It's Been a While

There are always clients who ask for proposal and quotations but it has been a while since I was commissioned to do work.

I'm excited because I will be out and about in the next couple of days. 

Parking the room decorating for now.

Working for the next couple of days will mean time to learn, time to earn, time to glorify and time to rest from activities I usually enjoy and feel blessed to be doing. 

 

Nesting Friend Sparking Passion - Not Done Afterall

Went to Makati to meet up with a friend. Normally when I go there I ride the train, so I get to pass by most of the malls. 

I went to Powerbooks to look around when I saw these.

 I guess I'm not done yet ;D



















Just had to buy them. So I guess I'm not done yet.

Nesting Friend Sparking Passion - Done

After the doors and windows I've fixed just one more area which is my daughter's Minnie Mouse collection. 

I guess I'm done. Until next time I feel like fixing up the rooms then.

Facebook Wall Posting

I usually write about the loves of my life - my kids. This time though it's different.Need to let this thought out. 
 
There are no rules when it comes to Facebook except that you must be an adult and no obscenity which may differ from person to person. 

So I guess me not liking this is just a peeve. 

I don't like people posting on my Facebook wall that contains a message to someone else and numerous pictures of not me or my kids. 

For the former it's someone close to me they want to get in touch with, not me. Facebook isn't the only means of communication. They can privately message or send a text message instead.

For the latter it's ok to send one or two since they are after all related to me or they want to announce something to select friends or relatives like me, but several pictures to flood my wall timeline is not right. It makes me think they feel they're that special. It's like putting your pictures on someone else's album.

My wall is like my journal and I like to keep my journal MINE and being it mine I like it neat and clean. 

That is all. 

Nesting Friend Sparking Passion - Windows

The nesting bug is still on.  I've moved on to the window. 

The room has a massive window but really hard to reach areas so I tried to do what I can with that limitation.

  

These cut out decorations are from when little girl was still a baby. I bought these from SM Department Store and placed them on the wall beside where she slept so there's something she can look at when awake or before going to bed. Now, it's on the window. The sun and puppy make the window lively in the morning and the moon, elephant and rabbit make the window subdued at night.    

After a while it didn't look happy enough especially with the rabbit looking so sad. I didn't want my children to associate sleeping with sadness, especially when it's my favorite past time :D So I added printed out animals. 

The print out are black and white but little girl liked it anyway. It doesn't show, but the paws are supposed to be in the brown area to make it look like the animals are peeking from the window. 

Sometimes I really get into details like the dog and cat must be together or the pictures should be equal and have even space so to make it more spontaneous I decide to just keep on sticking. Then it all comes together just like that - that cat and dog looking at each other.

There's more to do but will need more time and money. Or do I? Excited to see how creative I can be.

  

"A designer knows when he has reached perfection not when there is nothing left to add but when there is nothing left to take away." Antione de Sainte-Exupery 

I wish it were true for me :D

Nesting Friend Sparking Passion - Doors

I have a friend who is seven (7) months pregnant right now. She's a teacher living in Hong Kong. It's summer there and she's nesting. 

Over Viber she sends me pictures of her newly-decorated nursery and so goes my days. 

I am an absolute lover of room decorating. Well me and my hubby's room and especially my children's room. I love decorating their room. Since my friend's Viber messages I've been redecorating and I'm not done yet. 

My son's door used to have a poster of his work. Didn't do much change since he's a big boy now. I just mounted the Monster's University's poster. Little Einstein characters and name card from when he was still a Toddler. 

On my daughter's door I began with the name. Flower design paper on green and yellow paper with stick. I'm still thinking of putting  used Play Doh cups to make it look like a flower pot. Flower Power!

 

Seeing my friend's frames on her nursery wall, I just wanted frames on the door. 

 

Then I decided to put poems and quotes but when I read quotes from children themselves over the internet I decided to print little girl's funny antics. 

  

"Mommy YOU missed US!"

 

 The door.

My ideas are not original though. My ideas spring from others' ideas. I've come to accept that about me and use it to my advantage with a thank you to my inspirations. This time it's my friend. 

Got to go and do some more decorating. 

“Decorating golden rule: Live with what you love.” Unknown

  

I Didn't Know Until He Told Me So

I didn't know my little man was so busy with extra-curricular activities until he told me, and until his teacher sent me a note asking him to stay in school for extended work. 

He auditioned to join his school's Angklung club and got in; and he was nominated to be his class' Kaayusan Leader. 

As I've said before it surprises me how he would join these activities without his usual consultation with me. Just goes to show how much of a big boy he really is now. 

There really is nothing else for me to do but support him. He's spreading his wings and I can not not let it. My heart literally soars when I see him do so, and here I thought the milestones were gone and the only kind left were the ones not to be thought of as milestones like first word and first step. 

Reminds me of a post I made last May. 

http://karathought.blogspot.com/2013/05/my-lil-mans-many-firsts-this-summer.html

The milestones just keep coming, and I can't be any happier.

Li'l Girl's School Activities Part 2

Li'l girl's been enjoying school and I'm so happy to see the activities she brings home.

This month is about The Family so we've been printing family pictures and letting her bring them to school. These are what she has so far.

This is a picture of us at the Dinosaur Island just last summer.

      This is a picture of her and Daddy during 

      her Baptismal.

Wanted to print recent pictures except for the one with her Daddy because it's so beautiful. The photo was taken by Rolex Dela Pena otherwise known as Tolex short for Tito Rolex.

Excited to see what other activities she'll bring home. 

Sharing a poem I used to give my parents in school when I was a preschool teacher

When Your Child Comes Home Messy

Red paint in the hair? Blue paint on the jeans?

Sand in the shoes?  Marker on a favorite shirt?

White socks that look brown? Sleeves a bit damp?

YOUR CHILD PROBABLY...

worked with a friend

solved a problem

created a masterpiece

negotiated a difference

learned a new skill

had a great time

developed new language skills

YOUR CHILD PROBABLY DID NOT...

feel lonely

become bored

do repetitive tasks that are too babyish

do worksheets that are too easy

do sit down work that is discouraging

YOU PROBABLY...

paid good money for those clothes

will have trouble getting the red paint out

are concerned the teacher isn't paying enough attention to your child

YOUR TEACHER PROBABLY...

was aware of your child's special needs and interests

spent time planning a challenging activity for the children

encouraged the children to try new things

was worried you might be concerned

Young children really learn when they are actively involved in play...not when someone is talking to them.  There is a difference between "messy" and "lack of care."  Your teacher made sure your child was fed, warm, offered new skills and planned messy fun things to do because that's how young children learn!

Send your child in clothes that can get dirty!  Keep extra old clothes at the site for times when the child gets really messy.  But remember, young children need time to be kids.

-   author unknown

Li'l Girls School Activities Part 1

At home, little girl doesn't like doing structured activities such as coloring and painting with me:( Every time I ask her she says to me "I'm dizzy." or "I'm not feeling well." I honestly wonder where she got that from. This is very different to me since her big brother and I used to have our study time everyday since he was two (2) years old. So I've decided to let her be a kid at home doing whatever she wants. 

She learns from what she wants to do anyway and she learns quite fast. She likes stacking blocks so I try to integrate lessons such as colors, letters and numbers as well as patience and cooperation while we do so. 

I leave the structured learning to school, and I find her work with Teacher Pam so adorable.

Caterpillar

This gives me the feeling of relief that my child enjoys other ways of learning too - most especially the most common way here in the Philippines and that I can just be mom loving her, taking care of her and playing with her. No pressures here at home :) 

"How children feel and interact is as important to their competence and success as how well they think. This has obviously very important implications for both how people raise their children, how they care for other people's children, and how we invest public funds. Thinking and feeling go hand in hand. It's not to say that thinking is less important, just not more important."

— Dr. Jack Shonkoff, Brandeis University

Enjoying School

I'm so happy my kids enjoy going to school. They like it. They look for it. They know their teachers and classmates. So many school activities have been happening for both my kids and I'm so happy to be here with them. I enjoy being able to drop them off to school and pick them up from school. Although it can get a little too noisy in the car, I'm glad I'm there to listen to their stories, and sometimes tell them to stop before my head explodes. Ha! Ha!

Astraea's doing so well with all her activities. I can hear her sing and dance at the back of the car. She just doesn't want to do it in front of us yet. 

Zivv's busy with extra curricular activities. It surprises me  how he would join these activities without his usual consultation with me. Just goes to show how much of a big boy he really is now. 

Time for my little ones to spread their wings and fly with mom just a bit to the side to make sure they're flying well into the sky and not straight into a wall. Ha! Ha!  

Masterpiece

As a young girl I had piano lessons at home. For three (3) years my piano teacher, Lola Neneng, tried to convince me to participate in recitals, but I was too nervous even though I felt a yearning to do so in my core. 

So when my son auditioned for his recital this year, I felt very proud. I could see and feel my son soaring so high. 

Yes, I felt and still feel proud to be a part of his achievement. Yes, I felt and still feel blessed to have the opportunity to guide my son in different positive directions where he experiences life to the fullest.

At home and at work I have always felt I was at my best being the person behind the star. Now I have found a NEW STAR. My sentiments remind me of a basketball mom from the TV show Necessary Roughness (S3 Ep3 Swimming with Sharks) whom I roughly quote as saying:

"I don't call you my son because you shine so bright. I call you my son because you're mine."

 

My star playing Hungarian Dance No. 5 by Johannes Brahms and Symphony 5 by Beethoven. 

Video on  https://www.facebook.com/kara.elomina

  

 

Spreading Her Wings

Li'l girl had so much fun and did so well with her swimming lessons last summer I enrolled her in a continuing program for twelve (12) sessions this year. 

This year was supposed to be her last year at home with me before she went to Casa in OBMC or Nursery in other schools, but when we went to the Playroom in Mega Mall and she met a friend whom she would ask me about from time to time since then I realized she needed a friend her age. 

That's why when Habits of the Mind and Class Inc. contacted me it was a sure sign that it was time for my li'l girl to spread her wings a little more.

She just absolutely loves going to school. She feels like a big girl proudly telling me that while her big brother is in school, she too is; and while her big brother is attending his Kali session she too is attending her swimming session. 

As for me, I simply love our hectic family schedule of school, classes, sessions and mid-week movies :) 

_______________________________________________________
 
Although I have been craving for more me time in the morning and a Saturday of staying in bed. Someday. 

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Living Intentionally, Living Well

Read "Abundant Simplicity" by Jan Johnson and was impressed by what she wrote and decided to practice what she said which was to think about the real motives behind what I do before doing it. 

So I gave myself a week  without posting on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and blogging. 

I've discovered the reasons why I post what I post and it wasn't very lovely nor loving of others. So I've decided to find a positive reason within myself why I post and blog, and I have. 

So I continue on...

Li'l Girl's Trial Day of Playgroup

When I was a preschool teacher I noticed that kids started going to school as early as 2 years old. At one point I wanted that for my li'l boy. I wanted all the activities being offered and I wanted to start him at the youngest age possible. Good thing my husband was there to halt me at times. 

There are still times when I want that for my li'l girl but I know now how to assess activities based on her strengths, weaknesses and personality traits. 

I don't want everything for her. I just want what's best for her. 

I want her to have fun, but I don't her staying at home staring at gadgets all day too, and as much as I want to play and teach my kids myself, it doesn't always happen that way.

So I enrolled her at a playgroup in Habits of the Mind where she'll be exposed to fixing herself up to go out to an activity that is hers alone, a little bit of play, a little bit of interacting and a little bit of learning. A little bit of everything for li'l girl who is independent and seeking to do things and make friends. 

You are worried about seeing him spend his early years in doing nothing. What! Is it nothing to be happy? Nothing to skip, play, and run around all day long? Never in his life will he be so busy again. ~Jean-Jacques Rousseau, Emile, 1762