things out -

1. Whatever I write or have written in the past, it has my BELIEFS, BACKGROUND, SOCIO-CULTURAL ORIENTATION, EDUCATION, LIFE EXPERIENCES all over the place! Please do not read something in here and analyse it based on what you think it means. If you're not sure, ask me. I might even pay for coffee :p It is my opinion. I am not writing to criticise other people's choices or pass judgement, that is NOT my place. It is not like me. And if you thought I was being offensive, please ACCEPT my APOLOGIES. I am only expressing my opinion on a subject that I am passionate about.

A friend said that if people will choose to be offended, they will always find something to be offended about. True that - even if a line starts with no offense.

2. Let's agree to disagree - there will always be something that I will blog about that you won't be happy with. Let's leave it at that. We are all different! And that's what makes life exciting! I don't know about you but I wouldn't want a friend who will agree with me at every opportunity.

When I was feeling sick and a bit depressed over the dramas of my life, I messaged a long time friend who once told someone that if they wanted a friend who will tell the truth even if it hurts (only when asked) to go to a friend like me. I miss my friends with whom I have had long history with. The kind that knew me, without having to explain anything to them. At the same time I am grateful for the new friends that I have made who even though I haven't known them that long, feels like they have been there all along.

3. Some things are not worth losing friendships for! 

I remember being in a situation where I felt that I have every right to be angry and offended over a friend's action. However when I calmed down and thought of what my reaction would have done even if I felt that I had every legitimate reason to feel entitled to be angry, I calculated that it was not worth losing a friendship for.

A favourite speaker once said - if you overlook my imperfections, I will agree to overlook yours.

4. We all need grace - getting what we don't deserve - and if we have experienced grace from THE Creator, it makes it easier to extend grace to others.

Someone once said that one of the best test to a lasting friendship is when they get past offenses.

At the end of the day it would be nice if this was known as a  venue where anyone reading will leave encouraged, hopeful and joyful. At least to all five of you who regularly read my blog! (Haha - thanks!) And, if after reading this you feel like giving me a piece of your mind, will you sleep on it? And if you still feel the same way afterwards, maybe we are due for a catch up anyway. :-)

When feeling knocked over..

All I was doing was try to catch some sleep..

I just came home from a fairly quiet night shift and a friend had just told me that she might have to drop a shift, if I was interested. So I went to sleep that morning with the thought of possibly getting an extra permanent shift - only to be rudely interrupted by a call that meant rejection.

We are currently at a state where we are getting things organised. With that meant creating new deliberate habits and making an effort to cut down on interest rates  or at least cutting down on payment period. With that in mind we went to see someone, only, on this particular morning I had to get that call that they did not want our business. Fair enough! I just wish we got the call another time, because I was really tired, I wanted to sleep and had plenty of room to cry.

And cried I did, towards God - it seemed like a perfect plan, how can we NOT get it, are you hearing me at all? - and being the drama queen that I am, I actually felt better afterwards.

I was just grateful that on that weekend at church, our Pastor's message was on the timezones of grace. I am not  going to rehash what he said because it is available on podcast for anyone interested. What I stood out for me though was the way he explained and illustrated Psalm 23:6 that says surely goodness and mercy will follow me all the days of my life and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever. He then called two guys to represent goodness and mercy and made then follow him as he mentioned situations, good or challenging.

How easy is it to forget the promise of God's word?  How often would  I rather try and sort out things on my own? But how blessed was I that I just had a reminder that goodness and mercy will follow me all the days of my life, be it during times of rejoicing such as when my little boy tells me he will never ever stop telling me he loves me or times like this, when I felt unfairly treated and knocked over what I thought was a great business!

While I can't do anything about other people's reaction, I sure can do something about my attitude and reaction over every situation that I face.

A few weeks later I got a call from work asking if I was interested to get more shifts..I only asked for one - I got given three more permanent shifts. And it works out really nicely because it is no longer all over the place and I got my kids an extra day at preschool, which means I can sleep for at least four straight hours without them jumping on me or wanting my attention. Surely goodness and mercy follow me....

Economically Speaking

I just realised that a lot of my decisions hinged on economic reasons. I know it sounds terrible, but let me explain -

A few years ago. I went to college with big plans to study law (I was reminded when I saw my highschool yearbook). However when I finished my business management degree and after I landed a job at a local bank, the "dream" was shelved, and being the eldest and having younger siblings, I probably thought I should be helping financially instead of having to keep studying - it just made more sense in my head. 

When my husband and I decided that I should stay at home to look after our young babies three years ago, it was definitely because we found it more expensive if I kept working and get them to go to a childcare centre.  I know a lot of friends whose kids are in childcare centre and I am glad it works for them. When we started calculating the cost - all overhead expenses related to it,  and how much I was making, it seemed like I was going to work to pay for childcare because I would have been left with little. When we factored in a few other things like everyday joyful times less the frustrating bits, what stood out were the little stuff they did everyday and we couldn't even begin to assign a value to it because they are too priceless. Since then we just had to make some adjustments in the way we did family - with the help of Google search, I found out a way to make organic laundry powder. There was also a way to make a DIY laundry softener. I discovered that I did not need to compromise on some little luxury by finding a way to make a body wash just like my favourite brand or a body scrub that I really liked. These are some items that eat up a bulk of our groceries budget and by making them at home, it significantly lowered our expenses. Another thing that we learned to do was doing our washing and drying (if we must use the dryer that is),during off peak. When we look at the comparison rates of our energy bill, we can't help but notice that it has plateaud. We went to the park and beaches and wherever kids entertainment is free.

I also started researching on the homeschooling option. Many years ago before I even had a husband and kids, I started thinking about this option. Lately I thought the main reason I wanted to do it was because of fear of my kids getting bullied since they have exotic skin than usual. However when I started looking for schools and saw how expensive it costs, my true motive was exposed. Apart from believing in the benefits of homeschooling, I realised that it is the cost of private education that makes me want to pursue the later. I do know how to read and write and did units of competency in education so in my head I was thinking how hard can it be? My husband do not agree though. Not that he doesn't see the benefits but then is just not completely sold out. So I thought that maybe we will just send both kids to kindergarten together next year! Then we will save some money rather than paying so much for two days a week to preschool!

Not too long ago I did another career shift so I can go back to work. I thought that if I get to work nights then I won't have to make arrangements for the kids. It works really well and now I am beginning to think about where I may be headed and which direction I wanted to take. I am very grateful to be working in a dementia specific facility. The longer I have worked there the more I can say that I am really enjoying the job. I was recently challenged to go further and study. The question that comes to mind though is apart from the issue of calling and other important stuff, what will probably lead me to go into a full on study is finding out how much more I will make because already I am happy with what I am getting paid. (haha!)

I was chatting with some friends where I declared that I would probably not buy a brand new car even if I can afford it. I know how fast the value of cars depreciate and I can't justify it to myself how I would spend so much on something that I would probably only keep for a few years. In my mind, it is just not good stewardship of my finances. No offense to friends with brand new cars because  a) don't mind me, I just couldn't afford it and b) the operative word on the previous sentence is MY. Unless, I get given a new one, then my chances of ever driving a new car is slim, because I centainly won't pay for it. 

It is because of the same mindset on finances that we tithe. For those who do not know, it just means giving 10 per cent of my income to my local church. The reason we tithe as a family is mainly in obedience to God's Word. At the same time we did not want to be under a curse. We do it voluntarily and we are not under any compulsion and as much as possible we try to be joyful givers. Which is not all the time if I am being honest. But because it is an attitude, then we can talk ourselves to be joyful in giving even during hard times.What we find is, eventhough it is tempting to withhold our tithes and spend it on some legitimate and urgent matters like bills, when we go ahead and give anyway, we find finances coming in ways that we would never have thought of on our own. I find David's take in Psalm 37:25 very comforting - I have been young, and now am old; yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his seed begging bread.

I suppose this is where I need to keep a balance. While counting the cost before taking a plunge is important, I hope it will not stop me from stepping out in faith especially when I feel that God is leading me into a certain direction. If you have read my previous entries, you would know how grateful we are for the many supernatural favours that we have the privilege of experiencing. I find it both a humbling and exhilarating position, one that we do not take lightly.

Sure you can call me pragmatic. But given the right balance (read: as long as I don't allow my natural tendencies to get in the way of God working supernaturally) then I won't even feel bad or apologise for it.

Our Vanuatu Holiday

A few months or so ago, our little miss started telling us that we should go on a holiday. Not sure if she understood what that meant and considering where we were financially, we told her to talk to God about it, pray and find out what He thought. After a few seconds of her usual "God, can we ...." she came back with a very excited tone saying - "mum, God said YES!"

A Story of Answered Prayers

It turned out that while our little miss was praying, somewhere in the Pacific Islands just happened to have purchased some equipment that needed hubby's help. Never mind that in all his years of employment, he and his boss never travel at the same time, let alone be away for a week! For some reason his boss sounded adamant that the whole family travel along - it is mostly paid for anyway.


A few days after everything was arranged, my shifts at work got changed all of a sudden. Instead of missing one shift, I had to miss two. While I had someone agree to cover for me, I was left with two shifts and no one covering for me. After much prayer, my boss whom I emailed replied,  "enjoy! don't worry it will be sorted!" And so we went ahead, what with a little girl's prayer getting answered, bosses who did not know they were being answers to someone's prayers, and an awesome God who delights to weave things together to see to it that a prayer, no matter how random it seems, gets answered.

So with our faith full to bursting, I thought we'd see how it goes and believe for an upgrade. The thing that came to mind was our flights - to which my darling husband laughed. But when I told him that the kids are on board, he agreed, especially when I joked that the three of us will take the business class seats and leave him in economy. By the time we arrived at the airport, we had forgotten about our prayer of upgraded seats. While we did not get that upgrade, to my surprise, God did not forget, even if that prayer was on a whim!

 Port Vila, Vanuatu

I have to be honest and admit that I did not have high expectations going to the island. A few years ago, we went to another Pacific Island and having seen the ads, I went with really high expectations, only to be disappointed because not only did I find everything ridiculously overpriced, I couldn't help but think that I have seen way better from my beautiful home country and I did not have to pay so much - but that is another story altogether.

I found Port Vila just beautiful. It is a great place to relax, unwind and de-stress. Voted the friendliest place on earth, it certainly rubbed off to the kids as they would say hello to just about anyone they meet. A classic display of their friendliness was when we went to a local church one Sunday. During the service, the guests were asked to stand up and briefly introduce themselves while everyone else was being really warm and welcoming. At the end of the service, the guests went out together with the pastor and waited outside as the rest queue to shake their hands!

Food is great and cheap and ice cream made from local produce is just delectable.Did I mention the massages and summer dresses being bargains?


I was going to say that I was a bit surprised to find a Filipino restaurant advertised on the inflight magazine that we had to go and see for ourselves. But being Filipino and how we take the command to go to the ends of the earth literally, I was just happy to see the familiar and meet some Cebuano speaking folks at that!

a little bit out of the way, eratap beach resort is worth the drive

Iririki Island Resort

One can't help but fall for this beautiful island resort. Refreshing is written all over the place! We met the lovely rooms division manager who gave us a little orientation about the island, our rooms and the beautiful facilities. When asked why our room was not close to kids club or the poolside, she casually replied that we have been upgraded. WHAT? So God's idea of an upgrade was not a 3-hour flight but an 8-day ocean view room! Sweet! Even our little miss squealed in amazement and asked "can we live here forever?" The rest of us was quick to tell her that we were only staying for a few days but not fast enough before it was labeled "our holiday home".

Kids club was a really fantastic idea especially that both little miss and little mister are qualified to go! Open from 10am to 6pm everyday, they beg me to take them everytime but some days the teacher is nowhere to be found. While they get a bit disappointed, the pool or park play or ice cream always manage to console them. Sometimes spa or some tv time works too.

I love that the poolside is very kids friendly, even for young kids that I can even leave them to play on their own while I stay close to the shade. What a great place for anyone and everyone! We did not even go anywhere, except for a daily trip to the mainland for ice cream treats and walk at the main street. We even skipped a paid tour around Port Vila because the kids find it more fun to hang out and feed the fish, or play by the pool or go to the beach side.

The room has its own kitchen and laundry, that from a housekeeping point of view, it was really perfect. I did not have to worry of having a luggage full of dirty clothes because I washed and dry them at night while waiting for my hardworking husband to get back.

All four of us felt overwhelmingly blessed with the whole experience (including the one who went to work!). We thank God for the gift of rest. Our faith has certainly grown leaps and bounds! Indeed the scripture that says with God, nothing is impossible, is for real.

Grateful

I was going to write about this for a competition, however the terms and conditions stipulated a limit on the number of the object of the gratitude. I found it a very difficult task because I couldn't pick one. Having said that, this is definitely NOT to print a picture of a rosy, perfect life because ours is certainly far from that. I just really wanted to give honour where honour is due.

In the words of our new senior pastor at church when he preached one sunday on a part of Numbers 13 that we so popularly remember as the account of the twelve spies, the ten spies who came back with emphasis on the negative report, did not understand the order of FAITH. There was no problem with the analysis, it was the order. In my life for instance I can quote the things I know of God and then go on complaining about the things that are not right in my life. OR, I can focus on God, inspite of my circumstances. And when I chose the latter, I found myself abounding with praise for the many miracles that I would probably have ignored if my attitude was different.

If truth be told,  I must admit it was a rather massive 2013 for us. We found ourselves in situations that were unfamiliar, leaving us with no answers. At the same time we felt the consequences of some miscalculated  decisions. But in the midst of the brouhaha, I am blessed with a husband whose loyalty and affection is towards God.  He refused to allow our challenges to bring us down and discourage us. I love that he  leads us to trust God always and to give room for a miracle from above. And did we see a number of miracles happen!

It was probably in the area of finances that we found ourselves badly hit. While it is an ongoing journey for us, already we have seen God move in so many ways. We could have chosen to hold on to every single penny, but we decided to partner with God and turn it into a step of faith. One example worth mentioning was when we participated in a faith promise for the next generation payable in one year. In the natural, it does not make sense to participate, with bills and expenses that needed to be paid. But as we prayed about it, we could not resist "testing" and waiting to see the floodgates open. (Mal 3:10b) Had we not participated, we would not have seen provision (from "out of the blue") for half of the amount we promised in the first quarter, get involve in a ministry partnership opportunity, support and even pay for a course for myself.

Speaking of a course, I did a 5-week study in assistant in nursing because I thought I wanted to get a job that allows shiftwork. My previous job in admin and database coordination is not a very feasible option because most of the availabilities are over an hour away one way from where I live. And I find it hard to leave my adorable three and four-year olds to work while most of whatever I make will just go towards child care fees. It was a very practical, hands on course and thank God I have small children because the over two years I spent with them at home came in very handy. When I did my two week work experience, I found myself overcame with compassion and my thoughts getting invaded by my  lovely, mostly dementiac residents that I had to spend some time praying for them. My performance review came back with the deputy director of nursing at that facility giving me excellent marks. It was a great encouragement for me, especially finding myself settling well (much to my surprise!)  and maybe even taking more classes in the future. A month after I finished the course, I got my driver's license (thank God!) which really helped because a few days later I got a job casually twenty minutes away from home. Less than a month into my employment, I got offered a permanent position and all I could say was - that is not NORMAL! We could never say that God has forgotten or left us alone. He has sorrounded us with friends who are like family - getting offers to toddlersit our kids when I was doing my training, or so I can pick up shifts available.

One time not too long ago (eventhough it seemed like a lifetime away) we found ourselves in a serious bind. We had a bill that needed to be paid on a monday but did not have enough money to settle it. A few days before that, one of my favourite brothers generously agreed to help. I was not sure the money will get into our account on time so I was stirring him to send it another way. We needed the help on a monday, not any other day. However all my subtle attempts did not work so even if something was arriving, I was sure we will not get it until two to three days later. So the stress of a bill that needed to be paid was still hanging over our heads. Sunday came and close friends who lived on the other side of the city (read: over an hour or so drive on the highway) from us were in our area and asked if they can pop in. Naturally we said yes. When they arrived, for some reason we split into two groups, me with the beautiful heavily pregnant friend were sitting in the lounge with the kids while our hubbies retreated to the playroom. In the course of my conversation with her, she said and I quote, maybe not verbatim (lol) - you will let us know if you need anything! In my head I was thinking that I had to be a better friend to her because she is ready to pop and being a first time mum, it can be overwhelming. However, I caught myself crying because I really appreciated her words and it just touched me but for some reason I changed the subject. I looked out for the hubbies who were in serious conversation but I did not think they would get into the details of our need at that moment. I was wrong - they came out with sweaty eyes (my darling husband mostly), and more help getting into our bank account via bank transfer. We were stunned! And we sat there long after they left in disbelief at the timing. We knew there has to be a POWER beyond HUMAN(read: the timing can only be GOD at work!) orchestrating all these things. But knowing the banking system, credits do not land into the accounts immediately -they get credited on the next banking day, even if the online transfer was made though the same bank.And then we were back to the monday situation! All the cash getting to our account, neither getting there in time for monday. An hour or so later, our friends came back with an envelope containing more than enough to sort out our monday debacle. It turned into a monday miracle because for some reason, all the monies got there early, yes, on that monday!

Our situation may have looked impossible, but the experience made our family into one team on the same side with our faith and dependence on God activated and strengthened. We love budgets now, and we endeavour to stick to it. We learned to be generous even in our lack More importantly we have greater capacity to make room for God to move. Which makes this new year really exciting! I love quoting 1Corinthians 2:9 in  the New Living Translation version - No eye has seen, no ear has heard, and no mind has imagined what God has prepared for those who love him. Indeed, the best is yet to come!

This Parenting Gig

 I have to admit to getting easily frustrated . And it has mostly to do with my toddlers. Maybe because they are with me most of the time that when they ignore me when I ask them to do something, it really gets to me. I find myself screaming and saying things I don't mean that at some point, I just zip my mouth and bite my tongue out of guilt because of the stuff I have said and done.


When I go through such mixture of emotions, it makes me think that one reason why God gifted humanity with the privilege of raising the next generation is to show us what we are like in our relationship with him. I feel like in the midst of my own emotional rollercoaster that God is reminding me of how gracious he is to me, and how much he loves me no matter how I behave. And with all the love and grace showered on me, I won't be able to help it but show grace towards others, especially to my own cheeky toddlers.


A mum friend aptly said it when she messaged that she honestly doesn't know how we can parent without Jesus. It is challenging enough to be parents to kids when you are relying on a power beyond your own strength. It is even worst when you live in a world where you have to try an live up to standards that's way out of this world and impossible to live up to. I can only agree with my friend, after an ongoing battle with toddlers who have minds of their own with just about everything. And while I am at it, I pray that these little people that we have been entrusted to raise will remember a grace-filled upbringing, because we received the same, God help us.

Our Journey with Prams

As promised, here's my take of the prams we have used. I know I kind of mentioned  product reviews but I am now not that sure if I have the time to be very thorough. 

 

We had to bid goodbye to our best pram ever of a little over two years. Our two favourite toddlers abandoned our baby jogger city select double for perhaps a year or so, in an effort to prove that they are big kids, as opposed to babies. After leaving it sitting in the garage, we thought it was time to put it up for sale on eBay.

baby jogger city select reviews

We found the pram sometime in 2010 after a rather thorough search for a double pram. We made use of the Google search and found a comparative compilation of single and double prams. We  also stalked forums and websites where regular mums, from their own experience, wrote about which brand worked for them. There were so many available choices and it is can get really confusing. In the end what made us pick this brand was a mum's post about having to order at a shop in America that ships overseas and how she was okay even if the warranty won't be honored here because she was so confident of its high quality. Since she posted links, we investigated and in the end did what she did.

A week or so after placing an order online, a UPS package was delivered, and thus began our love affair with this double pram, valued at half the price including postage compared to how much we would have paid if we got it locally.

So how did we find it? Best pram ever! Worth every penny! If I had known about it in 2009 when we had little Mister, it would have saved us all the money we spent on prams.

The first one we bought was a love n care delta stroller just before the little Mister came. It was on sale at half the price at toys r us and as a first time parent, as with most things in life, the question I asked was "what will it cost me?" Nevermind that we lived in a second level unit without a lift that time..nevermind that was very heavy to carry upstairs..I must say it was really sturdy and solid 4-wheel pram and if we lived on the ground level, I am sure it wouldn't be a problem.

Silverpop reviews

I began looking out on eBay for a lightweight pram and that was how I found our silvercross pop. Loved that it was light, easy to carry and really useful when we only had one small pram sitting toddler and would recommend it to anyone. My little issue was losing the small push button on one of the sides making the seat stuck upwards. It was alright for small babies but if you have toddlers that wanted their legs down, it will be a problem. The way I resolved it was by using a little tool that could take out the push button on one side and put it on the other side to adjust the seat. It requires some patience, otherwise, I would have to leave it sitting in the garage as I did not find a replacement button at any of their service centers.

zuzu reviews

And then I saw a friend's umbrella stroller that she got for under $30. We had to get it; I must confess that it has been our most used pram lately, especially when we go out via public transport. And true to its name it can be folded like an umbrella.

Altogether we probably spent a little under $1000 for all of our four prams. The baby love we gave to a family, while the silver pop  and the zuzu we still use from time to time when the wind blows towards its direction, or we needed to get somewhere faster as opposed to walking.

So back to the baby jogger - we actually managed to sell it for the same price that we bought it for. It does have a really great resell value and it was a great investment and would highly recommend it whether as a single or double pram.

Life Lessons from a Kids Concert

We were at a Yo Gabba Gabba concert at the Luna Park one chilly saturday morning having gotten three tickets during the presale some time in April. There were two shows then, at 10:30 am and 4:30 pm. We thought the afternoon show was way too late so we opted for the morning show. I looked for VIP tickets so we can go to a meet and greet with the cast but it was full so the next best thing was to go for premium tickets, or so I thought. After a few hours, it was announced that a 1:30 pm show was opened and by then I was kicking myself for settling for the next best thing. It did not help that we arrived at the venue when every one was seated, only to find out that our assigned seat was on the third row from the back.

Big Top brimming to capacity

By the time DJ Lance started leading the gabba crew to sing and dance, my two toddlers would rather sit and watch instead of sing and dance along like they usually do at home. They sang some popular tunes, some of which have helped us explain ideas and concepts to our young minds.

Two of my favourites were the following:

All my friends are different - the lyrics of this song very well echoed the message of a lesson our toddlers had - that we may all be different, but we are all special, and God loves us very much. I love that it is teaching children to be tolerant and accepting, even in the midst of obvious differences.

Get your sillies out - it was my first time to hear this song but it became an instant favourite. From the first few  lyrics that says " the sillies are crazy little creatures that live inside of us and need to be shaken out, we gonna have to jump shake and shimmy them out so come on let's all do it together", I couldn't help but love the song. The image that came to mind was that of a person going through a tough time, with  issues from both inside and outside trying to discourage and dishearten the weary soul. In an effort to get out and get rid of the tough situation, it is very easy to isolate oneself and stay away  from God, thinking that it is best to go to Him when things are sorted out or even question His relevance. The other thing is to try and do things on your own when you are supposed to "jump, shake and shimmy" them out not by yourself but with others.

The next time Yo Gabba Gabba comes down under, you can be sure that we will not settle for the next best thing. In life it is very easy to settle for the next best thing just so you get tickets into an "event". But God wants us to experience the best, not just sit and watch, but get front seat tickets and enjoy the ride with Him. The tricky bit is learning to wait on Him and hear His voice before we plunge in. The question is, are we willing to pay the price to get the full experience?

Maybe by next time our toddlers will not be shy but will dance and sing their hearts out, just like the many mums and dads who came as chaperones and ended up having the best time at the concert.

Easy Rainbow Cake

I know that I already mentioned this, but I think this rainbow cake deserves an entry of its own. A few months ago, I decided to make my beautiful daughter her birthday cake and it turned out rather well - well enough that a dear friend of mine is brave enough to trust me to make the same one for her son's birthday next month. Having gained more confidence, I thought I'd venture to make my darling son his birthday cake as well. I initially thought of making him one of those train cakes, but he saw the rainbow cake that I was looking at and he preferred it so that's what we both dreamt of making.

For his actual birthday, we made a test cake, but instead of using white icing, I used the chocolate frosting recipe that I have tried, tested and loved. Instead of following the lovely rainbow cake recipe I found, I thought I would make it easy on me and use the 4 ingredients cake recipe that I have used before. I made three mixes, divided it into seven portions and started colouring into my desired rainbow colour. I initially used my rectangle glass mould but it was not thick enough that even if I greased it, it still got stuck. I tried my round silicon mould and it worked better. However at that stage I already used up two portions and I wasn't very patient to make a new one so I thought because it was just a test cake, I might as well just use what is available.

We didn't really plan on him having a party but he got pumped when a dear friend promised him a birthday party and he kept raising the question since. I knew then that I had to make a better version of the test cake.

Having that bit of experience, I decided not to make the whole batter but  make separate ones and colour as I bake. I thought making 1/3 of the recipe (as opposed to 1 cup of each ingredients)  would be okay, but it still was not thick enough. I ended up doing 2/3 of the recipe but in hindsight, 1/2 would have been enough.

When I finished all seven layers, I searched for a white chocolate icing and found an easy one on the Cadbury kitchen  website. I was tempted with how easy it was  and how few the ingredients required to make, plus I only needed the microwave. I wasn't sure if it was the right thing to do. I thought it would turn out too sweet, because I used two packs of the white chocolate melts but in the end it tasted just right. I found it really hard to ice the sides though because the ganache hardened too much, it was not easy to spread.

For next time, I am going to try this white chocolate icing recipe.

If you have a tried and tested go to cake recipe, I suggest  that you give it a go and just colour the batter into your preferred rainbow consistency. Otherwise, you can try the one I used from 4 Ingredients. Take note that I have adjusted the amount based on how much I will need for each colour.

Cake Recipe
1/2 cup dessicated coconut
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup self rising flour

Preheat oven to 180C. Combine all ingredients in a bowl. Tint the whole mixture with purple. Grease your favourite cake mould, line with baking paper and pour mixture. Cook for 30 minutes or until cooked through. Let cake stand for 5 minutes. Repeat six times and tint with the remaining rainbow colours.

Thanks Irene for the photos and collage
Thanks photovisi for the edit

 For the frosting, I am still experimenting so it is best to use what has already worked for you.

Place purple cake on board and add frosting. Top with blue cake. Repeat with remaining frosting and aqua, green, yellow, orange and red cakes, using frosting for each layer. Spread remaining frosting over the top and side of cake. Sprinkle with 100s and 1000s.Serve and resist the temptation to eat everything in one go.

Thinking Out Loud..

Far be it that it will be said of me that I do not care  because when I go to events,  I often catch myself  thinking  whether or not it is something we can replicate, localize and own. Having said that we found ourselves at a local school festival in another suburb,  give or take 70 kilometers away from us, at the invitation of one of our favourite families in all of Sydney. We had a sleepover at their beautiful   home the

birthday boy and his rainbow cake

night before, one our favourite boy called his birthday party that he completely ignored , having slept on our drive and didn't wake up til 2am. Good thing he eventually went back to bed and gave me some rest. We had to wake him up that morning lest he will miss his "party" altogether.

bubble play

yummy cake pops

dragon girl with Tita Irene

When we got to the school, which is where our friends' boys attend,  there was a program happening, probably showcasing local talents. I said probably because the whole time we were there, I  visited the area where they held an artwork display, got a cuppa in the adjacent room where the morning tea was beautifully presented and "sold" by gold coin donation.  The only other place where I spent most of my time was at the face painting area because my two favourite kids wanted a turn. The little miss wanted a dragon and she was happy to stay on the queue. The little mister wanted a spiderman but keeps moving around, thus, missing his spot.I must say I lost my patience but I wanted to believe that I was teaching him a lesson. In the end, it felt like I was the one who needed all the lessons.

one happy spiderman

dragon girl with Uncle Dada

  

free for those who wanted some

Right in front of the facepainting queue, the Smith's family had a stand with lots of fruits and vegetables to give away. Let me just say that we went home that day with a bag full loot, it looked like we did our fruits and veggies shopping for the week Maybe it was just as well that I got stuck in the facepainting queue.

fun slides

sausages and corn cobs, anyone?

more play area for kids

how would you like your hair coloured?

program
All Photos via Irene's Iphone

Needless to say it was a fun day especially for the little boy who thought it was his party! We thank our amazing friends for having us and for taking us to the school open day.

It really made me wonder if it is something we can do as a community event at the upcoming alumni homecoming. I know that the usual activity is for the silver jubilarians to do a tree planting or feeding or clean up. And before the haters, no-can-do, lets-see-if-they-can-pull-it-off thinkers even begin toexpress their opinion, let me be the first to admit that this is NOT a one man or woman show. It has to be a collaboration of many individuals, groups, batches and maybe even the alumni association with a common goal of giving back to the community.

I wonder if this can be done in the high school grounds? Or in the town plaza? Maybe from 10 AM to 2PM on Easter Sunday? I wonder if there are inflatable slides or jumping castle rentals available? I wonder if there are those who will make donations towards sausage sizzles, sandwiches and drinks so we can give away a free light lunch? I wonder if there are those who make  local delicacies and if there are those who are happy to make a donation in exchange? I wonder if we can make 500 goodie bags to give away to kids? I wonder if there will be people who can share their talents in music or dance for the program? I wonder if there are those who can bring their outdoor toys so kids who don't have can play for a few hours? I wonder if an easter egg painting competition can work? I wonder if there are people who will volunteer to man each activity? I wonder if someone else thinks this can be done in our little town of Tago with a total population of under 30,000?

Don't mind me, I am just thinking out loud! At this stage I  don't know if I will even be able to  make it home in the Philippine summer of 2014 but I am happy to help where I can. In the meantime, I am getting off my soapbox.

Of Freebies, Bumps and Babies

I don't know why I usually end up in such exhibits.Maybe I am a sucker for freebies and free tickets always come my way. Or it could be the goodie bags or the heavily discounted sales at the venue. Or is it the really cute baby and toddler stuff that are ridiculously expensive, even with the discount that I knew I wouldn't buy even if I had the money. Maybe it is the live programs for toddlers that they always have on. Either way, I found myself (with my family) one Saturday queueing at a full venue because the only other option was an arts and crafts market at a local school and going to the Sydney Olympic Park  sounded more exciting.

As I was walking around the crowded venue, I was once again reminded of the many beautiful things available in the market and I can't help but drool over them. At the same time it made me think how there are so many products out there that is not really necessary, they are just beautiful.And expensive. So it got me thinking - why don't I make a checklist of products that worked for us and maybe review some that I have actually used. But that's a topic for another time.

I guess the biggest win for us that day was catching Elmo and Cookie Monster and having had their pictures taken and we had two happy toddlers. We didn't stay long  because it was too full but when we
checked the program we found a meet and greet with them so we rushed back and found a short qeueu - woohoo!!

There was a fairy entertainment on the stage right next to the meet and greet and we made a quick stop and another picture taking. Our little girl wasn't as enthusiastic about having her pictures taken as she usually does - maybe the little mister has more modelling potential! (HAHA)

Not sure if I am a fan of this show. It really is no different from  the baby and toddler show at the Sydney Entertainment Centre. I thought that both compete for the same market but the latter has bigger venue and more room. And while I can't say I have taken the time to compare the details but it certainly gives an impression that the latter is considerably larger than the other.

I suppose this is it for now. If you are interested in the product reviews, come back and check this out again sometime.

Birthday Musings

I am not one to make a big deal of my own birthdays, especially when it means moving from one decade to another. I have to admit waking up to a headache from the day before, which immediately made me think it comes naturally when one gets to a certain age.

I was going to say that I didn't like the attention, but to be honest, I am missing the "bless the birthday celebrator" tradition I grew up in with my friends. I just made up the name of course because we never called it anything - where there's a birthday celebrator, friends just tend to gravitate and it always seemed natural to end up in conversations that lead to blessing the person, mostly where we thought of one or two things, depending on the number, we love and appreciate about them and we told them in the group's presence. It probably sounds corny but for some reason, whether as a birthday girl or one of the friends, we all leave encouraged and blessed. Maybe it is just me, but quality time being my top love language and words of appreciation coming close second, it really makes me feel really special and well, LOVED. Don't get me wrong, I appreciate presents, but it is probably in the bottom of the love language scales and even if I don't get one, it doesn't make me feel loved any less.

This year, friends thought of surprising me with a birthday lunch, but because I was so "clever", I figured it out. Instead I invited them over to my house along with a few other friends without mentioning that it was my birthday. I thought if I didn't want to make a fuzz out of it, why should they? So lunch it was, and what a good time to catch up with some friends that I hadn't seen for a while.

I woke up to a very nicely made birthday card with some carefully worded note including something to the effect of looking younger than my age. It was a stretch but hubby did volunteer to wait til 9am to drive our little mister to preschool, saving me a total of 40 minutes to an hour of walking, so I was happy to let it slide.

I am tempted to make a list of forty things I am grateful to God for, but we all know that when a girl says list, it is a list of words per item and I did want to make this short. I must

Photo Credit+flowers: Tess Colgrave
Thanks, mare! Rachel Kelly for the cake

say I am very thankful for the life God has blessed me. He has blessed me with the most amazing husband and two awesome kids. I thank God for our families. While they all live overseas, distance doesn't seem to hinder the close family ties that connects us. In the absence of our biological family, God has connected us to a great local church family where we got to meet like minded individuals and families in similar season in life like us. We are blessed that we still get to honor God and be a part in advancing His kingdom even in this season, and not be hindered by it. I thank God for the friends He placed in our lives, for the opportunity to make sisters and brothers by choice,  and for the many blessings that keeps coming our way.

You know how I started my day with all sorts of body pains? Let me just say that when I started thinking and thanking God for everything I was grateful for, it all just went away - and I must say, it was a happy birthday indeed!

He is FoUR!

All the waiting has finally paid off. He is four by himself, not three, like his sister, in the past four weeks! Four. How fast time flies. It seemed just yesterday that we brought home a little over 2 kilos bundle of joy after staying for nearly 5 weeks at the hospital.

He was fast asleep but we brought his cake to the room to wake him up so dad can leave for work. As we sang  happy birthday to the top of our voice, he simply opened his eyes to acknowledge us and went back to sleep. He eventually woke

 

up because we kept on singing. As we lighted the candles on his cake, we found out that the fire starter has stopped working so we had to console him that he can blow his cake again later after going to the shop. After cutting and seeing the beauty of his cake, he looked up  with grateful eyes and gave away the biggest cuddles.


 
As he celebrates his birthday, I can't help but think of the times that he  made our family really proud. It's a bit tricky because if truth be told, he doesn't really need to do anything to make us proud - just by being himself, the special gift that he is from God - is more than enough! 

If I do have to pick a few though, I can't forget  that time when we were in an indoor playground and there were two girls shouting "no boys! no boys!" at the jumping castle. I was so impressed when he replied - this is for everybody - and went on playing! What a brave thing to say to two older girls at that by a then three year old! He loves playing with older kids and at times it doesn't turn out very well. One time these boys were picking on him and I was so proud of the way he pretended and played along with them that the boys had no choice but to play with him. I wasn't there when that happened so when I was told about it I asked why he didn't tell an adult. He replied, "I'm telling you now, mum!"

Every time we go to the park, he would get drawn to the disabled play area because it is locked and he wanted to go inside. One morning he was on to it again so I had to explain that it was only for special kids, thinking that it would be harder for me to explain disabled to him. He surprised me when he replied - "but I am special too mum!" remembering most likely the time when we had a follow up conversation about how we are all different but God made us special and he loves us very much, thanks to a Noah's Ark lesson at church! Naturally, I groped for words to explain to him in a way that he will understand and after a while he did, thank God!

Happy birthday little mister! We love you and we thank God that he choose for you to be part of our family! We are honoured and blessed that we get to share your journey!

On Motherhood

Whoever said motherhood is easy is either lying or had others raise her kids for her. After only a few years into this 'job', I find that no amount of 'preparation' ever really gets you ready for your 'role'. By preparation, I don't just mean the insights I get from the books I  read and the seminars I have attended. Although I must say that a course on motherhood would come in handy but as all mothers will agree, you sort of wing things as you go and do things by trial and error. It doesn't help that all kids, even twins who share a womb, are different, making it hard to create a curriculum.

I suppose I am talking about the kind that I saw as modelled by my own mama. And on that note, can I just pause and brag about her for a bit? I have to say she is one tough cookie, having given birth to six kids, losing her firstborn after a few days due to sickness, and then two years later giving birth to me and four others while holding a full time job as a school teacher in a local public school. Sure she had people around her helping her out but to juggle raising a family and keeping a job, let alone doing it full time, seems unthinkable to me. And then add to that raising me, being the stubborn child that I was, giving her enough challenges probably from the time I started talking. I thank God for her patience, wisdom and humility. She did the best she can. Not even her humble origins can stop her from getting educated, and making sure, along with Papa, that we all get our degrees so all five of our diplomas get prominently

our youngest sister has yet to request for her diploma from school

displayed on the "wall of  fame" at  home. While she feels that us getting educated is her biggest legacy, I feel that it was her getting up early to pray, and teaching us about God that helped me make the right choices in life. I feel that the things she showed us and taught us about God made it so easy for me to have a relationship with Jesus.




My mother in law is another worthy example. While I have yet to meet her in person, her warmth,  compassion and genuine love breaks all barriers including distance. I loved how she encouraged and prayed for me, along with the rest of the family, when I was back home waiting for my visa grant. One can't ask for a better one and I am blessed . I can't wait to see her and everyone in the family and I look forward to the seafoods feast she promised when we visit.



I think about mentors, friends and family who  provided me with Godly example of motherhood and living life in general. From those who discipled me, believed in me before I even believed in myself, and trusted me. When I stop to think about how much they have helped me become a better person, challenging me to grow and mature in my relationship with Jesus so I can help others the way they have - it makes me thank God for the company of women (and men) that He has placed around me and the awesome privilege of being able to travel with them in this journey called life.

I feel that motherhood can be a really tough gig, especially if one is on their own. But if the saying that it takes a village to raise a child is true, then we are not really meant to raise our children by ourselves to begin with.   Having all our biological families on the other side of the world makes things even harder.But we thank God for our church family - we don't feel alone and we don't feel like we have to figure things out by ourselves or get things together, we are allowed to be ourselves, we can ask for help and it was never taken against us. All the encouragement and prayers we get showered is just amazing. We have also made friends, who have become our families by choice

On a personal note, for mother's day this year, I thought I'd save my husband the trouble of  figuring out what to get me  by telling him exactly what I wanted. I even volunteered to pick it up myself to make sure there are no mix ups. At our little mister's preschool, they organized a mother's day  afternoon tea with a fun activity for mum and kids. I was so pleased when I got there with the little miss to find him finish the sandwiches I made him for lunch for the first time since early this year. As we worked on the mother's day card, he wouldn't let me touch it, except for some help from his sister. While he took the activity seriously, he also got distracted a few times with all the toys and other kids to play with. I feel like after nearly two hours, it was the little miss who had fun the most. She was able to play all she liked without me rushing her like I always do everytime we drop her brother off.

The shifts  life make as we enter into the season of motherhood! As the more seasoned mums will tell you, while changes take place as the children grow older, it never really ends. It is always tempting to focus  them and make them the centre of our universe! But if we are wise, we will look up to a POWER bigger than ourselves, even bigger than our families and friends.

Happy mother's day to you - whether  you are a mother celebrating for the first time,  desperately praying to be a mother, one that have lost their mothers, mothers who have lost a baby (or two) or are assuming the role of mothers in others' lives. Thank you for all the hard work you do. I hope Psalms 121 of The Message version will bless you -

^1-2 I look up to the mountains;
    does my strength come from mountains?
No, my strength comes from God,
    who made heaven, and earth, and mountains.

^3-4 He won’t let you stumble,
    your Guardian God won’t fall asleep.
Not on your life! Israel’s
    Guardian will never doze or sleep.

^5-6 God’s your Guardian,
    right at your side to protect you—
Shielding you from sunstroke,
    sheltering you from moonstroke.

^7-8 God guards you from every evil,
    he guards your very life.
He guards you when you leave and when you return,
    he guards you now, he guards you always.