tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-43608864346980658872024-02-19T12:28:12.815+08:00Lifetime of TogethernessShirley Mae Taborahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13497690048084886434noreply@blogger.comBlogger624125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4360886434698065887.post-6482193038819814602019-01-12T07:43:00.001+08:002019-01-12T07:45:15.672+08:00Law of Attraction - Proof and More Goals<i>"What you think, you create. What you feel, you attract. What you imagine, you become."</i><br />
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I am a firm believer of the Law of Attraction<i>.</i> Most times, I claim certain things and events and be grateful for sending them my way even before they actually arrive. I have proof that I do manifest my dreams, see this post of mine way back in January 2012 titled <a href="http://lifetimeoftogetherness.blogspot.com/2012/01/im-owning-it.html">I am Owning it</a>.<br />
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Take note of the details of each photo on that post - the target dates, color of the car and the house. <br />
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Goosebumps ahead.<br />
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I posted those photos in January 2012. We got our car in June 2012, 4 months earlier from my target date and the color of our car, medium gray!<br />
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As for the house, I inserted our family picture on the 2nd floor balcony of a random photo of a house. Target date: May 2020. Guess what? We got ourselves a pre-selling condo, initially scheduled for a May 2019 turnover. A year ahead of my target date. But, what's even better is, we were scheduled for an early turnover this month, January 2019! And our unit? It's on the 2nd floor with a balcony!<br />
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This is why I apply the Law of Attraction. In all aspects of my life, I am constantly grateful, claiming positive things will happen to me and my family. So this year, I am attracting and claiming that all these are happening! I own them, thank you very much!<br />
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It's always been in the back of my mind that one day, I will resign from my job. I will rid myself of the stress from traffic and commuting. I will find a work opportunity that will allow me to work from home, take care of the kids, bring them to school, prepare a healthy baon for them and not just the easy-to-cook processed ones that Johan brings to school now. I am claiming that it will happen this year.<br />
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My husband is not a fan of traveling, we're both not into splurging a lot of money for something intangible but Disneyland is something I've been dreaming of going to since I was a kid. My boys grew up watching Disney shows and movies and in October 2020, we will all be going on our first out of the country trip and off we go to Hongkong Disneyland!</div>
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Ah, Japan. This is my ultimate travel destination. See you in April 2021!!</div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><i>Believe you deserve it and the Universe will serve it!</i></span><br />
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<i></i>Shirley Mae Taborahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13497690048084886434noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4360886434698065887.post-72023138311918596612018-02-17T14:30:00.003+08:002018-02-17T14:30:50.536+08:00Canyon Cove Trip 2018The first time that we went to Canyon Cove was in 2014 when I was still pregnant with Jeron. Johan barely remembers that since he was just 3 years old then. Canyon Cove is the only Batangas resort that we've been to and we really liked the facilities and the huge rooms. So, I convinced my husband that we go back to Canyon Cove to celebrate both our birthdays.<br />
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I checked Metrodeal first to see if they have a deal for Canyon Cove. They do have but check-in days are only during Wednesdays. So, I searched online to look for voucher sellers and I stumbled upon <a href="https://www.facebook.com/canyonresortsvouchers/">Canyon Cove Vouchers </a>on Facebook. I am very careful on buying anything online because of the many scammers that are lurking but upon checking this page's ratings and feedback from previous guests, I was convinced that they are legit. I messaged the page admin, inquired about their vouchers, sent payment and waited for them to send me the actual voucher. The voucher arrived 2 days after I sent my payment. The page admins were very courteous and they answered all my queries as soon as they can. On the day of our trip, they even sent me a message wishing us a safe trip and a great vacation. Talk about great customer service!<br />
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Initially, we planned on having lunch in Kainan sa Dalampsigan. I've heard great reviews about the ambiance and the food. But, when we got there, an event was being held so we had no choice but to dine somewhere else. Unfortunately, we did not find another restaurant as we were driving towards the resort so we decided to just eat at the resort's restaurant after we were checked in.<br />
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Our voucher states that check-in time is at 3 pm. We arrived at 2 pm and was immediately assigned a room. However, I noticed that those who brought Metrodeal vouchers were made to wait. I'm not sure if it has anything to do with the voucher that I bought or they have a different process for Metrodeal purchased ones.<br />
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We were assigned a room at the Lower Level. It would have been okay since it was closer to the pool and the beach, but we had an issue with the window shutters which were not closing all the way through. We were not comfortable with the idea that people passing by will see us sleeping or lounging in our room. So, I asked the front desk for a different room to which they obliged and were very apologetic with our first room assignment. Two thumbs up for acknowledging your client's needs and acting on it.<br />
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We were transferred to a room on the 4th floor. It was very far from the beach and other amenities but with a view like this, I am not complaining!<br />
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When we were settled in our new room, we immediately went down to have our very late lunch. We ordered Garlic Rice, Bulalo Steak, Daing na Bangus, a glass of Iced Tea and one bottle of San Mig Light. Our bill amounted to around 1200 pesos.<br />
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While the husband is enjoying his bottle of beer, I took the kids to the playground. It was so humid that day but these kids didn't mind that at all. They had the playground to themselves and were just too happy to even take notice of the sun.<br />
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When they got tired, we went back to get hubby and we all walked up to our hotel room to change. The kids were so excited to get to the beach!</div>
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I brought beach toys and bubbles for the boys and they were having so much fun in the beach until it was starting to get dark already and we had to move to the pool. Johan was ecstatic as he loved to swim now while Jeron wanted to stay at beach. We don't have much photos at the pool as I went in to swim with my boys. </div>
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When they got tired of swimming we dried up and went back to our room to bathe and change into dry clothes. We rested for a bit then went down again to have dinner. I remember the first time that we went there, there was only one barbecue kiosk that was selling, well, barbecues. Now, there are three more food kiosks - a buko juice stand, bibingka kiosk and another one selling an assortment of snacks. The boys didn't want rice so we ordered crispy chicken pops for them to share, I ordered some sort of misua and hubby ordered bibingkas.</div>
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We put the kids to sleep as soon as we went back to our room while the hubby and I stayed awake and watched a bit of TV. I finally dozed off around 12 midnight and was awake at 4 am. I didn't even have to wait for my alarm to go off. It was a good thing because I remembered that I wanted to do a time lapse video of the sunrise. That's one off my bucket list! </div>
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When Johan woke up, I told him to change into his swim clothes and we went down to take photos. Hubby and Jeron followed soon enough so we can all spend more time taking photos, swimming and staying at the beach before we check out. </div>
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It was a very wonderful trip with my boys. Husband and I were very anxious prior to this trip because our boys can get pretty rowdy and we didn't know if we'd survive this trip but we did and we all had fun! Canyon Cove is still our favorite resort in Batangas and we will definitely plan another trip soon!</div>
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For vouchers, I highly recommend Ise and Ida. They are selling vouchers for Canyon Cove in Nasugbu, Canyon Woods - The Peak Hotel in Tagaytay and Canyon de Boracay in Station 2 Boracay Island. Please tell them you heard about them from me. Here are their contact details:</div>
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Facebook Page: <a href="https://www.facebook.com/canyonresortsvouchers/">Canyon Cove Vouchers</a></div>
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Email: ida.mabel@yahoo.com</div>
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Mobile: 0906 257 6479</div>
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Also, if it's not too much to ask, would you please like our photo on their page (link below) because we are joining their annual contest to win a free stay in any of the Canyon resort of our choice!</div>
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Like our photo here: <a href="https://www.facebook.com/canyonresortsvouchers/photos/rpp.255190491615588/358412041293432/?type=3&theater">Photo entry of Tabora Family</a></div>
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<br />Shirley Mae Taborahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13497690048084886434noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4360886434698065887.post-55334155129352431382018-01-10T22:02:00.000+08:002018-01-10T22:13:16.584+08:00Focus: My 2018 Word of the Year<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I've read the book The Secret, applied the Law of Attraction, did vision boards and everything proved effective to me in that past. Before 2017 ended, there was a discussion within our group about everybody's theme or word for the year. </div>
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I never really did this before so deciding on my word for 2018 was difficult. I wanted a lot of things to materialize in my life - love, happiness, financial stability, more time with family. Since, I have a lot to stuff that I needed to concentrate on, I decided that my word for 2018 would be Focus.</div>
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<b><u>For my family</u></b></div>
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I want me and the husband to make more memories this year. It doesn't matter if we go somewhere near or on a road trip or a plane ride away - I just want me, the husband and the kids to try new experiences. I want my husband to explore more, to go outside of his comfort zone and try out new things with the kids and myself.</div>
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Johan's schoolwork is getting complicated as he moves up one level. I never realized First Grade is going to be a hard year for both of us - 3 Filipino subjects, difficult Math lessons, memorization requirement for each subject. Lots of school projects kept me up late at night preparing for his materials, making reviewers every quarter in preparation for his exams takes up a lot of my time, even my break times at work are spent doing Johan's reviewers and projects. I need to find more ways on how to teach him, make learning easier for him. </div>
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Jeron's development is something I've been guilty of lately. Unlike when I gave birth to Johan where I stayed home until Johan turned two, where I've been there to feed him and teach him the basics; with Jeron, I am either busy at work or busy with Johan's schoolwork. Jeron was exposed to gadgets way earlier than he is supposed to and now we are seeing the negative effects of it. I need to make more time with Jeron, to talk to him more and to hone his motor skills.</div>
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<b><u>For my career</u></b></div>
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I like the industry I am in but the needs of the kids are increasing by the day and they need me more and more at home. I need to pray and focus on what I really wanted, what direction I want to be headed. Working from home is one option that we have been discussing for a while now and maybe 2018 is the year that I have to finally give it a go.</div>
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<b><u>For myself</u></b></div>
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I've been giving too much of myself - to the husband, to the kids. There are more than a few times that I feel drained. I've noticed that the longing to spend time alone is getting stronger, I even thought of going to the beach alone for my birthday. I should be taking care of myself more so I can give more. I promise to pursue my passions - learn to bake, calligraphy, paint - take more pictures, open myself up to new experiences, to save, make myself happy and most importantly, to not rely my happiness on other people. </div>
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Here's to hoping we all achieve what we are aiming for this 2018!</div>
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Shirley Mae Taborahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13497690048084886434noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4360886434698065887.post-38901528891880699142018-01-08T20:58:00.003+08:002018-01-08T21:05:31.466+08:00Food Review: Catering Trio PH<i>This is not a sponsored post. </i><br />
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Last Christmas, my side of the family decided to go on our first ever family staycation. We were able to purchase a voucher from Deal Grocer for an overnight stay at Exchange Regency Residence Hotel in Ortigas. The unit that we booked was a two bedroom suite that came with a kitchenette with electric stove. We can actually cook inside our unit but we chose to have food delivered instead so we can all relax and just enjoy our Christmas Eve.<br />
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Weeks prior to Christmas, we already decided that we will be ordering from CCME. My sister even called their hotline to verify if they have delivery schedules for December 24th to which they confirmed. But, a week before Christmas we found out that CCME was fully booked already! We were in panic because we feared that all other food delivery suppliers will be booked by then.<br />
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My cousin recommended <a href="https://www.facebook.com/cateringtrioph/">Catering Trio PH</a>. She sent me their menu and we immediately called their hotline. As expected, they were fully booked for Christmas Eve but still asked for our order just in case they could squeeze us in. And they did!</div>
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They said they will be delivering our order at six o'clock in the evening but a call from the hotel's front desk came at four thirty in the afternoon informing us that Catering Trio has arrived. Talk about coming ahead of schedule!</div>
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We were impressed when the guys arrived at our room with our food. Our order came inside an insulated bag which contained a thermal food cabinet to keep our food warm. The guys from Catering Trio were very respectful and were smiling the entire time, so that is a huge plus!</div>
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We ordered the following from their menu: Yangchow Fried Rice, Roast Beef with Mashed Potato, Garlic Chicken, Lumpiang Hubad and Baked Lasagna. We ordered 2 trays of each dish since we were expecting some of our relatives to join us for Noche Buena.</div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFDkAqamZS_KtXUxevWweCpA3v9tgD-pFCoKDPQ9TMcc5nif830hj6FJoa5Ras5lryXNJiKHqDiiAVJqbqRC7wEM74bhcuCFuXPWxMHS68m_IPXYI7HSukEp8Rpi6ZT64BI-W0Jg8ugf0/s1600/IMG_20171224_165414.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFDkAqamZS_KtXUxevWweCpA3v9tgD-pFCoKDPQ9TMcc5nif830hj6FJoa5Ras5lryXNJiKHqDiiAVJqbqRC7wEM74bhcuCFuXPWxMHS68m_IPXYI7HSukEp8Rpi6ZT64BI-W0Jg8ugf0/s400/IMG_20171224_165414.jpg" width="500" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our Noche Buena spread</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Yangchow Fried Rice</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEih_VNSLnTl1r9-RgvdzhBAfQA3tCwCHFZycKJ9UkR2xmuKQhHRyi-7sXsva6exDRdPy7nbH7boEO8SeWp983TgBpgZxX677HkAG-K8Fq5ypKyObeX8arEKgr9oAuwRjYDe52CJn4y_GG8/s1600/IMG_20171224_164643.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEih_VNSLnTl1r9-RgvdzhBAfQA3tCwCHFZycKJ9UkR2xmuKQhHRyi-7sXsva6exDRdPy7nbH7boEO8SeWp983TgBpgZxX677HkAG-K8Fq5ypKyObeX8arEKgr9oAuwRjYDe52CJn4y_GG8/s400/IMG_20171224_164643.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Roast Beef</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4gJbLe-uK0vL0ziGsDn165QGywtniO1FpldiAHf5hZaxiBNOpXwVHdgKs7_PdiOpcbrT23RcpmGwaY_Km9BbpBPwxle-OgXCczhwZU9lNcD5TR7MeR3BUFvOWxwuUL7A-CAaoZixYlBA/s400/IMG_20171224_165020.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="300" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Garlic Chicken</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyNQbaYwPS-BobzRABiU9MwiKORclzBueYV1fTeHQPsy-HWbeYq8nAEW0QOsXebmX-W5GuU7LHjfMjdwjnrtjOnHaEtSDPS06g_zxoD3gA4GJ78o4mFoEmzBhx_WvJ-aJhyiVd-pVHpKk/s1600/IMG_20171224_164825.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyNQbaYwPS-BobzRABiU9MwiKORclzBueYV1fTeHQPsy-HWbeYq8nAEW0QOsXebmX-W5GuU7LHjfMjdwjnrtjOnHaEtSDPS06g_zxoD3gA4GJ78o4mFoEmzBhx_WvJ-aJhyiVd-pVHpKk/s400/IMG_20171224_164825.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lumpiang Hubad</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikKqWSBF9wDFMamAOEnnKFUTAvW0sgib_tpY5_GHnRyjOX0TKy4sr-6Q-_Yhdja6d5tHrY8ukBsQTJEIrGQlqgHksYgYLjSUuW_jJ73r0Ul6_vHaAQH9ddIsxgAC7mxMt9vUb2w9nvc8k/s1600/IMG_20171224_165029.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikKqWSBF9wDFMamAOEnnKFUTAvW0sgib_tpY5_GHnRyjOX0TKy4sr-6Q-_Yhdja6d5tHrY8ukBsQTJEIrGQlqgHksYgYLjSUuW_jJ73r0Ul6_vHaAQH9ddIsxgAC7mxMt9vUb2w9nvc8k/s400/IMG_20171224_165029.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Baked Lasagna</td></tr>
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They said each tray is good for 7-10 people, but it is either we are not big eaters or Catering Trio has really large servings. I say that because there were a lot of us who shared their food that Christmas Eve and we still have whole trays left of each dish the following day.<br />
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Two thumbs up for all that we ordered! Every single dish is so good but if I were to choose only one, I would recommend you get the Baked Lasagna - cooked to perfection indeed!<br />
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Catering Trio PH, you delivered food and service way beyond our expectations. You satisfied our taste buds with your delicious food, filled our tummies with your generous servings and made our Christmas 2017 even more special. We will DEFINITELY order from you again!<br />
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For inquiries and reservations, please reach Catering Trio PH thru the following:</div>
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Facebook: <a href="https://www.facebook.com/cateringtrioph/">Catering Trio PH</a></div>
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Landline: (02) 632-1211</div>
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Mobile: 0956-6481152</div>
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Shirley Mae Taborahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13497690048084886434noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4360886434698065887.post-47059575705932043152017-12-31T11:33:00.001+08:002017-12-31T11:34:10.889+08:00The Highlights of 2017As with any other year, 2017 was a roller coaster ride. There were great things and not so great things that happened the entire year. But, I would like to focus on the good experiences that 2017 has brought us.<br />
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I must say that this year is full of surprises. First quarter of the year, my favorite cousin turned 40. I led the organizing for her surprise birthday celebration to which everybody, thankfully, were cooperative. This is the first time that I edited a video greeting and I am so glad the output turned out fine. We also achieved our goal to make her cry, haha!<br />
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We also went back to Kidzania last September with some of my cousins and Johan's cousins. It is always a fun trip whenever we go to Kidzania and I am sure this is going to be an annual thing for us. Hopefully next time the smaller cousins can join us as well.</div>
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Johan turned 7 this year and I planned a small surprise birthday celebration for him. We booked the Nicayeren Resort in Batangas that we went to last summer and invited our immediate families to help us surprise Johan. See my post <a href="https://lifetimeoftogetherness.blogspot.com/2017/10/johans-7th-birthday-surprise.html">here</a>.</div>
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My Papa is a huge fan of Engelbert Humperdinck that when he found out that his idol will be having a concert at the arena close to home, he posted a Facebook status.</div>
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After he posted that, my sisters and I immediately checked online if we can afford the tickets, haha! Good thing that the venue near my parents' house did not cost too much, we were able to secure an SVIP ticket for Papa and surprised him the next day when he drove us to Taytay.</div>
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Work wise, this is the first time that our team went out of the office to celebrate Christmas. We gathered contributions and asked for pledges so we can have a raffle of some sort. We received a lot of pledges that everybody went home with something! Me and my friend, Fem, also organized a few games to everybody's delight. Seeing everybody having a good time, laughing and thanking us makes all the effort worth it. Credits to my officemates Amiel and Fem for their effort in picking up and buying the raffle prizes and thank you to the whole team for joining the games and for their monetary contribution as well. Next year ulit, guys?</div>
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As 2017 is coming to a close, this is also the first time that our family had a staycation on Christmas Eve. We were able to get discounted vouchers for an overnight stay at Exchange Regency in Ortigas and were lucky enough that we were able to book a room for December 24. My cousin's family sent me a message telling me they will also be staying around Ortigas but their hotel room does not have the same perks as ours at Exchange Regency. My cousin's exact words, "Pwede ba kaming makisaing?" Hahaha! To which I replied, "Bakit makikisaing pa eh di dun na kayo sa amin maki-Noche Buena!". And they did! It was the most fun Christmas Eve ever!</div>
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Finally, to cap off the year, my cousins and I together with our husbands and kids trooped to the SM Mall of Asia Arena to watch Disney on Ice: Everyone's Story. I've always wanted to bring the kids here and I'm glad that we get to watch the show with the rest of their cousins. The kids had so much fun! Well, I speak for myself, but I can't help but sing along to the Frozen songs and the Disney Princesses theme songs!</div>
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2017 was a great year. Here's to looking forward to what 2018 has to offer! Happy New Year, everyone!!</div>
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Shirley Mae Taborahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13497690048084886434noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4360886434698065887.post-23665105001390528692017-12-22T05:32:00.000+08:002017-12-22T05:35:15.751+08:00Febrile Seizure - What is it?This post is super, super late but I thought before the year ends, I should write about our experience so I can go back to this post whenever I needed to.<br />
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First, what is Febrile Seizure?<br />
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Taken from the <a href="https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/febrile-seizure/symptoms-causes/syc-20372522">Mayo Clinic page</a>:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i>A<b> febrile seizure</b> is a convulsion in a child that may be caused by a spike in body temperature, often from an infection. Your child's having a febrile seizure can be alarming, and the few minutes it lasts can seem like an eternity.</i></blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i> Febrile seizures represent a unique response of a child's brain to fever, usually the first day of a fever. Fortunately, they're usually harmless and typically don't indicate an ongoing problem. You can help by keeping your child safe during a febrile seizure and by comforting him or her afterward.</i></blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i>Call your doctor to have your child evaluated as soon as possible after a febrile seizure.<br />Symptoms </i></blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i>Febrile seizure symptoms can range from mild — staring — to more severe shaking or tightening of the muscles.</i></blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i><b>A child having a febrile seizure may:</b><br />Have a fever higher than 100.4 F (38.0 C)<br />Lose consciousness<br />Shake or jerk arms and legs </i></blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i><b>Febrile seizures are classified as simple or complex:</b> </i></blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i><b>Simple febrile seizures. </b>This more common type lasts from a few seconds to 15 minutes. Simple febrile seizures do not recur within a 24-hour period and are generalized, not specific to one part of the body.<br /><b>Complex febrile seizures. </b>This type lasts longer than 15 minutes, occurs more than once within 24 hours or is confined to one side of your child's body.</i></blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i> Febrile seizures most often occur within 24 hours of the onset of a fever and can be the first sign that a child is ill</i></blockquote>
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Back in February, Jeron had the usual fever. I went to work that morning and left instructions to the yayas to keep on monitoring Jeron's temperature, never miss his medicine schedule and continue giving him sponge baths. When I went home that evening, Jeron still has the fever at 39 degrees. I gave him a sponge bath which brought down his fever to 38 degrees, I cannot sleep that night so I just played on my phone while looking after Jeron. Suddenly, Jeron switched positions and looked like he was about to vomit so I went to him and then the shaking started.<br />
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His eyes rolled backwards, both of his arms were shaking. I immediately carried him, brought him to the sink and put water on the top of his head. He was shaking for maybe 10 seconds, I passed him to the Yaya while I went back to the bedroom to fix our things. I'm bringing him to the ER at 11pm, my husband still at work and I was only with one of the yayas. The other yaya stayed home with Johan who I know was so confused and scared that night. He kept on asking me what's happening, I only told him to stay home because I needed to rush Jeron to the ER.<br />
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Usually, it would be too hard to get a ride at that hour but luckily for us, as we went out of our gate, a tricycle immediately passed and stopped when the driver saw us. He drove as fast as he can to the ER when I told him it's an emergency. This is the time that Jeron lost consciousness. The Yaya was holding him and I kept on shouting, "Is he still breathing?!". He was so I calmed down a bit and kept on praying loud.<br />
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When we arrived at the ER, I had to shout help before any of the staff went to us (Oh this hospital, I've had a few not so good experiences with). One of the residents began interviewing me while the nurses attended to Jeron. They inserted an IV, took blood samples and told me that we had to admit him for further monitoring. The husband arrived after an hour, we went to admissions to get a room and was finally transferred.<br />
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We were admitted for five days. In the duration of that time, Jeron's pedia did tests because we were looking for what caused the fever. He didn't have any cough or colds at that time. His Kuya Johan recently had mumps so we were guessing Jeron might have gotten it as well. But there's no swelling on his neck and blood tests returned normal. The pedia wanted to do a lumbar tap, to which we declined. I was very worried about Jeron having to experience that at an early age. I know that the pedia meant well but I didn't see the need to do the procedure. Plus, Jeron has been pricked so many times during our stay at the hospital, he's given blood samples so many times and I saw how stressed my son was everytime a nurse went to our room to get another blood sample. He was on IV antibiotics the entire time and on the fourth day, the swelling appeared. He's got mumps. That is what's causing the fever which manifested late.<br />
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We were discharged on our fifth day. Months after that episode, whenever Jeron has a fever, I had to file a leave from work. I was so traumatized after seeing him had a seizure that I had to make sure I was at home in case it happens again.<br />
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Things to remember in emergency cases like this:<br />
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<li>Do not panic. When Jeron started shaking, I did not panic, I was moving fast. Not panicking allows you to think better on what needs to be done. </li>
<li>Proper monitoring of the child's fever. Our yayas did not monitor his fever that day, they did not use the thermometer as I instructed. His fever would have shot up to 40 degrees without me knowing. </li>
<li>Discuss with your pedia. Jeron's pedia is a new one, we had to transfer to Dra. Litao after a bad experience with his previous one. Dra. Litao is a kind doctor, she explains thoroughly what needs to be done, what are the possible causes of his sickness. She was very patient in answering all our questions. </li>
<li>Keep your kids' HMO cards within reach. Usually, my kids' cards are inside the drawer, on that particular night, call it instinct or whatever, I took out Jeron's HMO card from the drawer and put it inside my bag.</li>
<li>Stay strong for your child. I am scared of needles, despite giving birth via caesarian section twice, I am still scared of getting pricked. When the IV was inserted on Jeron's arm, I felt nauseous but I had to get over my fear so I can take better care of my child.</li>
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Now, Jeron is a healthy kid and he never had seizures again, hopefully not ever again.</div>
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Shirley Mae Taborahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13497690048084886434noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4360886434698065887.post-75863819237970159532017-12-02T21:31:00.000+08:002017-12-03T06:19:31.096+08:00Giving Love This Christmas SeasonChristmas has officially started, it's finally December! I am almost done with my gift list and have started wrapping presents by December 1st. It is my target every year to finish Christmas shopping by end of November to avoid the holiday rush of shoppers and commuters at the malls and on the streets. However, I still haven't bought Christmas giveaways for the people who give our family their services - the kids' Yaya, the prompt school service driver, the always courteous school guards, the efficient canteen lady and our friendly water delivery boy. This is because we are still waiting for our <a href="https://www.gcregalo.com/products/2-sodexo-premium-pass-gift-certificate-1.html">Sodexo Gift certificates</a>.<br />
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Annually, me and my husband receive Sodexo Gift Certificates from our respective companies for Christmas. The gift certificates that we receive are what we have been using all these years to give back to the people who have been working loyally for us. We have been buying Spaghetti packs, Hams, Cheese and Fruit Salad ingredients and have them arranged in a festive manner to give away to these great people. At least, I know that they will have something to share with their families come December 24th.<br />
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What is great about the Sodexo GCs is that they have always been and forever will be valid, and that revalidation and replacement of Sodexo GC’s are free of charge once the validity date is reached. So, for the past years, the leftover ones from Christmas are what we used to spend for New Year's Eve feast and even for my birthday on January. But this year, I have been thinking of starting a Christmas tradition with the kids. So, I thought of checking out the Merchant's list <a href="https://merchants.sodexo.ph/">here</a> on the Sodexo website and I found out that Jollibee is also accepting Sodexo gift certificates. Perfect for what I have in mind!<br />
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I remember when I was a kid, our family drove around one Christmas Eve and gave chocolates to the people who were working at the tollgates. It would be great to start a tradition such as that with my kids to remind them of the real meaning of Christmas - to share and to give love. Starting this year, my plan is to buy Jollibee meals, drive around and spread joy on Christmas Eve. I want my kids to realize how blessed they are, how they can help those in need, how they can touch lives no matter how big or small the gesture is. I know that what I have in mind will not change the lives of these people drastically but I am hoping that in our own little way, we will be able to make this Christmas a memorable one for them.<br />
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<img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg85Olwlg0E5GgOrGNO8AmImjiuCSIiOfHk7qrvdmAiyQR4qa4ySmDBsZo4T9Ksg3TDRGM3NdnpU4ncSvKjhRTzZlJK9uQJGmR0Q8XVEtyPmCIQDwRTC7eGWDWUKoKe696DV0IAZaBewUc/s350/1407478387774.png" />Shirley Mae Taborahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13497690048084886434noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4360886434698065887.post-65714274040987049172017-11-26T05:11:00.000+08:002017-11-26T05:17:48.341+08:00What They Didn't Tell me About MotherhoodI received lots of advice on motherhood since I became one in 2010 when I gave birth to Johan. Back then, I was told how to raise a kid, how not to spoil my child, how to discipline. The advice changed when I became a Mom to two boys in 2014 after giving birth to Jeron. Now, the advice vary from how to prevent sibling rivalry, what to do when the boys start fighting, how not to show favoritism.<br />
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Yet, 7 years into this and still there are more than a few times that I surprise myself with the learnings, my emotions and my patience (or the lack thereof). So, here I am, listing down the good and the not so good things I learned while being Mom.<br />
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<li><b>What social life?</b> I used to see more of my friends when I was single. I was able to meet them up for a game of bowling, dinner and coffee afterwards, have a drink when friends from abroad come home for a vacation or eat out with office friends during Fridays. Now, I missed meeting up with my overseas friends when they came home at least twice, I have declined invites for birthdays and other occasions either because the kids are sick or the Yaya did not show up again and Fridays are spent rushing home after work barely escaping the Friday Gimik Night traffic. I even see my bestfriend only once every year now, maswerte pa kami kung magtwice yan.</li>
<li><b>I don't read books anymore</b>. Or at least the ones that I really like. I still do but the books I read these days are 1st grade stuff, when I have to help Johan with his assignments and when making him reviewers during exams week. I used to read more than one book a day, my bedtime ritual not complete until I finished at least a couple of chapters of my current read. How I miss going to the bookstore to buy a new release because now, a trip to the bookstore means that I have to buy another box of Mongol pencils because Johan has given all of his pencils<i> (yet again)</i> to his classmates who lost theirs. </li>
<li><b>Trips to the bathroom will never be again something private</b><i> (at least until the kids are in highschool)</i>. Just yesterday, I was surprisingly having a quiet moment updating the header of this blog for hours, mind you, hours. The kids are playing inside the room seeming to forget that I was home with them. Then I needed to use the restroom. It was like an alarm went off in their heads and they just had to request for everything they think they needed - food, water, a certain toy - and the right timing for all of these is while Mom is using the restroom. Both kids, banging on the door, the older one talking at high speed while the younger one just screaming "Mommy, Mommy!". Oh well, number two will just have to wait until both are deeply sleeping.</li>
<li><b>Meal times are exhausting.</b> Johan is a picky eater, Jeron wanders while eating. Our meal times inside and outside our home is chaotic. It will always be about begging Johan to have another spoonful and running after Jeron to feed him. By the time both are done, I would have lost my appetite already.</li>
<li><b>Time with the husband is close to none.</b> Trips to the grocery without the kids is considered having a date, watching movies requires both of us filing leaves from work just to make it happen or if not we would be rushing home as soon as the movie is done, no more time walking leisurely around the mall.</li>
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The first five listed above are the not so good things about motherhood but I can certainly live with. The next ones will be all about the good stuff, the ones I cannot live without.</div>
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<li><b>Hugs and kisses are unlimited</b>. As I come home from work, both kids will be all over me giving me welcome kisses and hugs. Jeron is the kisser, stopping in the middle of his playing to come up to me, say "Mommy" and gives me a kiss out of nowhere. Johan is the hugger, he likes hugs and gives it out as often as he can.</li>
<li><b>Hearing my kids laugh makes me happy.</b> Not just happy-happy, there's something deep that tugs at my heart whenever I see them having fun, either together or playing on their own. </li>
<li><b>Planning activities and parties for the kids will always be special. </b>Kidzania trips with Johan is about teaching him to spend time with his extended family, surprise birthday parties will now be a staple after we gave one for Johan on his 7th birthday and Jeron's 3rd birthday cake was planned after seeing how he loves superheroes.</li>
<li><b>Cooking is not impossible to learn.</b> I thought this will never happen in this lifetime. But because Johan is a picky eater and his preference vary greatly from Jeron's, I have to make an effort at least every weekend to prepare meals for them that both will get nutrients from. So far, Johan is now eating fish and some pork, it is still difficult to feed him vegetables but we will get there. Jeron, on the other hand, eats almost anything but he prefers his rice with soup. </li>
<li><b>Love is abundant</b>. I don't remember how many times a day "I love yous" are being said in our family, but it is a lot. In the middle of watching TV or playing a game, Johan will just shout out to me, "Mom, I love you!", in a span of a day countless I love yous are being exchanged and this Mom is definitely not complaining.</li>
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Motherhood is really not for the faint-hearted, you have to be strong physically and emotionally to keep up with the demands of the kids, schoolwork and career. Motherhood is not always rainbows and butterflies, there will always be days that you will question yourself, your choices, your temper. But difficult as it may be, I know that the kids can see that I am doing my best to be a good Mom to them. </div>
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I have two demanding boys, both active, both loud. My hands are definitely full, but so is my heart.</div>
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Shirley Mae Taborahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13497690048084886434noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4360886434698065887.post-87471726399966680262017-10-28T11:05:00.000+08:002017-11-25T17:26:38.400+08:00Do-It-Yourself Harry Potter Costume on a BudgetJohan has been looking forward to Halloween eversince we introduced the concept of Trick or Treat to him when he was two years old. I was inspired on his first Trick or Treat event that I DIY-ed his Russell, The Wilderness Explorer costume.<br />
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Over the years, he dressed up as different characters for Halloween. I would like to think that he enjoys dressing up as much as he enjoys getting all the treats.<br />
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For this year, he said that he wanted to be a Dementor from Harry Potter. But the true Potterhead in me told him that it is way cooler if he dresses up as Harry Potter himself. I told him I will make him an awesome wand and a Sorting Hat. He agreed!<br />
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So, off I went in search for a costume. I was sure I will not get a store-bought one, aside from it being too expensive, I wanted to have bragging rights that I made this costume myself and I challenged myself that I will not be spending more than 500 pesos for this one.<br />
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For anything DIY, my go-to app is Pinterest. This is my online happy place as I get a lot of ideas here - from DIY party needs, costumes and dream boards. I created a board exclusively for this Harry Potter project. I will post links to Pinterest board inspirations and material prices as I go along.<br />
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Here goes:<br />
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<b><u>Harry's Robe</u></b><br />
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<b>Materials:</b><br />
2 yards black Gina Cloth, 44 pesos (22 pesos/yard)<br />
Needle and Thread </blockquote>
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<b>Procedure: </b>I laid the cloth on the floor, made Johan lie down on top of it, drew the pattern free-hand and cut. I don't have a sewing machine so this robe is hand-sewn with love and lots of needle pricks. </blockquote>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-size: x-small;">Pinterest inspiration: <a href="https://www.pinterest.com/pin/175358979224699940/">Wizard Robe</a></span></i></td></tr>
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<b><u>Harry's Scarf</u></b></div>
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Next, I looked for a red and a yellow cloth for Harry's scarf. I tried looking for ready made ones and I found a knitted one priced at 450 pesos! Too expensive for a small piece so I am bent on doing it myself. I cannot use Gina cloth for this because I needed a softer one that will lie flat after ironing. I went around Metro Gaisano Mall in Alabang Town Center and found what I was looking for.</div>
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<b>Materials:</b><br />
Half yard each of Red and Yellow cloths, 60 pesos (60/yard)<br />
Needle and Thread</blockquote>
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<b>Procedure:</b> Cut into 10 inch x 5 inch rectangles, I used 6 rectangles of each color, 12 rectangles in all. Sew alternately. Sew the sides, turn inside out and sew it close.</blockquote>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3UJ9U_x7GbceccayJkxC7C-Yj2LyRBcDoFalIN7JTTYt8HdWo6fDG8ZpU6kAXgvZeI46tOew2_LDInlqzC-zZZ1954zWUtf6VWoXAsYwXLD2DNbLqnDxSvQpWRw6VMOJRAoeL6xKhgl0/s1600/scarf.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1398" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3UJ9U_x7GbceccayJkxC7C-Yj2LyRBcDoFalIN7JTTYt8HdWo6fDG8ZpU6kAXgvZeI46tOew2_LDInlqzC-zZZ1954zWUtf6VWoXAsYwXLD2DNbLqnDxSvQpWRw6VMOJRAoeL6xKhgl0/s400/scarf.jpg" width="348" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Pinterest inspiration: <a href="https://www.pinterest.com/pin/175358979224699945/">Gryffindor Scarf</a></span></i></td></tr>
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<b><u>Harry' Wand</u></b></div>
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I thought making the wand is going to be hard but it proved to be the easiest one to make on this project and the cheapest, too! </div>
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<b>Materials:</b>Paintbrush handle or Large Chopstick, 9.50 pesos<br />
Glue Gun and Glue sticks, 22 pesos (22 pesos for a pack of 5 sticks)<br />
3 beads (from my stock)<br />
brown paint</blockquote>
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<b>Procedure: </b>I removed the handle from the paintbrush. Using the glue gun, I attached the three beads at the bottom of the wood creating a triangle. Then I created a freehand design using the glue stick from the bottom of the handle up to almost the middle. Let the glue dry. Paint and let it dry. </blockquote>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEih7dIkOUvQedKmCIv8tQWHEYIZ069jvDtDNKiESBiii2lqAz3Q5jykkS2mw1lucA7QNUdlzZ0gylDuFoZ0IE2L9Ww_f8dcAfvd0nhC5nqAUOJpziVvmDsMByLe4llgTWCUv65OUNvmMxU/s1600/wand.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1379" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEih7dIkOUvQedKmCIv8tQWHEYIZ069jvDtDNKiESBiii2lqAz3Q5jykkS2mw1lucA7QNUdlzZ0gylDuFoZ0IE2L9Ww_f8dcAfvd0nhC5nqAUOJpziVvmDsMByLe4llgTWCUv65OUNvmMxU/s400/wand.jpg" width="343" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Pinterest inspiration: <a href="https://www.pinterest.com/pin/175358979224699941/" style="text-align: left;">Harry Potter's Wand</a></span></td></tr>
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<b><u>Harry's Sorting Hat</u></b></div>
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Now, this one is the most time-consuming of all. This is not so hard to do but it takes a lot of patience and a lot of time to finish. I enjoyed doing this anyway and found it quite relaxing to do.</div>
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<b>Materials: </b><br />
old newspapers, cut into small strips<br />
old illustration board<br />
cardboard (17 pesos)<br />
flour and water<br />
masking tape (15 pesos)<br />
brown paint (55 pesos for the Dark brown and 23 pesos fo the small Burnt Sienna shade)</blockquote>
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<b>Procedure: </b>Draw a circle on the illustration board, cut. Create a cone using the cardboard, tape the ends together. Tape the cone onto the illustration board, I opted to cut a hole on the illustration board so Johan can wear it. Using cardboard, cut and shape the eyebrows and mouth of the Sorting hat. Tape into place. Mix water and flour until you get a glue-like consistency, you will be using this for paper mache. Using the newspaper strips, dip each strip onto the flour-water mixture and glue into the hat, fill every space. Let it dry for at least 24 hours. Paint using two shades of brown color.</blockquote>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjimpv3LntVCsgTESOj9lf0jiYjnJXRD1y68Qhe7uqyASemqza3tOSzLdL-idOWrNrWuSy_5ZEovJv0qI3v344c_BAhpcj-GONj06BfMigNGg-33wb7WSX4lGGA5ZKWCzLpTXZNrjIPCXM/s1600/hat.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="943" data-original-width="1600" height="235" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjimpv3LntVCsgTESOj9lf0jiYjnJXRD1y68Qhe7uqyASemqza3tOSzLdL-idOWrNrWuSy_5ZEovJv0qI3v344c_BAhpcj-GONj06BfMigNGg-33wb7WSX4lGGA5ZKWCzLpTXZNrjIPCXM/s400/hat.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Pinterest inspiration: <a href="https://www.pinterest.com/pin/175358979224700076/">The Sorting Hat</a></span></td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHAE7KGzO09bnZpTFDLkopP0mySTzTzU3nHSz9bfr0r5Ru0VYYSkCA8VcBvne2Y8gjaZqG3OijHvAUYiJqrke8X2CtQ76g8XLetB9sB5zEytkeyyYwtD1WKWhKfwLdvcGlR3TqCJrHDnY/s1600/IMG_20171022_141914_898.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br /><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHAE7KGzO09bnZpTFDLkopP0mySTzTzU3nHSz9bfr0r5Ru0VYYSkCA8VcBvne2Y8gjaZqG3OijHvAUYiJqrke8X2CtQ76g8XLetB9sB5zEytkeyyYwtD1WKWhKfwLdvcGlR3TqCJrHDnY/s320/IMG_20171022_141914_898.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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I'll be honest in saying that as much as I enjoyed doing this project, it took me days before I was able to complete the materials and finish this costume. I was dead tired when I finally completed it but seeing the end product of all my hardwork made everything worth it.</div>
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Presenting Johan's Harry Potter costume, proudly handmade, proudly DIY:</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRNeMSt9iI5cQBTeKltc5jNGVV3g8vXWL1bhklb1q7ZI6eeCvfWhNREYWZ3xt-WeNN4Z6hmEHguzZkQCwTs7uGbBAyLRDTZVuxHtFYx9aPBivRiPSzwba4I6hIWIaxPl1JGP9obpeexEw/s1600/glasses.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="804" data-original-width="1600" height="160" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRNeMSt9iI5cQBTeKltc5jNGVV3g8vXWL1bhklb1q7ZI6eeCvfWhNREYWZ3xt-WeNN4Z6hmEHguzZkQCwTs7uGbBAyLRDTZVuxHtFYx9aPBivRiPSzwba4I6hIWIaxPl1JGP9obpeexEw/s320/glasses.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijwmqc84-iwbx2RrGndiZRi7wfi80QWEksK_v_KfzhWmgYnIW2MFTn9eVe7kbe-AerK1OJAnJZKmlnfbFFKn44neGB-GWRUkG89n3eVJNZwdyaFlQekJupp2Cfrkt_d8hXbj_ik2piQ6I/s1600/robe.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1238" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijwmqc84-iwbx2RrGndiZRi7wfi80QWEksK_v_KfzhWmgYnIW2MFTn9eVe7kbe-AerK1OJAnJZKmlnfbFFKn44neGB-GWRUkG89n3eVJNZwdyaFlQekJupp2Cfrkt_d8hXbj_ik2piQ6I/s400/robe.jpg" width="308" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidnzQC0nVTn73sqExvu8lpMHaoiZQ6xcRikSFVNH34_JB7JMCO-UzTDoZk22umESm4Wzx_4zexb2YIPyK_eCjK3rRNTU-oUwWIvN1P0N1laAiTyrlkyYoLipVdA6XOaR5Dq_d1bjcZ2Gc/s1600/scarf2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1148" data-original-width="1600" height="285" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidnzQC0nVTn73sqExvu8lpMHaoiZQ6xcRikSFVNH34_JB7JMCO-UzTDoZk22umESm4Wzx_4zexb2YIPyK_eCjK3rRNTU-oUwWIvN1P0N1laAiTyrlkyYoLipVdA6XOaR5Dq_d1bjcZ2Gc/s400/scarf2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1nCj5yBkz-cvbXZDY567deZCF-kVoFSWpOxdvcNXDa6cWS8YY8DLGJ9ozNwtcC4BgtRkULk03HbeBps9F9KqbHMTwZXiT29_8_jDxMaqTSpgw2TF0EsD9Wmf7T64-VPLJW4KEvxyUiH8/s1600/wand2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1125" data-original-width="1600" height="280" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1nCj5yBkz-cvbXZDY567deZCF-kVoFSWpOxdvcNXDa6cWS8YY8DLGJ9ozNwtcC4BgtRkULk03HbeBps9F9KqbHMTwZXiT29_8_jDxMaqTSpgw2TF0EsD9Wmf7T64-VPLJW4KEvxyUiH8/s400/wand2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLfZ_SZ6L_gX4PCwRy-xX1dWTAC6QPZ6fCLQdRen7_dO2Dobi_9AOckJaRNHaEoLNp8Fe7Mzroo0Z6AcWzC1-Wdzu4RSEFxwH6Loas1cdTYGlKw8LArv-Hu7_RZ6Zm82UF2q8Y8aNFe2Q/s1600/sorting+hat.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1269" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLfZ_SZ6L_gX4PCwRy-xX1dWTAC6QPZ6fCLQdRen7_dO2Dobi_9AOckJaRNHaEoLNp8Fe7Mzroo0Z6AcWzC1-Wdzu4RSEFxwH6Loas1cdTYGlKw8LArv-Hu7_RZ6Zm82UF2q8Y8aNFe2Q/s400/sorting+hat.jpg" width="316" /></a></div>
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Here's a breakdown of my expenses for this project:</div>
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Robe ------------------- 44 pesos </div>
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Wand ------------------- 31.50 pesos</div>
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Glasses ----------------- 40 pesos </div>
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Sorting Hat ------------ 141.50 pesos </div>
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<b><u>Total -------------------- 257 pesos </u></b></div>
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For a measly 257.00 pesos, I was able to make a Harry Potter costume for Johan. It really is possible not to spend a lot on a costume, it only takes a little creativity and a lot of patience.</div>
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What's even better is, Johan as Harry Potter won third place for the Best in Costume awarding during their school's Halloween activity!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEiOvJud_epjglqmE17aNmNjFr6Zour-M7btD5fL3OjxK9VgACAcW7iPAFwTHb4c9yCi4BQBHTTLMAEO1evFKFgWlmXqCUwStMWokB5C10qKvbF4PZn8_62hy_bSIFDsL40b3Ln0wHDV0/s1600/20171026_145655-01.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1165" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEiOvJud_epjglqmE17aNmNjFr6Zour-M7btD5fL3OjxK9VgACAcW7iPAFwTHb4c9yCi4BQBHTTLMAEO1evFKFgWlmXqCUwStMWokB5C10qKvbF4PZn8_62hy_bSIFDsL40b3Ln0wHDV0/s400/20171026_145655-01.jpeg" width="290" /></a></div>
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Until next Halloween!<br />
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Shirley Mae Taborahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13497690048084886434noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4360886434698065887.post-34892222911821328072017-10-08T19:39:00.002+08:002017-11-25T17:29:48.681+08:00Johan's 7th Birthday SurprisePrior to Johan's birthday, I asked him how he wanted to celebrate. Johan said he wanted a swimming party at the beach. I thought we could go to Boracay but told Johan that if we are to go to the beach, it will be just the four of us since it's going to cost too much if we are to bring mine and hubby's immediate families with us. Johan, who enjoys the company of our immediate families, then said that it's okay to just swim at a pool instead of the beach so we could invite his cousins to join us.<br />
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Then I thought I am going to surprise him. So, I came up with the idea of telling him that everybody had to go somewhere on the day of his birthday and we didn't save enough for a party. Now, usually most kids will throw a tantrum and insist on a party but not Johan. He told me it's okay if we won't have a party, that it's okay if we'll just go to SM, eat at McDonald's and let him and Jeron play in Kidzoona for two hours. Ang bait lang, di ba?<br />
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This is more of a surprise birthday for Johan but since the boys have the same birth month, we decided to celebrate Jeron's birthday as well. I had two cakes made for the boys, a Minecraft themed cake for Johan and a Superhero themed cake for Jeron. My sister made Chocolate covered Oreos with the same themes, decorated the venue with balloons, I made masks and C2 bottle covers and my bestfriend bought paper plates with Minecraft and Super hero designs.<br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://scontent.fmnl3-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t31.0-8/22291185_774327696080273_5356049574468380710_o.jpg?oh=77a5e3de741de5b061fb70d1b1bf9d15&oe=5A8583E9" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="390" data-original-width="800" height="366" src="https://scontent.fmnl3-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t31.0-8/22291185_774327696080273_5356049574468380710_o.jpg?oh=77a5e3de741de5b061fb70d1b1bf9d15&oe=5A8583E9" width="500" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Number 7 Minecraft cake</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://scontent.fmnl3-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t31.0-8/22338924_774328119413564_5655748182068839140_o.jpg?oh=c1ec2a03e0a26e8640c83c522d672fdc&oe=5A765457" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="534" data-original-width="800" height="366" src="https://scontent.fmnl3-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t31.0-8/22338924_774328119413564_5655748182068839140_o.jpg?oh=c1ec2a03e0a26e8640c83c522d672fdc&oe=5A765457" width="500" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Number 3 Superhero cake</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://scontent.fmnl3-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t31.0-8/22256445_774327376080305_8028283357031804486_o.jpg?oh=f52befbe981f3ec5b9fa64b1eb0fe12a&oe=5A7762C2" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="534" data-original-width="800" height="366" src="https://scontent.fmnl3-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t31.0-8/22256445_774327376080305_8028283357031804486_o.jpg?oh=f52befbe981f3ec5b9fa64b1eb0fe12a&oe=5A7762C2" width="500" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My DIY Superhero C2 bottles and my sister's Chocolate covered Oreos</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://scontent.fmnl3-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t31.0-8/22382415_774327029413673_604487612862280_o.jpg?oh=5be96729bfda5868c18df19879e884c3&oe=5A3AD8A4" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="534" data-original-width="800" height="366" src="https://scontent.fmnl3-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t31.0-8/22382415_774327029413673_604487612862280_o.jpg?oh=5be96729bfda5868c18df19879e884c3&oe=5A3AD8A4" width="500" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The superhero masks that I did myself</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Minecraft masks</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Balloon decoration c/o my sister, brother and their families</td></tr>
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On the day of the party, I had to make up a story to convince Johan that he needed to cover his eyes. So, I told him of this imaginary meeting that "I will be having with my boss" which is going to be held at a "top secret" place that he is not allowed to see so he needs to have his eyes covered or "I will lose my job".<br />
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He bought the story so off we went to <a href="https://www.facebook.com/nicayarenlakefrontresort/">Nicayeren Lakefront Resort</a>, which looks awesome, by the way.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The resort</td></tr>
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As we are nearing the resort, I instructed Johan to put on his eye cover. Since we arrived earlier than some of the guests, we had to keep Johan blindfolded inside a room while we waited for everybody else.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Me and Johan as we arrived at the resort</td></tr>
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When all guests have arrived, I guided Johan out of the room and to the pavilion where the surprise will be held.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My immediate family wearing masks</td></tr>
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Everybody was silent as I and Johan made our way to the pavilion. As soon as Johan was positioned in front of them, I told him to remove his blindfold.</div>
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The look of surprise on his face is priceless! Birthday surprise achieved! </div>
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I am so grateful to everybody who made this possible - my sister Lhai for always, always doing the decorations and baked goodies for the kids' events, my bestfriend and her husband Bong for helping me book the resort and being our photographer of the day, my friend Lyn for baking the cakes and meeting up with me so early on a Saturday morning, my husband's brother and his family taking a leave off work to attend the party and the rest of my family for helping us out with the decors, meal pledges, food prep and clean up. </div>
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Above everything else, thank you everybody for always being there for my boys, for spoiling them with the presents you know they both wanted to receive and for celebrating with us. Johan cannot stop talking about finally getting a Skateboard, a guitar so he can start learning and upload videos to YouTube, new shoes because his current ones are getting tight, a billiard table which he can play with Jeron when "he's a little bigger" and a remote controlled truck that he had always wanted. But more than the material things, he is also thankful for all the fun he had swimming and playing with everybody. This is core memory for him, so thank you so, so much!</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Johan and Jeron with their presents</td></tr>
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For inquiries on who took our great photos, who baked our awesome cakes and the beautiful place where we celebrated, here are the links:</div>
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Cakes: <a href="https://www.facebook.com/marilyn.magdasoc">Gai Magdasoc</a><br />
Photography: <a href="https://www.facebook.com/Imagine.Limitless/">Imagine Limitless Photo Service</a><br />
Venue: <a href="https://www.facebook.com/nicayarenlakefrontresort/">Nicayeren Lakefront Resort</a><br />
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From the bottom of our hearts, thank you, thank you!<br />
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Shirley Mae Taborahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13497690048084886434noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4360886434698065887.post-65418032886010188492017-10-03T23:01:00.000+08:002017-11-25T17:30:05.222+08:00Our Kidzania Manila ExperienceA year ago, my cousins and I planned a trip to Kidzania Manila. Everybody enjoyed the experience, even the adults so we planned another trip this year and hopefully it will be an annual bonding thing for the kids and us.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">August 2016 - Their first Kidzania Trip</td></tr>
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This year, my husband wasn't able to come since he had to stay home with Jeron, who is still too young for Kidzania. So, Johan and I rode a van to Alabang to meet up with my cousin's family and we all went together to Kidzania.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Johan while waiting</td></tr>
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We agreed to meet with the rest of our relatives at 9 am so we could all have a heavy breakfast to energize us for an entire day of fun. The kids are getting pretty hyped up, so as soon as everybody's done with their meals, off we went to Kidzania.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">2nd and 3rd generations of Barangay Tan</td></tr>
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We went on a Sunday, September 17, 2017. The lines to the check in counters were not that long when we went in. We were immediately assisted to a counter where everybody were given RFID bracelets. Each child and his/her guardian will be given matching RFID bracelets and Kidzania will not allow a child to leave the premises without the registered guardian.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">RFID bracelets</td></tr>
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Kidzania is really huge and it's so easy to get lost so I suggest you get a map and familiarize yourself with all the attractions and their locations. Johan could not decide which attraction to do first.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">He's better at map reading than I am</td></tr>
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He already experienced how to be a Fireman and a Pilot the first time that we went there so those two were off his list this time. We went up the stairs and passed by the Clean Energy Conservation. He got so interested with all the knobs and buttons that he decided to make it his first activity.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">On the job trainee for Energy Conservation</td></tr>
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There are a lot of attractions in Kidzania where the kids will learn food preparation. Johan and his cousins already tried Goldilocks last year where they personalized some Mamons, his cousins were able to try Yellowcab this year and they all got the pizzas that they made. Johan was not interested in making pizza so we skipped that. But he and his cousin, Jared went to Magnolia to learn how ice cream is made.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://scontent.fmnl7-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/21740405_10210227399027675_6062592416368703774_n.jpg?oh=f1840d2382fe9690bffc581d8fedb08a&oe=5A4DD10E" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://scontent.fmnl7-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/21740405_10210227399027675_6062592416368703774_n.jpg?oh=f1840d2382fe9690bffc581d8fedb08a&oe=5A4DD10E" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Johan and Jared enjoying their ice cream</td></tr>
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It was so hard keeping up with everybody because the kids have different interests! There were a few times that we bumped with the rest of our group but most times it was just me and Johan walking around until we find an activity that interests him. The driving area at the Shell Gas Station is always a hit with the kids, there will always be a line to this attraction and Johan patiently waited in line to try this again.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Driving at the Shell Station</td></tr>
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He experienced being a painter last year so for this trip he decided to try how to be a builder instead. For this activity they were given foam bricks to put up.<br />
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Another great attraction is the Oishi station. I think these two enjoyed it mostly because of the free taste of Oishi products! According to Johan, they were asked to come up with a new Oishi product and they have to present it the staff for approval before they launch the new product.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Brainstorming</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Presenting their own Oishi product</td></tr>
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I would have wanted him to do this with his cousins but they were nowhere in sight. So, Johan and some other kids formed a band and recorded a song. I was even given a free CD of their recording!</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My drummer</td></tr>
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We've been going back and forth the Milo Clinic attraction to catch the Basketball training but every time we went there it was either we missed it or we were too early. Finally, we were able to catch the last Basketball schedule of the day. It was Johan's last activity for but definitely the most memorable one because their team won!</div>
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This Kidzania trip was tiring but seeing the kids having fun while learning makes the the entire day of walking so worth it. I hope we could all commit to making this an annual bonding activity for the kids and the younger cousins can come join the older ones next time.</div>
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Here are more happy pictures from that day:</div>
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If you are planning a Kidzania trip, let me share some tips:<br />
<ol>
<li>Check Kidzania Manila's Facebook page or their website for current promos. We were able to avail of their August promo of Buy Two, Take Two. This promo allows you to pay for just two kid tickets and two companions come in for free. For our trip, we saved P4,620 worth of adult tickets because of this promo.</li>
<li>Go there all days of the week except Saturdays. Why not Saturday? This is because on Saturdays, there are two shifts in Kidzania: 9am-2pm and 3pm-8pm, so you only have 5 hours to tour Kidzania on Saturdays whereas during the rest of the week there is only one shift so you get to enjoy Kidzania for 7 hours!</li>
<li>Leave your water bottles, selfie sticks and snacks at home. Kidzania will not allow you to bring in these items anyway. There are food concessionaires inside Kidzania where you can buy snacks, beverages and meals. </li>
<li>Make your kids and yourself wear comfortable shoes and clothing. You will be walking a lot while inside and bear in mind that some activities will require kids to wear sports shoes with laces, knee length or ankle length pants. Better read up on each activity requirements on the Kidzania Manila website prior to your visit.</li>
<li>Avail of a Kidzania Pazzport as soon as you come in. The pazzport will make your kids Naturalized Citizens. Naturalized CitiZens receive a stamp on their PaZZport for each activity they complete, earn additional 2 kidZos for each salaried activity, pay less 5 kidZos when they redeem items at the Department Store, and enjoy 5% off at the National Store.</li>
<li>Finally, have a Zaz time at Kidzania! </li>
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For more information visit the following:</div>
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<a href="http://manila.kidzania.com/en-ph">Kidzania Manila</a></div>
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<a href="https://www.facebook.com/KidZaniaManila/">Kidzania Manila Facebook Page</a></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We are definitely coming back!</td></tr>
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Z-U again next time, Kidzania!</div>
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<img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg85Olwlg0E5GgOrGNO8AmImjiuCSIiOfHk7qrvdmAiyQR4qa4ySmDBsZo4T9Ksg3TDRGM3NdnpU4ncSvKjhRTzZlJK9uQJGmR0Q8XVEtyPmCIQDwRTC7eGWDWUKoKe696DV0IAZaBewUc/s350/1407478387774.png" /></div>
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Shirley Mae Taborahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13497690048084886434noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4360886434698065887.post-6244079641148305632017-09-02T09:08:00.000+08:002017-09-02T09:17:35.435+08:00On Teaching Kids What to DoEarlier this week, I experienced one of the greatest fears of parenthood. A stranger tried to convince Johan to go with him.<br />
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It was on Tuesday night as we were preparing for bed when Johan said he needed to tell me something. He then proceeded to say that there is this one tricycle driver who is so annoying and kept talking to him in school. Our conversation went like this:<br />
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<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<b>Johan: </b>Mom, there is this guy who is so annoying.<br />
<b>Mom: </b>Who was the guy?<br />
<b>Johan:</b> He is a tricycle driver, a service of a girl from school.<br />
<b>Mom:</b> Why is he annoying?<br />
<b>Johan:</b> He keeps on telling me to come with him to McDo and Burger King, He'll buy me burger. Sometimes he says he'll bring me to the canteen and I can buy anything I want.</blockquote>
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At this point, my very sleepy self was suddenly alert and all ears to his story.<br />
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<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<b>Mom: </b>Who is the guy, where were you while he was talking to you? Was he inside the school? Did you get out of the gate?<br />
<b>Johan:</b> No, I was inside, The guy was outside the gate waiting for the student. He was speaking to me thru the gate.<br />
<b>Mom:</b> What did you do?<br />
<b>Johan:</b> I just stay inside my classroom and wait for Kuya Amang to pick me up. (Kuya Amang is his service driver)<br />
<b>Mom:</b> Does this annoying guy always talk to you?<br />
<b>Johan:</b> Yes, everyday. He keeps on asking me to come with him to McDo and Burger King. That's why I just wait inside my classroom so the guy won't see me and sometimes I just run to Kuya Amang if I see this guy.</blockquote>
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I was in panic and messaged my husband on Facebook and relayed to him what Johan just told me. We were both fearful for Johan's safety and decided that the Yaya will again accompany Johan to and from school. Yaya will talk to the school admin the next day and I will do it again on Thursday when I go to school for Johan's Buwan ng Wika presentation.<br />
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While me and the husband were planning what to do, I remembered to ask Johan:<br />
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<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<b>Mom:</b> Why didn't you go with the guy to McDo? Di ba you liked going there for the chicken?<br />
<b>Johan:</b> Because the guy is a stranger and I am not supposed to talk to strangers di ba, Mom?</blockquote>
Great job, Johan!<br />
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Anyway, as planned, Yaya went to school with Johan the next day and informed the school admin and the guard on duty what happened. She also waited for the annoying guy during dismissal and it turned out that the guy used to be the same tricycle driver that serviced them a few times the previous year and Johan just didn't remember it was him.<br />
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It was relief to know that the annoying guy was not really a stranger but I am more at peace knowing my son is smart enough to remember what he taught him and to not speak to people he does not know.<br />
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This is why it is necessary to keep on reminding our kids not to talk to strangers, paulit ulit kahit makulitan sila. Times are different now, evil people are everywhere and we just cannot sit back and assume our kids know what to do. We have to teach them and prepare them.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioI8fAevoyPbBba3eGYYz89q_WLk5WguIraiggxVRgB2p1Fvgw94ew_no6PQTxhtS3Fn5Num5BS50v1uGy6BrKOyjuTSjvjfiqAF4qDEARgjkyGq2cp4rlBA05dUpt8OjASCxjiB0jCG8/s1600/1stgrade.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="960" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioI8fAevoyPbBba3eGYYz89q_WLk5WguIraiggxVRgB2p1Fvgw94ew_no6PQTxhtS3Fn5Num5BS50v1uGy6BrKOyjuTSjvjfiqAF4qDEARgjkyGq2cp4rlBA05dUpt8OjASCxjiB0jCG8/s320/1stgrade.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg85Olwlg0E5GgOrGNO8AmImjiuCSIiOfHk7qrvdmAiyQR4qa4ySmDBsZo4T9Ksg3TDRGM3NdnpU4ncSvKjhRTzZlJK9uQJGmR0Q8XVEtyPmCIQDwRTC7eGWDWUKoKe696DV0IAZaBewUc/s350/1407478387774.png" />Shirley Mae Taborahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13497690048084886434noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4360886434698065887.post-5190758708035202682017-09-01T19:30:00.001+08:002017-09-01T19:30:13.846+08:00Recipe: Ginataang Sitaw at Kalabasa and Crispy Fried LiempoGusto ko na magbagong buhay and maging typical wife na marunong magluto. My sister recommended the <a href="https://www.facebook.com/panlasangpinoy/?ref=br_rs">Panlasang Pinoy Facebook page</a> for recipes as these are fairly easy to follow. Upon browsing the page, natakam ako sa Ginataang Sitaw at Kalabasa.<br />
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So, early Saturday morning, I went off to our neighborhood talipapa to get all the ingredients. I was deciding what to partner Ginataang Kalabasa with - Fried Fish or Pork. We had Fried Galunggong the previous weekend, so Fried Pork it is. I am using the recipe that my sister shared with me. I will also be including prices of the ingredients with this post.<br />
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Here goes:<br />
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<b>Crispy Fried Liempo</b><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjamo5VM-yYMgdx1oGWgpHnvg_P3vV1P1hEMqKik_pNvXoPsf2eeYm2lL9_6-ct1lJS5JkrjlVkF6FYdUAI4X9Oc0NmnjmS4D2BLUiwgDL7U21-_a1VDXIAiSn64u4LhuhncpD1TdUDI7I/s1600/liempo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="918" data-original-width="918" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjamo5VM-yYMgdx1oGWgpHnvg_P3vV1P1hEMqKik_pNvXoPsf2eeYm2lL9_6-ct1lJS5JkrjlVkF6FYdUAI4X9Oc0NmnjmS4D2BLUiwgDL7U21-_a1VDXIAiSn64u4LhuhncpD1TdUDI7I/s320/liempo.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<b><u>Ingredients:</u></b><br />
Cooking Oil<br />
2 packs Laurel Leaves<br />
Garlic<br />
Salt<br />
Whole Pepper<br />
3/4k Pork Liempo<br />
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<b><u>Procedure:</u></b><br />
I got three slabs of Pork Liempo from the market, asked the manong to chop into three slices per slab. Put all slices in a pan and boil together with 2 packs of Laurel Leaves, salt and pepper. Boil until meat is tender. Take out the meat and let dry. Once the meat is dry, rub each side with salt and pepper and fry until golden brown.<br />
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<b>Expenses:</b><br />
<i>I only have to buy the following since I have the rest of the ingredients in stock.</i><br />
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Laurel leaves ........................ 4 php (2 php/pack)<br />
Garlic .................................... 5 php<br />
3/4k Pork Liempo ................. 135 php (180 php/kilo)<br />
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Total: 144 pesos<br />
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<b>Ginataang Sitaw at Kalabasa</b><br />
<i>For the full recipe, please proceed to the Panlasang Pinoy website <a href="http://panlasangpinoy.com/2015/11/10/pork-ginataan-with-squash-and-string-beans/">here</a>.</i><br />
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<i><br /></i><b><u>
Ingredients:</u></b><br />
3 Squash slices, cubed<br />
1 bundle String Beans, cut into 2 inch pieces<br />
1/4 k Pork, cubed<br />
1 cup Beef broth or pinaghugasan ng bigas<br />
2 cups Coconut Milk<br />
1 1/2 tsp minced Garlic<br />
1 medium Yellow Onion, sliced<br />
Cooking Oil<br />
Ground Black Pepper<br />
2 Tbsps Shrimp Paste (I used the Sweet Chili variant of Barrio Fiesta)<br />
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<b><u>Procedure:</u></b><br />
Saute the garlic and onion. Add the ground black pepper, stir and add the pork. Cook the pork until color turns to light brown. Since I didn't have Beef Broth at the time, I used the 1st pinaghugasan ng bigas water, pour this onto the pork and let it boil. Add the coconut milk. Stir and allow to boil once more. Cover and cook until the pork gets tender. Add the squash. Stir and cook for 8 to 10 minutes. Add the shrimp paste and stir. Add the string beans. Cover and cook for 3 to 5 minutes.<br />
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<b>Expenses:</b><br />
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Squash slices .................... 30 php (10 php/slice)<br />
String Beans ..................... 10 php<br />
1/4k Pork .......................... 45 php<br />
Coconut ............................ 20 php<br />
Garlic ................................ 5 php<br />
Onion ................................ 5 php<br />
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Total: 110 pesos<br />
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And the verdict? The kids loved the Fried Pork, well they like all things fried anyway. But the husband, though nonverbal, looked like he enjoyed the Ginataang Sitaw at Kalabasa. I noticed that he got another batch when he finished the first and he even ate the same thing for dinner! Yay, success!<br />
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My realization here is kaya ko naman pala and there really is no harm in trying. Plus, I enjoyed my short trip to the market ha. Ang saya mamalengke! But, the greatest joy here is seeing my family enjoying the meal that I prepared for them. Mauulit ito talaga!<br />
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<img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg85Olwlg0E5GgOrGNO8AmImjiuCSIiOfHk7qrvdmAiyQR4qa4ySmDBsZo4T9Ksg3TDRGM3NdnpU4ncSvKjhRTzZlJK9uQJGmR0Q8XVEtyPmCIQDwRTC7eGWDWUKoKe696DV0IAZaBewUc/s350/1407478387774.png" /><br />
<br />Shirley Mae Taborahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13497690048084886434noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4360886434698065887.post-31508438477654797272017-08-17T21:14:00.001+08:002017-08-17T21:22:51.601+08:00Johan's First Quarter Exam ResultsI've been sleepless for days leading up to Johan's exams week because I have been preparing reviewers for him. Since Nursery, we have been struggling with his Filipino lessons and now that he is in First Grade, we are having difficulty not just with one Filipino subject but with three subjects - Filipino, Araling Panlipunan and Mother Tongue.<br />
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Imagine how stressful it was to think of techniques on how to improve his Filipino vocabulary, on how I will make him understand what <i>pangngalan, katinig, patinig, pangungusap</i> mean. I never thought we would struggle this much in school.<br />
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We spent three days studying for his nine subjects and concentrated on the three he is having the most difficulty with. Math has always been his strongest one, English is quite easy, Science is average while the new ones like Values Formation, Computer and MAPEH were fairly easy to review. We mainly spent more time with the Filipino ones.</div>
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I thought he's ready to take the exams and I was hoping he'd get good grades. The results came out today and it came as no surprise that he did very well in Math, the rest of the subjects got good grades but the three Filipino subjects just showed how much Johan needs more guidance. </div>
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After all those sleepless nights and hours we spent reviewing, his grades are below my expectations. He did not get failing grades but I know that he can do better. I don't want to pressure him too much about getting very high grades but I don't want him to get low grades either. We tried so hard studying his lessons but I guess, we need to do more next time. Right now, I am frustrated, tired and dispirited. </div>
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I am being too hard on myself as usual. It's a relief that I have a bestfriend who I can talk to anytime and air out my grievances without judging how being unreasonable I am.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Kahit madalas luka-luka tong babaeng to, may sense naman sya paminsan-minsan</td></tr>
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First quarter exams may be over but we still have three more quarters left. We will try harder on the coming months and we will not give up until <i>MATATAS NG MANAGALOG SI JOHAN. </i></div>
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Shirley Mae Taborahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13497690048084886434noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4360886434698065887.post-55363333627608004642017-08-05T08:18:00.000+08:002017-08-05T08:18:37.463+08:00Kita Kita: Unexpectedly Good (A Movie Review)<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">credits: <a href="https://www.facebook.com/KitaKitaTheMovie/">Kita Kita</a></td></tr>
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The movie is now on its third week and it is only today that I got to see it together with my sister. All the people I know who have seen Kita Kita have nothing negative to comment, they are all praises for the movie and the actors. I'm so glad that we chose to watch it in the movie house instead of watching online through the link that trended the other day. I paid a measly 181 pesos for my movie ticket and I tell you, I would have gladly paid more than that for Kita Kita. It is that good and here are some reasons why I am gushing about Lea and Tonyo: <i>*some spoilers included so if you haven't watched the movie yet, stop reading now*</i><br />
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<li>Alessandra is phenomenal. The first time that I watched her was in <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0224832/">Azucena</a>, way back in college when we needed to watch it for movie review. Even then, I saw her potential, she is a great actress at her early age. Ang galing lang ng mga mata nya. Here in Kita Kita, the scene where her fiance stood her up for their anniversary and she took a photo by herself in a photo booth, ramdam mo sa mga mata nya na may pinagdadaanan sya. </li>
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<li>Empoy was surprisingly great. I only saw this guy in a few TV appearances, I find his jokes okay but not enough for me to pay for a movie. In all honesty, he is the reason why I was hesitant to watch Kita Kita. I don't know the guy, his kind of humor is just normal for me, nothing fancy. But, gosh, that normal, nothing fancy thing is why this movie is earning a lot to this day. Empoy is so natural that I would like to believe some scenes where Alessandra is laughing is not acting anymore, I believe she is laughing in real life because Empoy is unmistakably funny. Sobra, first scene pa lang na pinakita sya tumatawa na kami. I'm glad to be proven wrong on how I see this guy. Ang laki ng ikinagwapo nya sa movie na to!</li>
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<li>The script, I have no words. Not the typical, commercialized Rom-Com that I was used to watching - I love Popoy and Basha, Laida and Miggy - but Lea and Tonyo's story is a different genre. Kalmado the entire movie, walang rollercoaster of intense emotions. I felt warmth the entire time that we were watching it. Gusto kong mag slow clap for Kita Kita director and screenwriter Sigrid Bernardo. \</li>
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<li>The setting. Sapporo, Japan is never heard of, at least for me. The movie depicted the town as a peaceful, laid back place. I liked that the movie did not use a setting that is too well known. Sapporo is just perfect for the flow of the movie - tahimik, malalim. </li>
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<li>The twists and turns of the story is clever. Nung nagback track na how Tonyo met Lea, ang warm talaga sa pakiramdam. May lungkot but not naman to the point na hahagulgol ka, lungkot na tipong reminiscing lang of the good old times ang pakiramdam ko and panghihinayang. I said before no rollercoaster of intense emotions, hindi sobrang lungkot hindi sobrang saya. Tama lang talaga ang timpla.</li>
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<li> I've heard reviews saying the movie's ending is not that good. It was unexpected yes, kasi ang una kong naisip "Ay, tapos na? Yun na yun?". Very abrupt kasi nag black screen bigla but it was okay for me. Lea lost Tonyo, she looked back at all their good times, cried for her loss, the end. There's nothing much to say after that and ayoko naman na like most Rom-Com's pahahabain pa ang istorya for the sake of humaba lang. </li>
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<li>The song Two Less Lonely People in the World. I am not a fan of cheesy lovesongs. Highschool pa ata ako nung huli kong nagustuhan yung mga ganyan but KZ Tandingan's version of the song added a different flavor. Ang ganda ng areglo, ang ganda ng boses nya. It was on repeat on my Spotify on my way home from watching the movie and now as I am writing this post. Listen here: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IZU20vuYDW0">Two Less Lonely People in the World by KZ Tandingan</a></li>
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<li> Alessandra and Empoy together. What an unlikely pair. They are the perfect unfits. I did not expect the two of them to have chemistry - ang ganda ni Alessandra, ang simple ni Empoy, ang lalim ng acting ni Alex, very comical si Empoy. One balances the other and their tandem is one reason why this movie is a success. </li>
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I only have great things to say about the movie, I cannot think of a single thing na hindi ko nagustuhan. Their gross earnings of 230M on their second week is proof enough that this movie is not your ordinary Pinoy rom-com. I hope more people will watch it and pay for it instead of just watching through the pirated ones uploaded online. Give credit where credit is due and Kita Kita is worth the credit. Let's pay for movies like these so that more producers will invest on quality Filipino movies. </div>
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Go watch Kita Kita, hindi ka magsisi, promise!</div>
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Shirley Mae Taborahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13497690048084886434noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4360886434698065887.post-19260796037705510332017-08-03T20:34:00.000+08:002017-08-03T20:34:23.899+08:00The Struggle to be a Good Mom<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<i>1,2,3,4,5....</i><br />
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I failed. I shouted again at my two kids aged 6 and 2 years old. This happened one evening this week when I just arrived home from work and upon checking my 6 year old's school diary, I found out that I still need to prepare for project materials that are needed the next day. And to think that I just did the same thing for 3 other subjects the previous night. I had to cram - turn on the laptop, do some research, print, gather the materials - all of that while the 2 year old is crying and the older one is being his usual rowdy self running around the house teasing his little brother.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>The long list of school project materials of my first grader</i></td></tr>
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I've had it. It has been a stressful week with both kids being sick, me with very little sleep and school assignments and projects piling up. That particular night, I was tired and hungry and wet from the rain. So, I lost it. My meltdown was so bad, I was screaming for at least five minutes at my two sick boys, begging them to shut up.<br />
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I was a bad mom at that moment. There was no doubt about it and nothing, not even my lack of sleep, is reason enough for me to behave that way.<br />
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I'm struggling to apply positive parenting but fails each and every time. I can't do it. The pressure at work, the clingy youngest kid and the loud eldest kid gets to my nerves and I shout. I was never a yeller. My husband even noticed this, he told one time "You were very patient when we first met but since the kids arrive, you became short-tempered and you get mad easily."<br />
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What happened?<br />
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Work, traffic, house chores, yaya problems, demanding first grade school stuff, active toddler. Those are what happened and the reasons why I am such a lousy mom these past few days.<br />
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I have to remind myself that the kids are watching, whatever I say and do will be mimicked by two boys, they might think my behavior is normal. I have to be mindful of my actions and how it will affect my kids.<br />
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Also, I should never forget that all of these are temporary anyway. The kids will grow up and soon I will be left with a clean house, no more assignments to help with, no more loud kids to shush.<br />
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I've got a long way to go but for now, I'll just take this one day at a time, let these kids be kids, take a deep breath and be grateful that I survived yet another day.<br />
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<img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg85Olwlg0E5GgOrGNO8AmImjiuCSIiOfHk7qrvdmAiyQR4qa4ySmDBsZo4T9Ksg3TDRGM3NdnpU4ncSvKjhRTzZlJK9uQJGmR0Q8XVEtyPmCIQDwRTC7eGWDWUKoKe696DV0IAZaBewUc/s350/1407478387774.png" />Shirley Mae Taborahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13497690048084886434noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4360886434698065887.post-81705753993903437962017-07-30T09:41:00.000+08:002017-07-30T09:41:41.197+08:00My Life with Boys<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLBtVQFFCMJiTSbXpdMmMh0-Nt-6xxJd58LMU_nRqOmPqJBRhcX57byeV5RuTH7EKEy-lbavsJEUNa4NlKXN2N3gYYAdSO6X1g8eSreel6w1eroQdvi8gEHlYqWsXnbHgbcUkEV5otHy0/s1600/13603279_1399122616770955_6809703139606641542_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1278" data-original-width="852" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLBtVQFFCMJiTSbXpdMmMh0-Nt-6xxJd58LMU_nRqOmPqJBRhcX57byeV5RuTH7EKEy-lbavsJEUNa4NlKXN2N3gYYAdSO6X1g8eSreel6w1eroQdvi8gEHlYqWsXnbHgbcUkEV5otHy0/s400/13603279_1399122616770955_6809703139606641542_o.jpg" width="266" /></a></div>
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It's 2017, 3 years since my last post. Saying that life has been busy is an understatement! Life has been more than busy since 2014 - it's been tiring, hectic, tiring again. But beyond the tired there is also happiness and love.</div>
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Before I gave birth to Jeron, my constant fear was will I have enough love for two boys. I felt then that I have given Johan all the love there is to give that I don't have any left for a second child. Oh how mistaken I was! As soon as Jeron came it felt as if my heart has expanded to double it's size and I have more than enough love for my boys. How amazing a human heart really is!</div>
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Being a mom of two has been busy add to that the fact that I have a full time day job. As soon as I arrive home, my boys, both excited to see me, will be all over me. Johan will be talking nonstop about how his day went while Jeron will just be too clingy and won't let me out of his sight. Believe me, I used to want this much attention when I was younger but there are days when I dream to have a quiet moment of rest after a day at the office. </div>
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That is the reason why it took me a long time to blog again. I've been busy - with motherhood, with work, with life. But Jeron is turning three in October, he has started learning to play with his Kuya which gives me a little more time of solitude. Right now, they're both nursing a fever, I have just sprayed the room with disinfectant and we are in the living room watching Disney Jr. </div>
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So maybe this is the continuation of my blogging life. Hopefully. :)</div>
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<img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg85Olwlg0E5GgOrGNO8AmImjiuCSIiOfHk7qrvdmAiyQR4qa4ySmDBsZo4T9Ksg3TDRGM3NdnpU4ncSvKjhRTzZlJK9uQJGmR0Q8XVEtyPmCIQDwRTC7eGWDWUKoKe696DV0IAZaBewUc/s350/1407478387774.png" />Shirley Mae Taborahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13497690048084886434noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4360886434698065887.post-74273237298766756342014-10-28T14:22:00.001+08:002014-10-28T14:25:22.096+08:00Our Second Little Miracle - Jeron MiguelI have been very vocal about this being a difficult pregnancy. It has been an almost nine months of bedrest for me, numerous preterm contractions and subchorionic hemorrhage. I took all of those quite easily - when my doctor advised me to be on bedrest during the second trimester and told me that it would last until I give birth, I was pretty much okay with it. Anything for the baby.<br />
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Then come August 30, a routine ultrasound showed that my amniotic fluid is high and my doctor diagnosed it to be <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polyhydramnios">Polyhydroamnios</a>. I was asked to do a Fasting Blood Sugar test to determine if my glucose level is high causing the amniotic fluid to be excessive. The test yielded a negative result. My glucose is within the normal limits. </div>
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On September 13, we came back to the hospital and did another ultrasound. That was the day that I literally broke down in front of my doctor, my firstborn and my husband. The ultrasound result showed that the baby had a minimal edema on both the head and the abdomen. I was very scared for the baby and the first thing that entered my mind was my baby might have Hydrocephalus. I cried at my doctor's clinic, I cried when I saw my cousin, I cried in the car while talking to my sister on the phone, I cried when we arrived home. It was a very scary thought and I cannot accept it.</div>
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I only told a few relatives and few trusted friends about the result. I posted prayers and motivational quotes on Instagram and Facebook without explaining fully what we were going through at the time. My husband and I rarely talked about it at home, I guess we were both scared. I asked prayers from friends and family, my husband gave up smoking as his own sacrifice for the baby's health.</div>
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I was scheduled to undergo a Congenital Anomaly Scan to really determine the condition of the baby. On the day of the scan, the Perinatologist decided to do a Biophysical Profile Score instead as it was already far along in my pregnancy and the Congenital Anomaly Scan won't be as beneficial as when it is done at 20 weeks.</div>
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The first thing that the Perinatologist told us was that the edema on both the head and abdomen was less pronounced. We all breathed a sigh of relief after hearing that but the next question that my doctor asked me almost gave me a nervous breakdown, "Do you have a history of Down Syndrome?". The ultrasound showed the baby having a thickened tissue around the nape area and according to the doctors this is one of the symptoms of Down Syndrome.</div>
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I was once again scared for the baby. I started reading through forums about Down Syndrome and searched for support groups when I realized that I am already acting as if my baby has Down Syndrome when it was not diagnosed yet. I changed my way of thinking, I tried to keep a positive attitude, claiming that my son will not have Down Syndrome and that he will be born in the best of health. I prayed a lot. Family and friends prayed with me.</div>
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I was asked to return for another ultrasound to check if the thickened tissue on the nape of the baby worsened or lessened. The Perinatologist didn't see the same thickness on the nape area, my son's face looked normal on the ultrasound, the edema on the head and abdomen looked like just fat. But still, she could not rule out Down Syndrome until the baby is born. So she advised us to stop researching, stop stressing out, keep praying and just wait until the birth of the baby. And that's what we all did.</div>
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On October 18, the supposed final check up before I give birth via scheduled CS on the 24th, I was hooked up to a machine to monitor possible contractions. It turned out that I was already having contractions and they are pretty close. My doctor then decided that I will be delivering our second child that day. I asked if my husband can go inside the operating room with me, I was thinking what if the baby has Down Syndrome, I don't know how I will react. I need somebody there for support. Unfortunately, family is still not allowed inside the operating room. So it was just me, my doctor, an array of other medical practitioners and my prayers who went inside the operating room.</div>
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Little did I know that my family already arrived at the delivery room's waiting area, all ready to offer their support should we face our fears regarding the baby's condition. They are all there ready to welcome our second son.</div>
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At 12:50 in the afternoon of October 18, I delivered our second son, Jeron Miguel. All of our prayers were answered! He did not have any congenital condition, his head and his abdomen are both okay, he is a healthy young boy! </div>
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Thank you to the doctors and nurses of the Metropolitan Medical Center for the superb job of taking care of me and Jeron during our stay, our deepest gratitude to my OB-Gyne, Dra. Eva Macababbad for being the dedicated and great doctor that she is but most especially for being a friend during the times that we were all worried about Jeron's condition and finally, thank you to everyone who prayed for our family to be strong, to keep the faith and to keep on believing. Prayers do move mountains and truly there is nothing impossible with God.</div>
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Shirley Mae Taborahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13497690048084886434noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4360886434698065887.post-58588270829730765022014-08-08T14:13:00.001+08:002014-08-08T14:13:10.990+08:00Thoughts on a Baby Girl<div xmlns='http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml'>I'm on the 27th week with our second baby and it's been anything but a walk in the park. Being on bedrest almost since the beginning is something that I did not expect. I even sent a message to my doctor when she first advised me to stay in bed, "Bedrest, meaning?". I guess I was in denial that I will be tied to the bed the entire pregnancy.<br/>
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On my 23rd week, we found out that we're having another baby boy. I prepped myself for weeks. I wanted a baby girl but I told myself that it's okay if we will be given another boy. But when we were told of the gender, I had to ask again in disbelief, "What? It's a boy?".<br/>
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Am I disappointed? Maybe just a bit. I just thought how nice it is to dress up a baby girl and how much cheaper their clothes and shoes are compared to boys'. But, when I am reminded of how sweet Johan is to me, how he constantly hugs me and kisses me and tells me I'm his bestfriend, there is no doubt that I welcome this new baby boy with all my heart.<br/>
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I've been told by family and friends to try again to have a baby girl after I give birth. But after going through this difficult, complicated and nerve-wracking pregnancy, I don't think I would be physically and emotionally prepared to go through it again. The risks are high that I don't think it's worth giving it another try.<br/>
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But then there are times when I wonder, "Will I regret not having a baby girl? Am I being selfish for not allowing my husband experience the joys of having a daddy's little girl?".<br/>
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For now, the answer is no. I am decided that this will be my last pregnancy. I don't want to go through everything all over again. There are factors to consider - my age, my health, our financial capacity, who will take care of the kids when I return to working, what if we tried and it turns out to be another boy instead of a girl, do we keep trying? <br/>
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I guess we will have to wait and see but as of now I only want to reach full term, deliver a healthy baby boy and prepare myself for more mess, more trucks and balls and cars, more ninja moves, more power rangers dialogue and more hugs, kisses and I love yous from another little man. <br/>
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<a href='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg85Olwlg0E5GgOrGNO8AmImjiuCSIiOfHk7qrvdmAiyQR4qa4ySmDBsZo4T9Ksg3TDRGM3NdnpU4ncSvKjhRTzZlJK9uQJGmR0Q8XVEtyPmCIQDwRTC7eGWDWUKoKe696DV0IAZaBewUc/s2560/1407478387774.png' onblur='try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}'><img border='0' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg85Olwlg0E5GgOrGNO8AmImjiuCSIiOfHk7qrvdmAiyQR4qa4ySmDBsZo4T9Ksg3TDRGM3NdnpU4ncSvKjhRTzZlJK9uQJGmR0Q8XVEtyPmCIQDwRTC7eGWDWUKoKe696DV0IAZaBewUc/s350/1407478387774.png' style='display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;'/></a></div>Shirley Mae Taborahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13497690048084886434noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4360886434698065887.post-33878981444631701042014-08-04T21:36:00.001+08:002014-08-04T21:36:50.787+08:00Pregnancy Update - 27 Weeks<div xmlns='http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml'>Last Saturday, we went back to my OB Gyn for a follow up. I've been put to bedrest for more than a month already due to threatened abortion. I am constantly having pelvic bone pains and whenever we see my OB, contractions happen.<br/>
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It wasn't any different last Saturday. Premature contractions were felt by my OB, my pelvic bone pain is still there. It looks like I won't be able to go back to work prior to delivery. My doctor even wanted me to have myself admitted to the hospital but we had to decline because my HMO does not have coverage for anything pregnancy related and we're currently a single-income household since I have used up all my leaves so we have limited funds as of the moment.<br/>
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I know that I should refrain myself from thinking and worrying too much but there are days when I just cannot help it. The anxiety on baby number two's condition sometimes is just too much to bear. I even need four doses of steroid shots by Wednesday to aid the development of the baby's lungs and several laboratory tests to take. Add to that the financial burden that my husband is carrying alone and knowing that he's physically and mentally tired of taking care of mine and Johan's needs makes it even harder not to worry. <br/>
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When I was pregnant with Johan, his stuff were already complete before I reached 30 weeks. Now, we haven't bought anything yet for the baby. Aside from financial restraints, the fear of miscarriage is holding me back from buying things for the baby. <br/>
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Each day is a struggle to remain positive. I am trying my best not to worry too much and I am just grateful for Johan who constantly makes me laugh. His assignments from school keeps me busy and his excitement rubs off on me whenever he shows me the stamps in his hand whenever he did good in school.<br/>
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27 weeks - we still have a long way to go in this pregnancy and we definitely need prayers. <br/>
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<a href='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgO4IxBwOu8fVKvNjgJk1fEDktS7Zw6JVuQ9AztPusBWtU8pDgeSZFKCfyaPjgefmYpimwGrKqZmqPaw05a-GLkcWWXOIxEdv5rmJvWGoAIi5HQzoxXms6RUcTp7XkxNY6v_sMeNJBm3Vg/s2560/1407159400484.png' onblur='try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}'><img border='0' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgO4IxBwOu8fVKvNjgJk1fEDktS7Zw6JVuQ9AztPusBWtU8pDgeSZFKCfyaPjgefmYpimwGrKqZmqPaw05a-GLkcWWXOIxEdv5rmJvWGoAIi5HQzoxXms6RUcTp7XkxNY6v_sMeNJBm3Vg/s350/1407159400484.png' style='display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;'/></a></div>Shirley Mae Taborahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13497690048084886434noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4360886434698065887.post-48323069767901856222014-07-21T10:31:00.001+08:002014-07-21T10:36:24.759+08:00Our Little SchoolboyJohan will turn four in October this year and as early as last year, I already thought it is about time to send him to school. I initially planned to enroll him in a summer class first to see if he's ready but the school didn't open slots for nursery this year. So, by April we both went to the school to have him assessed.<br />
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That was taken during Johan's assessment. His behavior surprised me that day as he is usually very clingy to me but he went with the teacher inside the room and didn't cry when the door was closed. I can hear him answering the teacher's questions and when they were done, the teacher told me that Johan was indeed ready for school and even got 95% on his entrance exam!<br />
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I waited for a month to pass before I went back to the school to enroll him and paid for his books. A few weeks later, I picked up his books and completed his school supplies.<br />
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Come first day of school, everybody is excited! Even my parents and my sister came to Johan's school to show their support for the little boy. They even bought him a cake!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Happy 1st Day in School, Johan!</td></tr>
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One glitch that almost made me into a monster mom that day - the school failed to inform me and a few other moms of preschoolers that classes for preschool won't begin until two days later. I asked them four times - twice in person and twice over the phone giving me the same answer that school would start that day. But, when I confronted them about this, they denied that they gave me that answer. Grr!</div>
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Anyway, two days later we're back to first-day-of-school mode. The boy was excited, I prepped him really well for school telling him he'll meet a lot of friends, there will be a lot of kids he can play with, they will color and write and paint stuff, etc. etc.</div>
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When we arrived in school, the preschoolers are already lining up to go to the classroom. Johan immediately lined up while looking around at the many kids his age.</div>
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He was well-behaved and I was really proud of him especially when we arrived at his classroom. He immediately went inside and chose a seat. He was all smiles and I was even able to take a few photos.</div>
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By this time, his teacher is starting to tell the parents that it is time to leave the kids inside and let the teacher and the aide take over. Also, this is the time when the other kids started crying. Johan was still doing a great job, he kissed me, said I love you and see you later. He even waved at me and his Daddy when I was out the door and even gave us the two-thumbs up sign! I was thinking, "Wow, that was pretty easy!"</div>
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Or so I thought. Once the classroom door was closed, the kids started wailing! I was standing by the window listening and a few minutes later, I heard Johan crying as well! He was calling out to me and screaming at the top of his lungs! It was heartbreaking, I really wanted to go inside the room to comfort him but then I stopped myself from doing so, knowing that it will just make things worse. But then, when another kid opened the door, I saw Johan being held by the teacher and almost got his fingers crushed when the door was suddenly closed. That's when I told my husband, I am getting him out. So I did and we stayed outside the room until his classes were finished. I know that I should have stood my ground and let the teacher take over but my fear of Johan getting hurt got the best of me. He is only three years old after all.</div>
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The next day that Johan went to school, I stayed home. I decided it is best for him to learn that Mommy will be waiting for him at home while he goes to school. It will make adjusting easier as he is more clingy to me than to his Daddy. He still cried and it went on for about a week. But more than a month after his first day, I am very proud to say that my son now goes to school without shedding any tear! He tells me stories everyday when he arrives home, shows me his stamps, we do his homework together and he tells me he likes his Teacher Liza but he likes his Teacher Melai better. Teacher Liza is the actual teacher while Teacher Melai is the teacher's aide, she is the one who carried Johan during the first few days that he's been crying in school.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Proudly showing his stamps!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Finished doing his homework</td></tr>
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So far, he's had two quizzes and he got perfect scores on both. He likes school now and even asks me everyday if it's time to prepare for school. There's light at the end of the tunnel after all. Hurray!<br />
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Shirley Mae Taborahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13497690048084886434noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4360886434698065887.post-2607322349787820132014-07-18T06:46:00.000+08:002014-07-18T06:51:06.157+08:00Celebrating Five-Thirteen in Canyon Cove Beach ClubFirst off, five-thirteen means five years of married life and thirteen years of being together. We celebrated the day by going to the beach and we were all very excited as it was also Johan's first beach trip.<br />
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I bought a Metrodeal voucher priced at PhP 2,999 back in January and booked a room for our anniversary. I corresponded with the resort only through email and everything went smoothly from the day of the booking until the day that we arrived at the resort.<br />
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Upon arriving, I was glad that we were allowed to go up to our room even if we arrived an hour earlier from check-in time. My room requirements: a king-sized bed, an unobstructed view of the sea and a bathtub. All were available except for the bathtub which is really okay. The room is huge! It can fit more than four people!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsVcQT1MFADX01AO8qgAnT4N24dMVlGnS5RzALscTnMMNOdx20OsinMBWPbRMQg_vrs3XgKzhb0TeByGN6zfdGkG79ZA89j2lxSe1K-yHaai2D3lKf4CQXmTYHO0EzzG2mGzE4NDfcc7g/s1600/20140508_150731.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsVcQT1MFADX01AO8qgAnT4N24dMVlGnS5RzALscTnMMNOdx20OsinMBWPbRMQg_vrs3XgKzhb0TeByGN6zfdGkG79ZA89j2lxSe1K-yHaai2D3lKf4CQXmTYHO0EzzG2mGzE4NDfcc7g/s1600/20140508_150731.JPG" height="350" width="500" /></a></div>
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I love almost everything about the room: the huge bed, the daybed, the private balcony, the clean bathroom. What only needs improvement is the air-conditioning which is only set to 20 degrees and it's not really installed in a good spot making the bed area not properly ventilated.Overall, the room is pretty nice.</div>
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Johan immediately declared the daybed as his own space, set up camp and stayed there the whole time. We rested a bit, waited for the sun not to be at its harshest and then we went down to explore the place.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Add caption</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Looking out into the horizon</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Johan announced that he was making sand angels!</td></tr>
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Johan had so much fun at the beach! He even liked it better than the pool and won't leave until it got dark. When we finally coaxed him to move to the pool, we only stayed a while in the warm pool water until he saw the playground and pulled me out of the water.</div>
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When it was beginning to get dark, we carried the boy back to our room to bathe and rest for a bit while we wait for dinner time. Our voucher did not include any meals and our original plan was to get out of the resort for dinner and just eat in one of the fastfood chains located in a nearby town. But, given that the resort only allow guests access to the pool until nine in the evening, we decided to just stay and have dinner at the resort.</div>
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Wrong move. The price of the food at the resort is UNBELIEVABLE! The food concessionaires were Max's Restaurant and this BBQ place. We don't want to eat at Max's anymore so we chose to have barbecues for dinner. Imagine paying more than 500 pesos for the following: three tiny sticks of BBQ, 2 sticks of regular sized hotdogs, two cups of rice and two sodas in can. It is expensive!!</div>
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Nevertheless, I didn't let that dampen our spirits as we still have a night and half a day to stay at the resort. We finished our dinner, swam a little in the pool then Johan and I went up to the lobby to go online and post a few photos. Wi-fi is only available at the lobby which is both good and bad, good for those who wanted to have quality time with the family inside their rooms and at the beach or pool and bad for those social media addicts who cannot last a day without going online. I guess I am both in one way or another. Hehe! We left the husband at the pool as he wanted to do a few lapses without Johan constantly calling him while I and the kid went up to our room earlier so I could put him to bed.</div>
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The next day, we got up early so we could make use of what little time we have at the resort. The boy was still so eager to go to the beach so as soon as we brushed our teeth, off we go!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Johan looking out the window to see if it's morning already</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ready to go to the beach!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo ops first while we still have the pool all to ourselves</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgANl0qNPRDTQxHhfvn_1Ho1rLMITI3O2l88vGeVrK4cdpy39aYmD92Q2cJOrjbhpRZBZ0B72bbp82GtAIpQ9SLwBZxArNADPmlz72_L2ybix0OmawytFxq7__ffQLx9mmDjET2nUlsR8s/s1600/20140509_071729.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgANl0qNPRDTQxHhfvn_1Ho1rLMITI3O2l88vGeVrK4cdpy39aYmD92Q2cJOrjbhpRZBZ0B72bbp82GtAIpQ9SLwBZxArNADPmlz72_L2ybix0OmawytFxq7__ffQLx9mmDjET2nUlsR8s/s1600/20140509_071729.JPG" height="350" width="500" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The beach was very calm that morning</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDOVkQJ9NA-Ek3HMnfs_yJJi2R0hm6gC5tD4e2x9bOqntTyBbuLWQ7Cu6a_GltokU1LgVOLaYwtuJepb28ucDTakYekQ7En2mNp0dWH19-TulTpoPY17IwyRKbEkEKWA0Md8aaQDNU7ps/s1600/20140509_073956.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDOVkQJ9NA-Ek3HMnfs_yJJi2R0hm6gC5tD4e2x9bOqntTyBbuLWQ7Cu6a_GltokU1LgVOLaYwtuJepb28ucDTakYekQ7En2mNp0dWH19-TulTpoPY17IwyRKbEkEKWA0Md8aaQDNU7ps/s1600/20140509_073956.JPG" height="350" width="500" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The only photo we have of the three of us in the pool</td></tr>
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We only stayed for two hours in the water as the sun became too hot by 9AM. We went up to our room, ate the sandwiches and noodles that I was able to sneak into the resort, lounged on the bed and waited for check out.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3Fs1LdelbL_QMcSrmLWDyqstqY9bbubwuvQeuOCAvcCOBwckHqnqWe_rgKYnH0967SQVAwPmZW2Oe7rrCimX5Sm3v0-E4qCEGMzPFXsP0_1Q8B7Ie2VyHgGDHbIr5zDZpR9xaiwaYT1Y/s1600/20140509_093643.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3Fs1LdelbL_QMcSrmLWDyqstqY9bbubwuvQeuOCAvcCOBwckHqnqWe_rgKYnH0967SQVAwPmZW2Oe7rrCimX5Sm3v0-E4qCEGMzPFXsP0_1Q8B7Ie2VyHgGDHbIr5zDZpR9xaiwaYT1Y/s1600/20140509_093643.JPG" height="350" width="500" /></a></div>
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Canyon Cove really is a nice resort. I only wish that they make the pool hours longer than just until nine in the evening and it wouldn't hurt to have more food concessionaires to choose from or at least make the cost of food cheaper so guests wouldn't have to sneak in food or go out of the resort to dine somewhere else.</div>
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We will definitely go back!</div>
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<span style="color: red;"><a href="http://www.canyoncove.com.ph/">Canyon Cove Resort</a></span></div>
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Far East Road, Piloto Wawa</div>
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Nasugbu, Batangas</div>
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Philippines</div>
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Phone Number: +632.908.1111</div>
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Shirley Mae Taborahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13497690048084886434noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4360886434698065887.post-22401728319147786812014-06-03T07:19:00.000+08:002014-06-03T07:19:31.501+08:00Life is A Rollercoaster<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjejQW18QPL4HvDqg97or0uhxQrQqI45BcZyMSTR9vMd-nl_hQOysWSxa8JqvTlstJNlvivb9bVTOMWl3h6hDkC8JVB89neWHRVvkVJNUc1ooyh5FeY0NTZJb4ONXyslJunnRdcWFqgYrI/s1600/rollercoaster.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjejQW18QPL4HvDqg97or0uhxQrQqI45BcZyMSTR9vMd-nl_hQOysWSxa8JqvTlstJNlvivb9bVTOMWl3h6hDkC8JVB89neWHRVvkVJNUc1ooyh5FeY0NTZJb4ONXyslJunnRdcWFqgYrI/s1600/rollercoaster.jpg" /></a></div>
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I am on bedrest again.<br />
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I've been having abdominal cramps on Wednesday last week which I didn't really take as anything serious.I thought that it's just the baby moving and my tummy must be expanding already so I went to work and dealt with the pain that entire day. Wrong decision. Come Thursday morning, the pain didn't really go away so I decided to go to my doctor already to have myself and the baby checked.<br />
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I was having contractions, again! This is my second child and I find it pretty stupid that I can't distinguish a mere abdominal pain from an actual contraction! My doctor advised me to take one to two weeks of complete bedrest which I didn't take happily. My leave credits at work are all gone, I finished all of those during the three week bedrest that I already took during my first trimester so that would mean that this new bedrest schedule will all be without pay. Haaayyyy, just when we really need to save up.<br />
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I cried in the car on the way home from the hospital, I cried during that night and I found myself crying during the day. I know this isn't good for me or the baby but I just had to let all the stress out of my system. I'm such a worrywart when it comes to financial matters even if I know that our savings has not entirely ran out. It's just that we are still paying for the car, Johan will be starting school, we have bills to pay, we have to save up for the caesarian delivery which my SSS maternity benefit cannot cover 100 % and we still haven't bought anything for the baby. Add to that the fact that my nails are ugly, my hair is ugly and I've been wearing the same clothes at work week after week.Okay, I'm blabbering nonsense already but that's how it is.<br />
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This pregnancy is really harder compared to when I had Johan. I told my husband it must be because when I was pregnant with Johan, I was not working and I don't have a toddler who demands my attention every minute. Don't get me wrong, I do love staying home with Johan as we get to play, bond and practice writing, but there are times when I really just want to lie down, put my feet up and rest. Having a toddler prevents me from doing that, well, except when he's sleeping.<br />
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I only want to have a safe pregnancy and a healthy baby. If it would mean I need to be on bedrest until time for delivery, then so be it. I'll just have to make the best of everything from I am given now, like time that I didn't have when I was going work. So, all the time that I have is now devoted to teaching Johan to write, to play pretend everyday, stalk people on Facebook and Instagram, watch Disney Channel endlessly and browse Pinterest.<br />
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Life is indeed a rollercoaster. I've done my share of screaming, I guess it's time that I try to enjoy the ride.<br />
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Struggling to remain positive,<br />
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<br />Shirley Mae Taborahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13497690048084886434noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4360886434698065887.post-40831975770299067142014-04-15T15:10:00.001+08:002014-04-15T15:10:12.109+08:00Stuff for Baby Number 2I'm on my last week of a two-week bedrest as advised by my OB-GYN. I had spotting two weeks ago and when we came back for another ultrasound, it appeared that the Subchorionic Hemorrhage has grown bigger instead of disappearing. My emotions are all mixed up these last few days, with worry about Baby Number 2's condition, the stress of having to render additional leaves without pay at work as I've already used up all my sick leaves while all my vacation leaves are already plotted for the rest of the year, my patience is being tested with Johan wanting me to be by his side all the time instead of letting the new yaya take care of him so I can get that much needed rest. Ahh, the joys of being a mom. :)<div>
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Anyway, to keep me sane these days, I enjoyed the pretend plays that Johan and I have shared, I have surrendered to the great invention called cable TV, I played games on my Android phone and I window-shopped online.</div>
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With nearing four months along in this pregnancy, I thought I should be listing down all the things that we would be needing before Baby Number 2 arrives. So, here's a short list:</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMxVkn2VnajyA3U1ELnZZs9Qi3JCFDpXBpaVn0nqdD4L4wsCr7Y9FMh7a5FpdLMVCIUtlm7TX0iC6qywhyZcDbp1TKNsc3mBRFXWca0y_AFgcy9gLO9VEOleLOre-hZ_QKTXrRKAv9uU0/s1600/GRACO_STROLLER_9G01PAS.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMxVkn2VnajyA3U1ELnZZs9Qi3JCFDpXBpaVn0nqdD4L4wsCr7Y9FMh7a5FpdLMVCIUtlm7TX0iC6qywhyZcDbp1TKNsc3mBRFXWca0y_AFgcy9gLO9VEOleLOre-hZ_QKTXrRKAv9uU0/s1600/GRACO_STROLLER_9G01PAS.jpg" height="400" width="364" /></a></div>
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We definitely need a new crib. Johan's old crib was a hand-me-down from his cousin and it has long since seen it's full potential. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-z-GruYSaGhKF4GsLNyBEeJAkcajN1DEmFEvcm0WrcmqktJ6_KcnmEzzZkFNZ4ZxiKvK-xea3HFeRfAgxaz7tpQObiejFZduZ1en4kP3-S5YNO4HV8h-PQ93NNy1kXJ-REUo_zWVVaFo/s1600/Jaunt-Travel-System--Tidal-Pool-CAR-SEAT.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-z-GruYSaGhKF4GsLNyBEeJAkcajN1DEmFEvcm0WrcmqktJ6_KcnmEzzZkFNZ4ZxiKvK-xea3HFeRfAgxaz7tpQObiejFZduZ1en4kP3-S5YNO4HV8h-PQ93NNy1kXJ-REUo_zWVVaFo/s1600/Jaunt-Travel-System--Tidal-Pool-CAR-SEAT.jpg" height="400" width="371" /></a></div>
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With two kids soon to ride with us, a carseat is a must for the baby. Johan's at this age that he cannot sit still and has to tinker with buttons or the compartment or worse, the door so there should always be a grown up holding on to him while in the car. I simply cannot hold the baby on one arm while trying to wrestle Johan with the other. This is why a carseat is necessary.</div>
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We need more storage space for the baby's clothes. Our existing storage cabinets are nearly full and cannot simply hold any more clothes and bedsheets and towels.We really need a new one for the baby's stuff.</div>
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A bathtub for the baby. I haven't seen Johan's old one for a long time so I am guessing that it was given away or was already broken.</div>
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A bottle sterilizer. I'm looking into this Farlin brand as this is the one being used for my niece's bottles. It is also cheaper compared to other brands which is great as we do need to save as much money as we can these days.</div>
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New feeding bottles. Johan is still drinking milk from his bottles and looks like it will take a little more time before we can convince him to stop. </div>
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For now, those are all I can think of in addition to the other necessities like towels, cloth diapers, diaper covers, baby clothes and toiletries. It's a good thing that I have stored Johan's old stroller and it is still in mint condition so there's no need for us to buy a new one, also I know that I wouldn't have a problem with regards to clothing as I have a few pieces in storage and I can easily ask my relatives for old ones.</div>
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Having a new baby surely means a lot of expenses but we know with it along comes great joy and more love for our now growing family.</div>
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Shirley Mae Taborahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13497690048084886434noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4360886434698065887.post-29833724012205891622014-04-09T07:44:00.000+08:002014-04-09T07:44:41.530+08:00The Mall of Asia IncidentMarch 30, 2014 was my Mother-in-Law's scheduled flight to the United States. Eventhough, I was advised to take a bedrest, I simply cannot stay home and not say goodbye to the woman who took care of my son since birth.<br />
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We arrived at the airport around six in the evening and after seeing my MIL pass through the gates of Terminal 2, we went on our way and decided to stay for a while in Mall of Asia while we wait for a text message from her telling us she's checked in already and passed through Immigration without any problem.<br />
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We arrived in MOA around 6:20 PM and was able to park around 6:45 PM - there were just too many people that day that made looking for a parking spot doubly hard. We proceeded to the Department Store to purchase some new beddings for our bed. I think we spent around 30 minutes there and after paying for our purchases, we went out the 2nd floor exit, I stopped by a BDO atm machine to withdraw some money and proceeded to walk. We were supposed to have dinner then when we heard a band playing downstairs. So, we walked closer to the banisters to watch the band for a while because Johan's always been in love with drums.<br />
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As we were walking away, we suddenly heard loud bangs. The hubby first thought they were fireworks and we again looked down the first level and that's when we saw the people below running away from something. I instantly became nervous and my instinct told me to look for a place where we can hide. The first store that I saw was a photo developing store which I wasn't able to know the name until I searched for the MOA map, it was Photoline. As we enter the store, rushing, the store attendant asked me what's happening. I told him that people are running at the ground floor and we heard shots being fired. He then said, it must have been just the fireworks. But by then, I know that it's not.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmCLr7bydIDyGNTWroF4AziV_49dDnxiuZGjdEwv6gh_ORNdd3EIoPAENDDvtud0IND74UXmTyMKTukg75dD7nHNn-xomdffzc0jWhAukGc_7tbhm9ETdiOIMhYzUyYiSDeq3LtwWZSrU/s1600/moa.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmCLr7bydIDyGNTWroF4AziV_49dDnxiuZGjdEwv6gh_ORNdd3EIoPAENDDvtud0IND74UXmTyMKTukg75dD7nHNn-xomdffzc0jWhAukGc_7tbhm9ETdiOIMhYzUyYiSDeq3LtwWZSrU/s1600/moa.jpg" height="350" width="550" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The proximity of where we were to the location where the shots were fired is very scary.</td></tr>
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When the shots stopped, I told hubby to get out of the store and move farther away from where we are located. If they were indeed gunshots that we heard, the last thing that I wanted was for us to get stuck in the middle of it. All I was thinking at that time was they cannot take us as hostages. So, we immediately went out the Photoline store and walked quickly. Johan was getting scared by the minute and I guess it's because he felt that I too was scared. I kept on telling him to walk faster and to not stop. I was the one holding him while hubby carried our purchases, a huge beddings set with comforter and two huge pillows. </div>
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While we were rushing away, people from the 2nd floor stores came out and looked down to see what's happening. That's when the second wave of people running started and by this time everybody is panicking. The people at the 2nd floor started running back to the stores, locking their doors. I was telling Johan to walk faster since I cannot carry him nor can I run given the pregnancy. I told hubby to look for a store, a restaurant, anywhere that we can get in and hide. But, since we're almost at the bridge connecting the mall to the seaside grounds, hubby said we should just proceed to the seaside where we were parked. </div>
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Some of the mallgoers are still clueless as to what's happening and as soon as we reached the seaside grounds and looked back at the mall, that's when we saw the huge crowd of people running - everyone was just rushing to get out of the mall, they were running down the stairs and the escalators out into the street. And I was terribly scared, whatever it is that's happening inside, it is still not over. We seriously need to get out of there.</div>
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When we stopped for a while to send messages to some people, Johan was already screaming, "Let's go, let's go!". We immediately went to the car and prepared to leave. We just had to wait for a while for my MIL's reply but Johan kept on shouting at his Dad, "Dad, let's go! Drive!". So, the hubby did and while moving out of the parking lot, he asked the guard on duty what's happening inside. He did not answer and we then proceeded to exit. </div>
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While driving away, I received a text message from my bestfriend asking me if we were still in MOA and I replied that we're driving away then because we heard shots being fired. Apparently, a college friend of ours posted on Facebook that they were also in MOA, heard the gunshots and were hiding then in one of the restaurants' kitchen.</div>
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When we got home, I immediately turned on the TV and went online to look for news about the incident. I found this:</div>
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‘Martilyo Gang’ strikes again at SM Mall of Asia; 1 arrested, 6 robbers escape</h1>
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<span class="timestamp" style="display: inline-block; font-size: 14px; margin: 5px 0px; padding: 0px 8px;">March 30, 2014 8:01pm</span></div>
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<strong style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">(Updated 8:26 a.m., March 31)</strong> The "Martilyo Gang" is believed to have struck anew at an SM mall, using the cover of a heavy weekend crowd to hasten their escape after a brazen jewelry heist, this time on Sunday night at SM's crown jewel, the Mall of Asia in Pasay City.</div>
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It was a very scary experience, even Johan was traumatized by it and up until today, he still does not want to go back to SM. </div>
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<img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54487/230/BDE743923E384FCDA6400D243BD2467C.png" /></div>
Shirley Mae Taborahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13497690048084886434noreply@blogger.com0