Tuesday, August 6, 2013

“For I Shall Not Pass This Way Again"

google.com photo
One day my husband scheduled himself to go somewhere but was held by our daughter’s loud cry.  He then picked her up with the following statement :    I decided to stay and just cuddle Mikay (our daughter Makaela)…one day in the future…we will not be able to do with her what we are able to do now”.  Exactly…shall I put a little drama in it by quoting this line…”for I shall never pass this way again”.     

We do shower our daughter with our love and care and we have seen she blossomed into a very happy baby.  She simply spreads her sunshine of giggles and smiles anytime awake or asleep.  She looks at you as if you are the only person in her world at each moment she rests her eyes on you.  She looks at  you like she wanted you to pick her up and just play with her.  She mumbles and responds as if she is talking to us while we talk to her about anything.  She is such a beauty and so perfect as she is.  And I thank the Lord everyday for sharing such a beautiful innocent soul to us couple. 

You what I fear the most and is something that I refuse to admit to myself?  It is to die young and not being able to see my daughter grow up, have a career and get married or whatever vocation she my pursue (hmmm daddy fears that she will join religious life hahahha).

Buuut, let me not go far from the title.  Let me not think or be afraid of death.  Let me just look at my moments with our daughter.  As my husband responded with his moment with our daughter by wrapping her in his arms, my time with Mikaela is so precious that I could not just trade it with any other moments outside of the home (hmmm except work).  Do you know that I hop into or run after a jeepney to be able to get a ride fast home?  I do not mind at all doing that.  I just want to be with her at night and put her to bed.  What is so touching  is that she waits for me to be home (no matter how tired she is) before she dozes off to sleep (ohhh my lovely little lady).

I almost forgot we do pray the rosary together before she sleeps.  And  when she is too tired,  I continue to pray while she sleeps soundly in my arms.

Hmmmm.  Let me do it now… for my family…for my dear daughter…”for I shall not pass this way again…” J



“The Best Teacher Can Teach Even Under a Mango Tree”


oopps that is not my student hahahahhaa

It was my classmate in the graduate school that mentioned this in class.  I was struck with this line.  You know why?  I have been so dependent with technology – computer, LCD projector, etc.  I could hardly recall a time when I presented my reports without these stuffs.  I never imagined my seminars and workshops without it.  If others have updated themselves with really very powerful gadgets, I still find myself on its way to updating or perhaps buy a tablet to make it lighter for me to carry (huh I do carry big bag for my laptop).  And I could hardly imagine myself going back to  writing on a manila paper or bring a small black board under that “mango tree” while I teach.

Oh I almost forgot to mention, I am now back to full time teaching and counselling.  First and foremost since I am into teaching, I am looking for other means other than the use of technology to make my class presentations interesting. Manila paper can be one.  But as I researched from other colleagues, one of whom is asthmatic, he brings his own television screen attached to his laptop to promote his paperless  and chalk-less (wheheheh)presentations.  Wow that is something else.

But hey, I am still thinking of my classmate’s line “the best teacher can teach even under a mango tree”, I immediately thought  “really?”.   I found it amazing.  I seemed to feel like really my first time to hear it which triggered my curiosity.  I am always apt to any challenge and learn better.  How is that?  This kind of teacher that tries to shape and fit a particular learning encounter with students interests despite the limited visual aids,  can be considered truly the best. 

Hhaha now do I want to gain the title “The best teacher that ever landed on planet earth”?  Not really (hahahah crazy ha).  I am just trying to look for the simplest ways of presenting a lesson in class yet, maximizing learning.  And since I am now connected with public education, I am dealing with simple students that deserve to get what they ought to equally learn like those students from the private schools. 


Hmmm…let me climb first the “mango tree” in order to see better how I would go about presenting my lessons.  Or perhaps the mango tree has a better idea.  Hahahaha crazy me…now lets go to the mango tree and sit together whahahahhahaha…toinks.

Saturday, August 3, 2013

Maria Mikaela Turned One Year Old


As I listened from husband’s simple welcome speech to our guests at our daughter’s simple birthday party (July 28, 2013 at the Dynasty Hotel and Restaurant) before our family members and very close friends, I realized how time has gone fast.  My husband was tracing how one year ago we struggled with my unexpected delivery “…and now she is in front of us healthy, big and strong”. 

While my husband did that, I had such mixed emotions.  I was also filled with pride looking at our cute daughter sitting in front of my husband playfully clapping her hands as if cheering her dad.  I was so overwhelmed by that site.  I love them both so much.  I knew then that I would do everything by God’s grace to keep my family intact, alive and truly in service to God. 

I would like also to honor God’s  for His bounty at the same time such that, celebrating Maria Mikaela’s birthday at the hotel was unexpected.  We had it all planned and to just hold it home.  Yet, I was sick for days and I was so tired when I got home from work ( I am now back with my full time job teaching and counselling).  Realizing the little difference in the expense if we hold it at the hotel made us hop into such decision. 

It was only a 1 and a half day preparation.  We did not even prepare invitation.  The good thing with technology was that, we just sent txt messages to our relatives in Bukidnon and some close friends and sponsors of Mikaela during her christening.  I and our house assistant Welma landed on a Saturday at a one-stop shop where we would all stuffs for kids and had the tarpaulin done before I joined my Saturday class at the Graduate school. 

I thought that if I pursued having it at home, I would have been absent in class and sleep really late at night.  But then we were so relaxed.  My sister Gay was the usual errand bringing all the ordered stuffs like cake and lechon and bringing us all to the hotel with all our stuffs (including Mikaela’s crib…hahah it’s a folded crib so it just looked like one of those travelling bags we brought to the hotel).

Welma with her friend Cassandra decorated the place with balloon together with one of the hotel staffs.  Food was served buffet.  There was really  no prepared formal program .  I just hopped into the microphone to be the automatic emcee of the party.  I bravely thought that I have done it with other people’s birthdays and wedding,  so I could not resist my very own daughter’s very special and memorable first birthday.

It went well as I ran though my handwritten flow of the  program with those hastily prepared list of the games that I thought might bring in fun to the party.  My daughter was a little agitated in the earlier part of the program since she was not really used to loud voice around her plus my very loud voice when I used the microphone.  So we decided to “ship” her at the back of the room in my husband’s arms.  It was a fun fun time. 

Then came the blowing of her candle which I did  myself since its obvious that Mikaela did not have that capacity yet.  But we made it sure that she would be able to witness everything.  As I brought the cake in front of her, I saw how her eyes lit with excitement and curiously she surveyed it. 

From there she had to be brought up to our room to rest since she was obviously tired after such a "long" and tiring celebration.  She was not used to big celebrations yet she patiently stayed and had fun aside from being transferred from one guest's arm to the other for pictorial from time to time.

I was very tired …yes…and having been sick for 3 days.  I thank God for the grace to be able to stand firm in that moment joyful moment that we had as a family.  We love our daughter so much that we wanted her (despite not being able to understand our initiative) when she grow up to look back through photos how her first birthday was memorably celebrated by our family together with our relatives and friends.

Thank you dear God for blessing us with a wonderful and beautiful little girl by the name of MARIA MIKAELA:-)





Kuya Kurt, uncle Jun, kuya rock, kuya Kurt and ate girl2



Daddy's speech time


dancing time with the kids



Uncle Dennis and Auntie Gay

cousins kuyas and ate Kurt, Rock, Girl2 and friends Kookie and Julia

Doc Ronnie, Koobie and Anton

Neighbors Mrs. Talingtingan with daughter Trisha, hubby Tyrone and daughter Tahnya

Atty Roel, Meg and daughter Fiya

sis Gay, ninangs Lolitz and Nina with Ninong Rodel and Tito Ronnie





Lolo Pops

Tito Nono, cousin ate Patricia and ateJane

Lolo Pops with ate Welma, Jane and Paticia

Kuya Nickey with lalabs ate Shai