Summer's Here - Dinosaur Island

After flying, we went to Dinosaur Island still in Pampanga, just 30 minutes away. 

My three-year-old got scared and had Daddy carry her the whole time. Still, we praised her for being brave enough to go around. Although she did not want to go near the mechanical dinosaurs, she was nonetheless interested and I could hear her and Daddy talk about them while Zivv and I walked around, read and had our pictures taken with the dinosaurs. 

I love how each group had their own "tour guide" who were nice, entertaining and took pictures for the family. 

I especially loved the areas where you could pretend to feed the dinosaurs.

Feeding Tyrannosaurus Rex with pretend Chicken Leg

Feeding Stegosaurus with Fish

The place itself was beautiful with lots of trees. Some dinosaurs were even hidden among them. You really feel as if you've been transported back to the time when dinosaurs ruled the earth.

 

At the end of the tour, we were ushered to a placed where dinosaurs danced :D It was fun and entertaining. Also, it made little girl feel a little bit at ease with the dinosaurs. Although she still didn't want to touch it, she was already laughing. 

Dinosaur Island is a really nice, convenient, entertaining teaching tool the family will enjoy going to this summer. 

There are no seven wonders of the world in the eyes of a child. There are seven million. ~ Walt Steightiff

 

Dilemma

I was planning on working full and working hard for the last three working days of the week before Maundy Thursday when Yaya did not show up for work. 

Thanks to my daily morning routine which I try to do and happily succeed I was calm and prepared to rearrange work schedule to accommodate the very reason for my being a work-at-home mom - my kids of course! 

Morning routine consists of prayer, Bible reading and journal writing.

"Prayer breaks all bars, dissolves all chains, opens all prisons." -Christian Books on Twitter

I try to do this as regularly as possible, unfortunately it's the first to be cut from my schedule when life gets busy.

“Yoga practice can make us more and more sensitive to subtler and subtler sensations in the body. Paying attention to and staying with finer and finer sensations within the body is one of the surest ways to steady the wandering mind.”  -Ravi Ravindra

As it turned out my work load was not as heavy as I expected it to be, and my errands were moved. It was a relaxing day and it was good to be my children's cook and server.

On top of that, was able to watch my current favorite show, Downton Abbey. I am so obsessed! 

Still, I was not able to blog about the second activity my family and I did during our recent trip to Pampanga.  Hopefully I'll get to do that soon. 

"Look at your problems as problems & they'll continue to hold you down. See them as blessings in disguise & that's what they truly become." Oprah Quotes on Twitter

Let's see what today brings ... 

Summer's Here

Summer's here and we have a line-up of activities to do. 

We kicked-off our activity-filled summer yesterday by going to the Flying Club at Clark, Pampanga. 

It was suppose to be just hubby with the kids and I watching, but li'l man wanted to try it out too. I was actually hoping that by exposing my children to their dad's activities, they too would have an interest in trying out new things, and it seems to be working. In fact, li'l girl want to do it too, but I felt she was too small and might fall out of the plane. 

 

I did promise we'd go back so li'l girl and I can do it too. After this, off we went to a different activity.

“I think that the best thing we can do for our children is to allow them to do things for themselves, allow them to be strong, allow them to experience life on their own terms, allow them to take the subway...let them be better people, let them believe more in themselves.” -C. JoyBell C

Reward for Hard Work

I have been working outside the house for three weeks and yesterday was the last day. Although I enjoy going out, dressing up and putting making up on, commuting or driving and getting to see and meet people and having coffee with friends here and there in between work, I missed being home with my kids. 

Still have work from home but not a very heavy load with easy pacing. 

To celebrate my hard work, my kids and I are spending half a day at the mall where I get to treat them to their favorite pizza and games. 

Also, I have told them of our summer itinerary, and they're very excited. I am happy. 

Been a Long Time

I have not written in a long time! :( Mainly because of work and also I did  not really have anything to write about. I would go back to my last entry every now and then though to remind me to keep strong when facing challenges as challenges have certainly been abundant these past few weeks. The financial reward I'm not sure if commensurate to the stress. Ha! Ha! But having worked, given others work, going past challenges and learning were great. So I once again quote ...   

Joyce Meyer's twitter message When we get alone and take time for prayer, we will be changed: Our weaknesses will turn into strengths!

I pray for good work days everyday. 

 

I am taking a break soon and will be spending more time with my babies and writing more often.

Challenges

I have not faced such a work challenge as I have yesterday since leaving my regular job. Awful! But I refuse to give up. I must use this to learn and to improve. 

Thanks to Joyce Meyer's twitter message today When we get alone and take time for prayer, we will be changed: Our weaknesses will turn into strengths!

I pray for a better work day today and all the coming days. 

Letting Go and Letting God

I believe if you let God steer for you, He leads you to places you are comfortable with despite the challenges. 

I didn't plan on working freelance but He let the people look for me. 

When I decided to officially work freelance, He led me to do it the right way. At that time I had work restrictions. A year later I am doing those very restrictions I limited myself to. They're hard, but they're fun and I am learning a lot. I have additional services and fees too! They help me stretch myself a little bit wider, and very important to me help others as well.

I am writing this now because as I was looking through Twitter posts when I came upon this  ...

Whatever God calls you to do He equips you to do as well.-God's Grace

I remember just last night while having dinner date with my husband when I told him that I am happy where I am. I work and other people work through my work, I am hands-on in taking care of my family, and I am able to have spontaneous dinner dates with him, and I am able to take care of my physical, mental, emotional and most importantly spiritual well-being. 

Blessings

Since the year started, opportunity to work has come continuously. Not just work, but different types of work. 

I feel so blessed to be able to do what I do. 

That's why I put effort in ensuring I have good balance in my life, otherwise I feel I'll be putting the Lord's blessings in vain. His blessings you see are everything in my life and I need to put attention and focus to each and every blessing He gives me. 

So here's to more work and looking forward to rest soon to have a better me ready for new work I know are coming my way. 

"You are made to make a difference, so embrace every opportunity to do so." -Oprah Quotes

Beginning of my Coffee Sipping, Musing and Family

Like  what I said last Saturday I have chosen to   

 

Not fill up my calendar and leave more room for sipping coffee and musings.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I must say it's hard. It's difficult to be relaxed especially when you know there's so much you can do in an hour. However, after my yoga, I felt more at ease.  My calendar isn't filled and I'm trying my best not to fill it up and enjoy each task at a time.

 

 

 

 

"Since we cannot change reality, let us change the eyes which see reality. " Nikos Kazantzakis 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Coffee Sipping, Musings and Family

I enjoy filling up my calendar with productive activities from work to family. When I have work I enjoy filling it up to the last minute. As I grow older I've become more flexible and have come to terms that it will not always be how I write it down. Lately, I have been battling with these two things:

Fill up my calendar with work and stretch myself to the limits.

Not fill up my calendar and leave more room for sipping coffee and musings.

The latter makes me feel unproductive and leaving me wanting more of myself in the evening. Just today though, my nanny gets sick. My nannies have gotten sick so many times in the past two years and they've left me feeling stressed. Now, I know what it means. It means I must choose the latter. Not only does leaving more room for sipping coffee and musings make my soul at ease, it will also make my time more flexible for unexpected things. Things that my family will need me to handle.

Here's to coffee sipping, musings and taking care of my family.