My Mama

When I was younger, I had a lot of questions: why does my mother do a lot of things that are most of the time not agreeable to me; why she doesn't get tired of looking after us (me, Paul,Liezl and Mark) even after spending the whole day working as a high school PE teacher then; what gives her so much strength - physically and emotionally; or when is she going to stop being as nosy or controlling.

When I first became a mom at 30, the answers came naturally. Now, I get it.

Being a mom doesn't stop when your kids have kids of their own. I'm at the first phase of my mommy journey and my mom is almost at the end of it. She is still our light, our reminder, our link, our energizer bunny, our shock-absorber, our atm, our market, our yaya, our all-around-all year-long-24/7 friend. At 60, she is still showing no signs of ever giving up her mommy duties.

She is our light. When I'm at lost from the simplest "where to buy mundane things" or the more serious "enlightening of the mind and heart," it is always her that I can and will always first run to.

Our reminder. Be it the birthday of this tito or the deadline of this thing, she can be like an alarm clock or the calendar who will make sure that we never miss out on anything.

Our link to all those relatives near or far, literally or figuratively. Our link to some of the old tricks that never fail like in cooking "sinanta," a Tuguegarao-version of noodles with orange soup or to all those old customs that still works even in this modern times.

Our energizer bunny who loves to travel with her athletes or teachers, she doesn't mind getting tired for her apos, her work and the chosen(and lucky) few.

Needless to say, in everything that she was and everything that she still is, my Mama is everything that a daughter can ask for. One thing I know, like her I will never get tired of being a Nanay. She showed me that motherhood has no boundaries, no limit, no time. My Mama taught me well and for that I am most grateful.

Thank you, Mama. We love you. Always and Forever.

Amber, the First Grader.

Amber is an incoming first grader this June and she's only 5. She completed 2 interviews and 3 battery of tests. Something that makes me a very proud mother. She passed the the private school tests with an above average rating while we are still waiting for the result of the public school after having three screenings (ala-bar exam kiddie version without the fraternity/sorority send-off) for three days.

The experience of having to wait for your daughter go inside a roomful of kids with a paper and a pencil was enough to describe what a stage mommy feels but to look at her after a gruelling two-hour written test and finding a face that can be compared to someone who just finished a race minus the sweat left me wondering what she went through. Is this how schools screen students now to get the the so-called cream of the crop? Will this guarantee an excellent group of students in preparation for a higher learning? Was my daughter ready? Did her preschool prepare her well or rather did we teach her enough?

While I was waiting for my Amber to finish her test on the first day of the second screening in a public school with the rest of the parents, I am not the only one who is getting sweaty with the heat and worrying. After the first day of screening, 300 were left for the second screening. Out of the 300, 150 went through another set of tests for English, Math, Science, Mental Ability and Creativity. From 150, 105 were left to take another set of tests for sectioning with 35 students each for the Science, SPED and Section 1 classes. Whew! And to think that these were just 5 and 6 years old kids who might still be drinking milk from a bottle just like my girl.

Like the rest of the parents, we are still in a dilemna as to where we should enroll our daughter. Like any ordinary parents, we also want only the best for our kids. This has somehow boiled down into the issue of the pros and cons for the private and public schools. The private schools having all the conveniences like air conditioned rooms, less students and better amenities while public schools are just the opposite. But with the differences in the tests that were given, we can only deduce that public schools are giving these private schools a run for their money with their strict, structured subjects and a more "scientific" approach to teaching and learning. The lack of amenities or facilities is somehow compensated with a more competitive, advanced lessons as evidenced in the number of science high school passers from their schools as compared to private elementary school graduates. These science high schools in turn will "produce" students ready for the best schools in the country which is of course what parents eventually want for their kids. Talk about being bias, I am a product of these public schools.

Having said all this, it still boils down to what our Amber decides. While waiting for the public school result, we just tell her what her options are and what to expect. We just don't want to make her entry to grade school a scary or stressful thing for her as we want her to enjoy it as well because she is after all just five years old.

Ina's Eenie Dance

Korea Drama Fever

What's with Korean dramas that make it really addicting? Yes, I'm an avid fan of korean dramas and I can't seem to stop myself. Others may think I've gone insane sleeping at 2 or 3 or 4am in the morning, giving me more eye bags to handle. My hubby even thinks I'm just wasting my time.

So what exactly do I like about these dramas? I have my criteria. First, I have to admit that when I choose dramas from sites like MySoju.com or Dramacrazy. net the lead stars should be good enough for my taste i.e. nice faces, nice body, nice clothes (but mostly nice faces). Second, the story should not be your usual Filipino dramas that drags too much that sometimes a lot of conflict has to be created just so the storyline can be longer. A drama usually has 14-20 episodes. Anything longer than that, I have to think twice or thrice before I decide to watch. But still, it boils down to the question," Do I like the lead stars?" If it stars Yoon Eun Hye then everything doesn't matter anymore. Third, it should have a happy ending meaning not one of the lead stars is gonna die or they won't end up with each other. This last part of course I have to check with yahoo or google for the synopsis or sites like dramabeans (again!) for detailed reviews/guides. Fourth, I choose genres from romantic drama to romantic comedy to anything that has the word romantic in it. I'm a hopeless romantic, if you get my drift. Tedious? Not. I am enjoying all these because I get to enjoy the dramas anyway without regrets.

I like these dramas because its plots are way, way different from your typical filipino dramas. Not that I don't enjoy those "teleseryes" at all but there is something about the dynamics of a regular korean drama that I find really interesting. A drama's script is usually simple but downright fascinating. I usually end up watching the entire drama in 2 to 3 days when I watch it for 6-8 hours a day. Every episode ends in a way that wants you to watch the entire drama in one sitting. A drama doesn't fail to touch on the topic of respect to elders. One can also see a little whacking in the head every now and then from the elders to their not-so-young children or to people who goes beyond the normal or acceptable korean morality issues. And who can forget the popular distilled alcoholic beverage called soju. If there is a "drinking" scene, you can expect to see the actors having a shot of this korean drink. Talk about loving your own. When the lead actress gets tired or gets drunk from drinking soju, you can see the actor carrying her piggyback style. I didn't even know what it is called before. I am also starting to recognize the language. From their "I love you" to "Thank you" to "hello" to a lot more and that's only from hearing but am not exactly saying it or writing it yet. That will take time and another story. I also like how the men carry themselves with their skinny bottoms and tops. Their bodies may look very lean and sometimes very skinny but they can carry these tight fitting clothes very well indeed. I especially like the way the female stars are dressed up. Everything they wear are just so fresh and unexpected that sometimes no matter how frivolous or experimental some of the designs or styles are I even see myself wearing some of it. Me, the safe dresser.

These and some other reasons got me hooked on these dramas. It never fails. I don't know how long this "addiction" will take me but for now let me go back to watching.

Mommies' Time

I always enjoy meeting new people and having that instant connection with them. For me, it's a blessing that when you do meet people, you click despite the differences in age or experiences or character. What's even funnier is where you meet these people and then suddenly you realize that they become your good friends just because.

It's funny when mommies get together. Complaining about the same things as trivial as stretchmarks or discussing something "big" like what milk we give to our kids or where to buy their clothes and other stuff in the small city. I get to discuss things on anything about our kids, our hubbies, our needs, our desires and even our vanities. What's even enjoyable is when we get to enjoy going out for drinks, go shopping in a mall/shop or ukay-ukay, eat out, jog or just go to the gym.

The times when we go out or even when we just stay in the school are also the times when I get to realize that indeed moms can still be giggly or naughty or cool or "hot" even while they are just being moms to their kids. I still sometimes find it funny that when I get to meet up these same mommies, I feel like a young single woman again. Sharing each others life experiences is a source for inspiration. I just love it when we do get together as it is always refreshing and and never fails to end with a fun and memorable note.

These are the people that I enjoy talking to and having fun with. I found a new set of friends that I can "classify" as my mommy friends. They may not be my closest set but they are as equally important and special.

2010: The Last Half

Since my last entry, a lot of things happened to our girls. Amber and Ina are enrolled in a progressive preschool since June. While Amber is still enjoying the company of her new friends and teachers, Ina opted to just stay with Nanay's special school of hugs and kisses. My husband and I couldn't be happier when we chose My First Step since it is a school where our girls can still have fun while learning.

October was the month when the girls had their birthday celebration party together. It was a Dora-themed party as per our girls' request. My planning and organizing skills were put into test and based on the happy faces of those who came, one would say it was a success. I never thought planning a 130-guest party was going to be stressful and budget crasher. I was given two months to prepare it all by myself and most of the decision-making was with the approval of the celebrants, of course. The smiles and excitement in my daughters' faces made all those sleepless nights worth it.

December was unforgettable not only because it's Christmas time, it was also memorable because it was the month for Amber's first Kumon awarding. After a year of attending Kumon, Amber was awarded a Gold medal in Math and a Bronze medal in Reading (after 6 months ofbeing enrolled). We were so proud of our eldest because she was the youngest Gold awardee for Math. I have to admit, it isn't easy teaching and guiding Amber through her homework because of her age. Sometimes I thought of letting her stop because of the many fights we have whenever we do her sheets. But these things I have to go through as she is young afterall. At 5, it is understable that she still doesn't realise and understand the importance of what she's doing now and learning about things that is 3 years advanced for her age, I sometimes feel for her.

Christmas in the Philippines is always a family thing and celebrating it with relatives is something that is always precious and memorable. As early as November, one can sense the rush, the excitement, the jolly atmosphere wherever you go. That's the Christmas spirit, Filipino style. It is never the same when you're in another country and that I can vouch for.

2010 was a year of discoveries, milestones and more memories for the girls. The year ended with new hopes, anticipation and bigger things to happen. Bring it on, 2011.