Minecraft Inspired Birthday Snack Bags

My little man is celebrating his 10th birthday tomorrow.  His birthday happens to fall on a school day.  He's excited to spend his special day with his classmates.  As a simple way of celebrating his 10th birthday, Yohan will give snack bags to his classmates.

Yohan is such a big fan of Minecraft so his dad and I thought of making custom-made Minecraft bags. We bought green fabric bags and printed a pattern of the Minecraft Creeper.  Jules traced the pattern on an illustration board and used a cutter to define the significant parts.  With a bit of black spray paint, we managed to mark each bag with a Creeper's face. 

A snack bag won't be complete without goodies. We're going to fill each bag with chips, biscuits, pretzels, chocolates, and juice. Every bag will have a tag to mark Yohan's 10 birthday.

 

40 Random Things (Part II)

Continuation ....

21.  I believe that if you can’t say anything nice, it’s always best to keep quiet.

22.  A little kindness goes a long way.  Never underestimate the power of a kind gesture or a smile.

23.  I’m always fascinated with nature. I love watching the sunrise and the sunset. I love seeing flowers bloom, butterflies fluttering, and birds singing. The full moon never fails to catch my attention.

24.  I love capturing special moments. Taking pictures make me happy.

25.  I regret many things in life. I learned that in order to attain peace within, the first step is letting go. Once you do, moving on is easier.

26.  The people you love can sometimes break your heart too. Open your heart to forgiveness.

27.  Driving still remains a dream. May be one day, I can find the courage to go behind the wheel.

28.  I’m not a perfect mom but I’m trying my best to be a good one.

29.  I’m thankful for my writing job. I learn something new from every topic I write.

30.  Kare-kare will always be my favorite Filipino dish.

31.  I don’t want to think of myself as a middle-aged woman. I always want to feel young.

32.  I love bags. I wish I could buy as many bags as I want.

33.  I have a small closet. I wish I can have a walk-in closet in the future.  

34.  When the Internet is down, I feel down.

35.  I enjoy watching horror films even though my fear always gets the best of me. The Walking Dead is currently my favorite TV program.

36.  I’m thankful to modern gadgets.  I can easily connect with my loved ones in the States.

37.  I’m happy that Bruno, my Labrador is still going strong at the age of 13.

38.  I have my own share of flaws. I’m impatient, impulsive and I tend to worry about small things.

39.  Life is full of opportunities. Never be afraid to try something new.

40.  I don’t know what the future has in store for me. I only pray that God will continue to bless me and the people I love. 

40 Random Things (Part I)

Today I turn 40. It's another milestone in life that I'm grateful for. Let me share 40 random things I've learned, realized, and discovered in this lifetime. 

1. It’s never too late to start exercising. I’m thankful that I found the motivation to walk and run around the village. 
2. 8K is possible after all. Who knows, maybe I have the strength and endurance to run/walk up to 10K.
3. Biking is fun. I just bought a mountain bike and I’m rediscovering how fun it is to be on two wheels. 
4. It feels great to lose weight and enjoy shopping again. When I was overweight, I was always frustrated when I go shopping for clothes. I just hope I can maintain my weight now. 
5. I can finally wear dresses again.
6. Getting gray hair is not the end of the world. Thank goodness for hair coloring products. 
7. I have the best parents in the world. They are kind, understanding, generous, and selfless. I love them very much. 
8. I admire my brother for being so wise and responsible in life. I may be older than him but sometimes he’s more like my kuya. 
9.  My yaya (nanny) has taken care of me since I was a baby. I’m blessed that she chose to stay with me all these years. 
10. I'm thankful to have a loving, supportive, and kind husband.  He gives me strength and hope.
11. I have a wonderful son who inspires and motivates me to face challenges and continue dreaming. 
12. Home is where the heart is. I realized that there’s no better place than home. 
13. Life is not perfect but once you overlook at the imperfections, you’ll realize that life has so many beautiful things to be grateful for. 
14. Life is a learning process.  There's always something new worth discovering and exploring.
15. Disappointments are part of life. Learn from your mistakes. When you fail, there’s no harm in trying again. As long as there’s life, anything is possible.
16. I cannot please everybody. It’s a waste of energy to get rattled by what other people think of you. 
17. Focus on the positive things in life. 
18. I haven’t conquered my fear of heights but I gathered the courage to ride the Ferris wheel and the roller coaster. I’m still hoping to experience the zipline. 
19. I love happy endings. I will always be a romantic at heart. 
20. People come and go but real friends are there for keeps.

Embracing 2013

It’s the start of a brand new year. It’s an opportunity to learn from past mistakes, begin anew, and welcome promising opportunities. I’m thankful for all the blessings and I look forward to more good things to come. The past year was not all sunshine. There were also gloomy and sad days but God always finds a way to clear the dark clouds and replace them with a rainbow. I want to embrace 2013 with a smile, hopeful heart and positive spirit.

Warm New Year Greetings

Hope everyone had a beautiful Christmas celebration.  Sending you warm and heartfelt New Year wishes. May your hearts be filled with love, joy, and hope this 2013! God bless.

Yohan's Recollection and First Communion

I'm thankful for family and dear friends who took time to write Yohan letters for his first recollection.  Jules and I also wrote him one.  Yohan told me how touched he was by everyone's kind words.

Yohan received his First Communion last Friday. It's another significant milestone worth celebrating. The boys wore traditional barong while the girls donned their beautiful white dresses and veils.  The children lighted their candles and prayed for guidance. During the Offertory, Yohan offered fruits as symbols of good life and thanksgiving. 

I was assigned to read the Prayer of the Parents. Together we humbly asked God to guide our children in their journey in life and to protect them from the temptations that surround the world. 

Witnessing Yohan receive the Holy Eucharist for the first time gave me a sense of happiness and pride.

Yohan's Gift

I was so touched when Yohan gave me this stuffed toy giraffe last Saturday.  He won it at Shakey's Fun Zone. 

After lunch, Yohan asked me for some money to exchange for game tokens.  He usually plays his favorite car racing arcade game but he told me later that when he spotted "The Claw" in one corner of the room, he suddenly thought of me.  He gave up his favorite game and used his tokens to win me a stuffed toy. 

I named her Mara. It's a long story but the name is not inspired by the soap opera Mara Clara. ha!ha! Anyway, I will always cherish this sweet gift from my son.


 

First Honor

Congratulations Yohan for being First Honor in class again. I'm very proud of your achievements. Thank you for studying hard and always doing your best. Keep up the good work!

A look back at last school year's highlights

It's a brand new school year. Summer is long gone and rainy days are here again. When I think about the past school year, I realized I have a lot of things to be thankful for.

•  Yohan won a bronze medal in the school Math and Science Quiz Bee.  He was a little sad when he  came in 3rd but I told him that I felt very proud of him the moment I found out that he was chosen as a participant in the Quiz Bee.  Winning a medal makes me twice as proud.

• I'm happy that Yohan met a new friend in class. J and Yohan clicked immediately because they realized that they share many things in common.  They both love to read, draw and play video games. Yohan's adviser told me that she immediately noticed that both of them are wide readers.  They both excel in class.   J and Yohan have become best of friends.

• Yohan had his Cub Scout Investiture last school year.  I witnessed the kids light their candles and recite their oath. I went up on the stage to put Yohan's cub scout neckerchief to symbolize his formal acceptance as part of the Boy Scout of the Philippines. 

• I'm so proud of my son for earning an Academic Achievement Award at the end of the school year.  I'm very happy because has been a consistent 1st Honor since pre-school.  Last school year's Recognition Day was very special because my mom was here on vacation.  It was her first time to see her grandson go up on stage to receive a medal. 

• I found out on Recognition Day that Yohan was Ranked No. 1 in the whole Grade 2 level.  I was teary-eyed when I heard the official news from the school administration.  The Top 3 students were given corresponding discounts on the following year's tuition fee. Since Yohan was Top 1, he received the biggest discount. I'm proud of Yohan's academic achievement and thankful for the big savings.

Thankful for Successful Surgery

I was jittery when I woke up Monday morning of last week. I knew it was the day of my minor surgery to remove the sebaceous cyst on my back. The surgeon suggested that I be sedated because it was too big for local anesthesia. The surgeon assured me that it was an easy procedure but deep inside I was still worried. I couldn't help but feel a little frightened. After all, I've never had an operation before.

I acted brave when hubby drove me to the hospital but deep inside I was trembling. I didn't know what to expect. We arrived at the hospital around 7:45 a.m. At the E.R. I was told that it was standard procedure for patients to ride the wheelchair going to the operating room (O.R.). It felt weird riding the wheelchair.

I had to say goodbye to hubby as I entered the O.R. Two young, friendly nurses greeted me. They helped prepare me for the operation. They also made it a point to check up on me every now and then while I waited for the surgeon and anesthesiologist to arrive. The latter arrived first. He asked me some questions like if I have any pre-existing conditions, drug allergy and food allergy. I must admit my ego was hurt when he said that I was probably not allergic to any food because I was fat. Ouch! He was trying to be funny but I didn't find it amusing at all. In fairness, despite that seemingly insensitive comment, he was kind to me during the whole procedure.

It was past 11 a.m. when the surgeon arrived, he apologized for letting me wait. He gave the nurse the go signal to bring me to the O.R. I felt even more scared when I saw another nurse lining up the operating tools. I just had to focus on something else. I said a silent prayer to God to keep me safe during the operation.

I was told to lie on my side. The anesthesiologist told me that my eyes were going to feel heavy. Then without realizing it, I was out cold.

When I woke up, I was a little disoriented. I thought it was already morning and it was time to wake up my son for school. After a few seconds, I realized I was in the O.R. The doctors were still there. I asked the surgeon if it was over. He smiled and said yes. I didn't feel a thing. I'm thankful that there was no pain at all. I thanked both doctors for taking care of me.

The doctors told me that I needed to rest for a few more hours before I could go home. My surgery was an out patient case. I looked at the wall clock and it was past 1 p.m. The doctors advised me to sleep for a while before they left. I tried but I couldn't sleep. 

Two other patients, a woman and a young boy were brought to the recovery room to join me.  The young boy was accompanied by his father. He was around 5 years old. I felt a pinch on my heart when I saw the little boy beside me. I remembered my son back home. I prayed that my son will always be blessed with good health.

I heard the boy beside me whimpering. His dad tried to comfort him. He told him not to cry anymore but the operation was over. When the boy heard his dad's soothing voice, he stopped crying.

It didn't take long before I was declared ready to go home. After putting on my clothes, I was wheeled outside where hubby was waiting. He kissed me and asked how I was feeling. I smiled and told him it didn't hurt at all. The doctor gave me prescription for antibiotic and pain reliever before leaving the hospital.

When I got home, I was so happy to see Yohan's face. He wanted to hug me but he knew he couldn't because of my operation. He told me that he prayed for me several times that day. I was really touched.

It has been more than a week now since the operation. I had to go back to the doctor several times during the past week for dressing change. I'm happy to say that my wound is healing well.

I'm very thankful that everything went smoothly. Thank you Lord for taking care of me.


 

10 Years Together

I remember waking up on this day exactly 10 years ago. It was raining hard and the wind was blowing hard. Two typhoons decided to hit the country that day. That couldn't dampen my spirit. Instead I looked upon it as a symbol of twin blessings.

Happy Anniversary my love.

Yohan is Featured in K-Zone Magazine

Yohan loves reading K-Zone. He has a bag filled of old K-Zone magazines at home that he likes reading every now and then. I always make it a point to buy him a new one every month and I even cover each one with plastic.

Several months ago, he asked me if it was possible for him to be featured in the section Birthday Bits. I said it was possible but I told him not to have high hopes. I made it clear that the magazine can only choose one celebrant for that section each month. I didn't want him to be disappointed in case they choose another July celebrant instead of him.

I helped Yohan send an email to K-Zone with his picture and short details around 3 months ago.  We didn't get any reply or feed back.

The K-Zone July issue is now out. I grabbed a copy and I was so happy to see my little boy in the magazine. Yohan was thrilled when he saw his picture.

I'm grateful to K-Zone for featuring my son. It's a nice advance birthday gift for him. Yohan's picture appeared again in the magazine's July calendar sheet. :)

Happy Mother's Day

Happy Mother's Day to all the wonderful Moms especially to my loving mom, caring mother-in-law and loyal yaya.

I'm on my way out to attend my son's mini soccer cup and we're celebrating Mother's Day after that. I'll catch up with you soon. Take care.

Appreciating Preschool Years

Yohan graduated from preschool last Friday (March 26). I'm so proud of my son for earning three awards on graduation day. He received three medals namely Word Smart (English), Nature Smart (Science) and Academic Excellence. My husband and I took turns going up the stage to give Yohan his awards. It was a heartwarming experience.

Preschool is a fun and memorable part of a child’s early years. As a parent, I appreciate how preschool has helped my son learn new things, build confidence and harness his strengths as an individual. Preschool is also a great start for early academic milestones.

• Social Skills – My son is an only child and preschool gave him a chance to socialize with other kids. I witnessed how he learned to overcome his shyness. He learned how fun it is to play and interact with other kids.

• Self-Confidence - He gradually abandoned his timid self and became more sure of himself. I still remember how he enjoyed talking in front of the class about his favorite pet during Show and Tell day.

• Problem Solving - There are many preschool activities that let students think for themselves. This motivates preschoolers to solve problems and overcome challenges independently.

• Arts and Crafts - Yohan enjoys making art projects in school. He is always excited to show it to us when his he gets to bring home his work. He loves to draw at home. I always make it a point to buy bulk paper for his drawing inspirations. Even my husband and I enjoy conceptualizing costumes for Yohan's school activities.

• Math Basics - My son appreciates learning numbers the fun way.  Preschool has interesting ways of teaching addition, subtraction, time telling and fractions.

• Reading Books – Thanks to preschool my son is becoming a little bookworm. Every student has a ‘reading passport’ in class. It encourages parents to read to their children at least once a week. The parent records the title of the book on the ‘reading passport’ and the child also brings the book to class to share with classmates. I read to Yohan every night and I invest in books for him. The school also has regular Reading Festivals that the kids enjoy tremendously.

• Creativity - Preschool allows my son to express his creativity in a lot of ways both inside and outside the classroom.

• Music & Rhythm – Song and dance numbers by preschoolers during special events are worth watching.

• Listening – Young kids often have short attention span so preschool teachers incorporate fun activities with lessons to encourage participation and listening skills.

• Exploration -  Preschool is not confined inside the four walls of the classroom. Field trips give the kids a chance to explore new places and learn new things.

• Independence - The Preschool Camp gave my son a taste of independence. I admit it wasn't easy on my part to let him go but I'm glad I did because Yohan had a terrific time with his classmates and teachers. It was a learning experience for both of us.

• Writing – At the beginning, his unsteady hands slowly learned to write the alphabet. Now he can write sentences and even a short story.

There are many more great things that make Preschool memorable for kids and parents. These memories will live on and bring smiles to our faces.

Top in Class and a Valedictorian

His family’s love for good food and his mom’s delicious home cooked meals helped fuel his passion for cooking at a young age. He was inspired to do his own cooking and he learned to experiment with his own dishes through the years.

He has always wanted to take up Culinary Arts but he was sidetracked to another field. When a culinary school opened nearby, he took it as his cue to pursue his interest in Culinary Arts. He's grateful that he was given a chance to learn new things and hone his skills in cooking.

I'm very proud of my husband for completing his 6-month course in Culinary Arts at MOST Institute. He graduated top of his class and best of all, the Valedictorian of the graduating batch.

Congratulations Jules! I'm happy that you are following your dreams.

Weekend Snapshot #82 - Yohan's 6th Birthday

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Yohan turned six years old last July 18. It has been six meaningful and wonderful years. Jules and I are grateful to God for giving us such a fun loving and sweet son.

Below are some photos of Yohan's birthday celebration at home...

Yohan's Transformer Cake

Hubby cooked all the food for the birthday dinner ...

Birthday celebrant with a big smile

Carbonara

Chicken Fingers

Mixed Tempura (shrimp, crab stick and assorted veggies)

Kamameshi Rice

California Maki

Tamago (Japanese omelet)

Apple in Red Wine with honey and nuts

Blowing of the birthday candles ...

Yohan's Tito Norman lighting the birthday candles

May your wish(es) come true.

Dinner time

One of the highlights of the evening was the game Yohan prepared for his grandmas, aunts and uncles. The game was called "How well do you know Yohan?" I helped my son prepare simple questions about himself and numbered them accordingly. I prepared small pieces of paper with nos. 1-14 and Yohan asked each guest to draw a number.

Yohan served as the Game Master. He read the questions one at a time. Each correct answer was equivalent to one prize. The prizes consisted of small practical items like mug, foldable hamper, lotion, powder, cologne, post-it pads with pencils, hand sanitizers, cellphone holder, chamois, etc. Guests who provided wrong answers were asked to return the numbers inside the container. There was a second round of question-and-answer for those who didn't make it on the first one. At the end, everyone got a prize. It was a simple yet fun game. Everyone had a great time especially the Game Master himself.

Two possible answers: Optimus Prime and Bumblebee

Jules preparing the last dessert for the evening.

Chocolate Salami served with Kapeng Barako (Batangas coffee).

Yohan was very happy with the gifts he received that night...

Transformers and Ben 10

Happy Father's Day

Thank you to my Dad and husband for the love, support, understanding, kindness, respect, inspiration and strength. I want to wish my Dad, my husband and all the great fathers out there a wonderful Father's Day. I would like to share my son's Father's Day card.