Bits and Pieces (June 2014)

Thanking God for
Coffee and Hot Chocolate. Nowadays I need a cuppa to get me 
through the cold winter mornings. And afternoons. And then some.

I sometimes miss my old career. But I know that life would be

different if I had a "proper career". Thank you Lord that we've

managed to work things out so that I can be a stay at home mom.

Pondering on

Instrumentum Laboris - The Pastoral Challenges of the Family in

the Context of Evangelization. (Click HERE)

I've challenged myself to read it in its entirety. Go go go!

Praying for
I've mostly been praying for the family. Just realized that there's
more that need my prayers.

Learning about

M and I were able to do a Feast of the Sacred Heart of Jesus colouring 
activity. We had a short and brief "discussion" about the feast. Just 
planting seeds which I hope will bear good fruit.

In our home
What to do with over ripe bananas? Bake banana bread!

Train Ride to Oslo

Memories to treasure
"Mom, can I go to Oslo?" - M at 4.5yo
It seems THIS boring inflight movie has a fan.

Reading

Eeeck, a month has passed. I have to return The Well Trained Mind to 
the library. I will definitely have to borrow it again.

I've been scanning Catholicism by Fr. Robert Barron. Looks like an 
interesting read!

Went through a few other books this month. Meh.

Listening to / Watching
Read Aloud Revival Podcasts by Amongst Lovely Things. Click HERE.
- Loving Episode #5 with Jim Weiss. There's a great reminder there on 
why we parents should stop trying to make things perfect.

Working on
Oh my, still trying to get past posting once a month.

Trying this out 
Yahoo, I have managed to keep folding the laundry under control!
Next on the agenda, improving our evening routine.

Planning for the days ahead
Looking forward to attending an LOJ Marriage Enrichment Retreat.
Blessed to have the opportunity to share my faith experience at a CFC 
Christian Life Program. 

Image Credits:
Cristina Alexanderson

Bits and Pieces (May 2014)

Thanking God for:
Nice Weather.
The sunny days that we've been enjoying.
Any respite from the autumn gray is highly appreciated.

Pondering on:
"Look at everything with the eyes of faith, do nothing but in view of God,
and attribute all things to Him." - St. John Baptist De La Salle

Praying for:
Friends with sick family members, missing people, the lost who're trying
to find their way.

Learning about:
Still reading, counting, writing (at least attempting to do so) and playing.

In our home:
Mom asked if I had cooked anything new lately. Hmmm, maybe it's
about time I tried something new!

Memories to treasure:
So yeah, we're late in the game... BUT we're now in a season of Frozen.
Letting go, for the first time in forever, do you want to build a snowman...
You get the picture.

Reading:
The Well Trained Mind: A Guide to Classical Education at Home
by Susan Wise Bauer and Jessie Wise is such a great read! It can be
a bit overwhelming but do remember that it's meant to be a guide.

Listening to / Watching:
I had a blast watching Jason W. Womack talk about how to Think Bigger
Make More of one's life. Many thanks to CreativeLive.com for the rebroadcast.

Working on:
Trying to get back into blogging... Because I want to... Because I have to...

Trying this out:
Trying to start the day "at my best", trying to conquer Mount Foldmore and
trying to get the family out of the house in record speed time.
Trying to squeeze in a little me time.

Planning for the days ahead:
Hmmm, how does one get their groove back?

I decided that it's about time I started reading again. Something to look forward
to this June (many thanks to the Public Library):
Tribes by Seth Godin, $100 Startup by Chris Guillebeau, Grace for the Good Girl
by Emily P. Freeman

Clicking Around:
Preschool Revisited by Everyday Snapshots. Click HERE.
- Yes, this pretty much sums up our Early Years Homeschool experience.
You don't need a curriculum. Read, do activities and have fun. And before
you know it, the kids will learn what they need to learn.

Mastery Learning Audio by Andrew Pudewa. Click HERE for the link.
- This is a good listen for those who're a fan of early learning. Pudewa also
talks about how the Suzuki Method is not just for music and how it can be
used in learning other disciplines.

The Ultimate Guide to Memory Work by Everyday Snapshots. Click HERE.
- Loads of info on the Whats, Whys and Hows of Memory Work

10 Things to do with Your Child before Ten by Trivium Pursuit. Click HERE.
- I don't really agree with everything on this list. But it does provide some
food for thought on what topics I can cover with the kids.

Preschool Skills Checklist and The Ultimate List of Preschool Themes
by Homeschool with Love. Click HERE and HERE.
- 2 great guides for moms with Preschoolers.


Image Credits:
Guilio Mola
HDWallpapers
CreativeLive.com

It's Time to CONNECT!

My 2012 officially started today. We've been on vacation mode for a few weeks now.
Spending the holidays in our new home was a great way to end 2011. Yes 2011 was
a good year for us. As for 2012, it's going to be better!

Instead of the usual New Year's Resolutions, I've decided to welcome 2012 with a
theme: CONNECT

I wish I had some witty acronym on hand. Unfortunately, Creating Opportunities
Now by Networking, Executing, Creating and Trying doesn't exactly work wonders
for me. lol.

In case you missed it, I am now faced with the challenge of creating a new life in
a new country. One month into this new life and I already know that my life is no
longer what it used to be.

Hence the need to CONNECT.

1. Connect to the One Above
Sadly, I'm having a case of "Martha, Martha, you are anxious and worried about
many things...." My prayer time has taken a backseat to all the things that need
doing. I definitely need to block off more quiet time. Lately, my prayer has been:
Lord, guide me that I may be a source of blessing to my family and to all whom I
encounter.

2. Connect Within
I know it's only been one month but I'm already longing for some me time. Since
the move, little M and I have been inseparable. No daycare for now. It's been great
as I get to see him grow. But it does have it's tiring moments. And, I have yet to
resume my VA work. I intend to do a shifting of sorts --- do errands and take care
of M during the day. Then do VA work at night. I know it's doable; I did get the
idea from a mom who works part time in the evenings with a bank.

3. Connect to those Beside Me
Okay, I know this sounds cheesy, but all whom we love, regardless of age, need
our time and attention. I am consciously trying not to let every day life get in
the way of BEING there for H and little M.

4. Connect Back
A few months before I left, an expat's wife commented that the price one pays
for living overseas is the possibility of returning home then discovering that one
is already out of touch with the people that stayed on back home. I am truly
grateful that technology has made it easier for H and I to reach out to people:
Skype, FB, email, sms, etc are all there for us to use.

5. Connect Anew
New country = new experiences = new relationships. It doesn't get simpler
than that.


I'd like to end by saying Thank You for being a part of this Pinay Mom's 2011
Adventures. I hope we continue to journey together in 2012! An abundance
of blessings to you and the ones you love!

What's so important about today?

Search this:
From and including: Wednesday, 22 September 2010
To, but not including : Friday, 31 December 2010

And you'll get this:
- It is 100 days from the start date to the end date
- Or 3 months, 9 days
- Alternative time units:
8,640,000 seconds
144,000 minutes
2400 hours
14 weeks (rounded down)

~ courtesy of http://www.timeanddate.com

Yellow Thinking Hat

http://www.flickr.com/photos/sherrattsam

"Students were deciding on issues they'd like to take action on. We used
the Yellow Thinking Hat to think about positive aspects of their life that
they could expand upon..."

This is something I should do more often...

Focus on the positive:
in me,
in others,
in my life,
in my surroundings,
in my experiences,
in my country,
in the world.

Choose, Act, Reflect

http://www.flickr.com/photos/sherrattsam

"...Choose, Act and Reflect. As the students go through this unit, they
are keeping a record of their choices, actions and reflections by writing
on index cards and sticking them up. This is to get them use to thinking
about everything as part of the cycle, and to track their work."

3 Powerful words: Choose Act Reflect

My 2010 Mid Year Assessment

http://www.flickr.com/photos/andreweick

"I believe that behavior never lies and by examining your results, I
can see a clear picture of your commitment, I can gain an innate
sense of your character, I can grasp a near perfect understanding
of your beliefs, and I can mostly certainly see what you are really
made of.

Your results are a reflection of what you believe to be true about
yourself.

Your results tell me how you think.

Your results tell me how you talk about yourself even when no one's
around.

Your results tell me what you do every single day.

If you want new results, if you want a new reality, there's only
one way--just change!" - Gary Blair

2010 is already half done. The middle of the year is usually a
self-assessment time for me. Time to analyze what I did right,
what I did wrong, what I didn't do and what I still need to do.
In the past, I always found myself wishing I had done more.

This time around, I can proudly say "Job well done!"

The past 6months have been pretty productive. Taking care of
M has been a fulfilling 24/7 task. Add to that work. Plus the
personal projects H and I have.

My life is not perfect. It doesn't have to be either. I believe
I did the best that I could. That's good enough for me.