Day 13: Raincoat!

Last Saturday, after our pre-Father's Day brunch at Solaire, the kids and I spent a good hour looking for a Spider-Man raincoat to match RL's backpack and lunchbag. The little boy is into Spider-Man nowadays, for reasons unknown to anyone in the house. One summer day, he came up to me pretending to shoot web from his folded hands, declared me his captive, and that was that - the start of an obsession.  I don't even remember introducing him to Spider-Man. Nope, I don't think he even caught any of the movies. So how? I have no idea.

But anyway, so we spent that good hour looking, to no avail. In fact, Sunday evening, I told RL he was bringing his old Mickey Mouse and Friends windbreaker to school - an expensive one we got two years ago at Disneyland. And although he still adores Mickey, he resolved he was getting a Spider-Man raincoat, and asked me to include it in our bedtime prayer.

Fast track to Tuesday at the office, my graphic artist and ever-helpful assistant G asked me if RL needed a raincoat. He tells me his son has two that were too small for him, and that they were new and from the US. He then proceeds to let me know that one had Mickey on it, and the other one was a superhero - Batman, he thinks. I asked if he wanted to sell me one, but he says he's giving it to RL.

I didn't think much about it and thought RL would probably settle for Batman. And maybe I can have him watch some of the early (and brighter) Batman movies, just so he'd develop a liking for the character. So yesterday, when I got to the office, G tells me he has the raincoat. I went to his work area, and surprise! Surprise! The superhero character turned out to be Spider-Man!

Yay, Spider-Man! Amazing power of prayer and child-like faith!

RL was ecstatic when I showed him yesterday! "Jesus answered our prayer!", he declared!

Yes, baby, He sure did!

Thank you, G! And thank You, Lord, for answering my little boy's prayer!

Day 8: Swimming Lessons

My mom woke us up early today. Too early, if you ask me, hehe. But she called to say the driver was on his way to pick the little boy (and his nanny) up. It turns out, she enrolled him again - this time for a 10-day swim course at the village pool.

RL is the only one who can't swim (if you don't count R), so swimming lessons made it to our priority summer bucket list. 

And just like that, mom made it possible.

Thanks, Mom! Thank You, Lord, for blessing me with a wonderful mom. 

Day 5: Goosical!

Today, my little boy finished his Trumpets class with a showcase - Goosical. It is actually his first time with Trumpets, but he did pretty well!

RL plays Robin Red Breast. His costume was made by Regine Tolentino.

The girls have always been Trumpets babies. It was actually KY and my mom who decided to let Riley try out for this summer's Playshop. And my little boy surprised us that he indeed could be on stage!

Today, I am thankful God gave me a mom who loves me unconditionally - who cares for my kids (and gives them opportunities such as this). God knows how much heartache I've caused her (and my dad), and yet they choose to love me (and my family) regardless.

Thankful. Blessed. Loved.

Day 32: Babysitter!

Our nanny had to go home to her family for the weekend. It was her husband's birthday. So I was alone with  the kids - only, I had a ton of errands to run.

I was contemplating on taking RL downtown with us to get supplies. I was low on ribbons, tulle and NappyCake stuff, plus I had to look for toys for a special cake. But I didn't want him getting lost in the fray of crazy shoppers, especially since he's at that age where exploring is a must.

So I took a chance and asked KY if she could babysit for me.

And she said YES!

RL and his "achi" KY. Hehehe. Best babysitter in the world. No charge! LOL!

Yay! That solved a million and one problems, plus I had the best babysitter in the world! Blessed! 

Day 30: A Gift for RL

I had to rush over to a supplier over lunch Thursday as I suddenly had five NappyCake orders. I haven't been actively making these cakes since we had moved out of the Ortigas area, but I do get a few per month. But God has a way of giving you what you need, when you need it, and I suppose He knew I needed the extra cash. Alas, within a period of one week, these orders came pouring in.

So yes, I had to rush to a supplier to get stuff. I've known this supplier since I first started making diaper cakes. She loves my kids and saw them grow up. She was surprised to see how fast RL has grown. The first time she saw RL, he was barely a month old, and she held him for a good hour while I ransacked her stock room.

So it was a delight for her to see him again (the last time I think was early this year). She gave RL a couple of shirts, just because. I love how she took these shirts out of the pile and gave them to RL as gifts.

RL with his gifts from Manang V. 

Blessed!

Day 26: Tayo!

My little boy is crazy over Korean animation - Pororo, Chiro, Cocomong, Tayo, etc. Because of this, I've been trying to find Tayo toys for him for over a month now. Apparently, there are no sellers, and if there are, they rob you of your hard-earned moolah (mahalia!).

Well, my SP friend CP went to Korea last week and got her little boy a ton of Tayo toys. She posted photos on Instagram and I asked her about the toys. Turns out, she knows of a seller here! So I went to this secret place owned by a Korean last Sunday to check out this seller's store... Lo and behold, Pororo heaven!

And she sold Tayo toys, too. Her prices are okay, pricey compared to other toys, but way, way cheaper than those selling original Korean toys online. All her items are original and from Korea.

Tayo, Tayo... Tayo, Tayo... he's a friendly little bus!

This was actually the highlight of my Sunday, aside from finding the Yum Yum Bento Box book at the Fully Booked! Booth at the Manila International Bookfair. I got A really excited with this book. She loves it when I make time to make her lunch.

This made the trek to SMX (on MOA's sale weekend!) all worth it.

It makes me happy to see my kids happy. What makes your day?

Day 19: RL for GetBlued!

RL once modeled for GetBlued - the official Ateneo Shirt company owned by K-Cube. When he first modeled their I "Heart" Ateneo shirt, RL was just a year old, and could barely fit into the smallest shirt. So my brother and his friends made adjustments (more like they used clips to hold the shirt back, just so the photos would come out good, LOL!).

He hasn't worn the shirt since. Well until yesterday, and I was blessed to take great photos, while we were enjoying our "FREE" Strawberry Mango Fruit Slush from the Fruit Magic Cafe at Shopwise (well, not exactly FREE, but I didn't have cash on me because it's tuition week at A's school and I am trying to save up! And I remembered I had purchased Metrodeal coupons for Fruit Magic back in the summer!).

I had posted the photo on Instagram and Facebook, and tagged my siotis from GetBlued. After which I get a text from my brother that they're posting his photo on the GetBlued page.

My handsome little boy modeling the I ♥ Ateneo shirt for GetBlued. 

Needless to say, I am proud. Thank You, Lord, for blessing me with a handsome, and smart little boy!

Day 18: Token Prize!

The kids and I attended a party Saturday afternoon. After which, I decided to take them to a nearby mall to check out Daiso. RL, who hates shopping, was pretty bored and wanted to go home. I had no nanny over the weekend, so I had no choice but to take the kids. After 10 minutes or so, RL was ready to throw a fit, exclaiming all the excuses about how he was bored, sleepy, tired, etc. Until he saw Tom's World. 

Because I knew a small plush (yes! another plush!) would give me at least half an hour of peace, I gave in and bought P50.00 worth of tokens. This is what we won! A 6-inch Stitch in Bee Costume Plush (from the claw machine) and an Angry Birds Bath Towel (from the Cube Machine)!

Yay! We won these! And spent only P50 playing!

My little boy went home happy, and Momma and A got to shop at Daiso in peace. Hehe. Thank You, Lord, for family Saturdays.

Day 12: I Spy an iGuy!

We've been saving up for an iGuy for the iPad. I haven't been able to leave the iPad at home with RL (who practically owns it, given that he's on it more than anyone else) as I am scared he might accidentally drop it.

It's been out of stock for a while. So it was a cool surprise to see new stocks available (and for the New iPad, too!) at Digital Walker, V-Mall! I wasn't even planning on checking out the store. We were snacking on fresh lumpia, kwek-kwek and french fries (yes, what a combo!) when I decided to take a peek.

Hi-5 on the iPad, safe in the iGuy.

I still don't tell RL that the iPad is sitting in my closet at home, safely tucked inside the iGuy, but I have given instructions to Ate J to give it to him when he'd ask. Somehow, the cat also loves the smell of the iGuy and has been trying to bite it. So RL can only use the iPad on the bed, inside the bedroom with the door closed. LOL.

Nevertheless, I am thankful we were finally able to get one!

Day 5: Ironman and Thor!

I am blessed to have brothers who dote on my kids. Today, my brother KM took A down to Nuvali in Sta. Rosa to bike. A recently learned how to ride a two-wheeler, and just loves going around with my brother, his fiancee C, and C's nephew, E.

Happy biker!

Meanwhile, my little brother KA went to an arcade and won RL a small Ironman plush. He went to that arcade at Summit Ridge in Tagaytay, just so he could win something for RL.

With Ironman and Thor! Rawr! LOL!

We later went back and won another Thor Plush from the Claw Machine.

I am blessed to have two brothers who love and care for my family.

What are you thankful for today?

Day 3: Extra Time!

Many of us are quick to count material blessings, but fail to see the other things that come in disguise.

My little boy RL has been fretting about spending more time with his friend, C - daughter of our family friends A & E. We're headed out of town tomorrow with my folks, so RL doesn't have the weekend to play with C. They're here only until Thursday, as they head back to Okinawa (where E is based as a US Navy nurse), and then eventually, back to the US. So this might quite be their last trip back to the Philippines until who-knows-when.

RL & C - best friends across the miles.

We went out for dinner last night and had discussed tentative plans for next week (so much to do, so little time). Needless to say, RL was sad he won't get to play with C over the long weekend.

But wait! God knows the desires of our hearts! He knows the desire of RL's heart! Just a few minutes ago, I got a text to let me know that we will only be out 'til Sunday, since the hotel couldn't confirm our booking for Sunday night. Yay! That means, we will be back to spend time with our friends on Monday! And the whole day, too, since I won't have work!

God knows. Aren't you thankful that He does? 

"We know that in everything, God works for the good of those who love him." Romans 8:28 NCV

Day 1: Back!

I figured that sooner or later, I'd have to get back on this blog. Finally found a way to get around to posting everyday with the Blogger app (I hope it works). So anyway...

My cousin RB sent me a PM last week. She asked for my kids' shoe sizes as she had shoes to give away, and I might want them for the kids. A now wears a size 8 (adult), so no, she can't hand down her size 7 sneaks. But she did order a pair of Adidas Running Shoes for her son N, and they were a few sizes too small. She sent this over.

Nice!

Thank you, RB, for thinking about my kids! May you be blessed back a hundredfold!

Did anyone ever send you a surprise blessing?

Day 21: Yohoho! (Take Two!)

Ok, so I was reading through posts on the Disney Junior FB page, and thought to see if I knew any of the other YoHo Treasure Hunt winners from the Philippines. Then I saw this:

Yohoho! So happy to get a second prize! Yay!

Yes, another win! See, the promo site said the promo had ended when we logged in Sunday afternoon. But A insisted that the promo was 'til Sunday and we should still send in an entry. So I tried going direct to the entry page and submitted an entry. So there, we won again! Yay!

God is good! My little boy is doubly-Disney-blessed!

Day 18 and 19: Good Health

I know I mentioned that my little boy was sick over the weekend. And that his fever went away Sunday morning. But it was back a bit on Monday night and then again Tuesday morning. So much so that I got so paranoid just thinking about it yesterday.

It's so hard to have kids who are sick. And to top it off, we have that Dengue epidemic (I don't care what the government wants to call it, but to me, it is what it is) that scares the heck out of me. A was sick Thursday last week, and was sent home from school. Friday, it was RL's turn. So can you imagine my paranoia when his fever recurred Monday evening? (Read: Dengue Scare)

So for Monday, I am thankful to have a pediatrician who loves and cares for my kids - a pediatrician who is on call, who gives out her mobile number so she can reassure you on your child's condition.

I'd rather be sick than have my kids go through it. I get so paranoid!

And because my son's fever didn't recur after his last bout with it at 7am yesterday, I am thankful that RL is okay. No more fever. No more colds. I think we can rule this fever out as his body fighting off the onset of a bad cold? Nevertheless, he is well and that's what counts.

Prayer is the best medicine. Thank you, Lord!

Day 17: RL's Surprise!

Today's blessing is brought to you by Disney Junior!

Before that, let me tell you about another blessing. Yesterday, my little boy was suddenly sick with a fever. At the doctor's clinic, his temperature was a high 38.6°C, which prompted his pediatrician to order a CBC and a Dengue N1 Test - which came out Normal and Negative (Thank you, God!). When we got home from the hospital, his fever shot up to a 39.7°C! This morning, for the first time ever, he complained of a headache. Poor baby.

He slept all morning, and at noon, when I went up to wake him up for lunch, his temperature was down and normal. And now, he is the energetic little boy that he is. His appetite is back, too. He finished a bowl of rice with tortang ampalaya (bittergourd and egg) and a cup of cereals. So yay! I am thankful, Lord!

After lunch, while attempting to send in an entry for Disney Junior's YoHo Treasure Hunt, I was surprised to see that winners for the past days have been posted already. And lo and behold, RL won!

Woot! Can't wait for RL to receive his swag from Disney Junior!!! Yohoho! Treasures ahoy!

There are good days and bad days. Life is a balance.

"And we know that in all things, God works for the good of those who love Him..." Romans 8:28

Day 13: Registered!

Disney Junior Asia is having a Yo Ho Treasure Hunt and I've been trying to get RL registered to the Disney Junior site since Monday. I guess everyone's trying to register, so much so that the site has been unavailable since.

But not today. Today... breakthrough! I was able to access the site and got RL registered! Yes! A has a Disney account as wel, but RL needs his own account for his entry to count as valid. So after lunch, I had the nanny watch Jake and the Neverland Pirates with him, and we had answers for today's Q on the site. Yay!

Join the YoHo Treasure Hunt by watching Jake and the Neverland Pirates on Disney Junior!

I hope RL wins!

What breakthroughs have you experienced lately?

Day 11: Quality Time.

I am a single parent. And single parents don't have all the time in the world. I am blessed to even have the energy to run errands after a full day's work. Yesterday, traffic was terrible on the way home. Apparently, the guys from DPWH just had to repair a whole stretch of concrete right at the mouth of the highway. WOW. The 15-minute drive took me more than an hour.

But blessed little ol' me, my little boy was still awake when I got home. After dinner, I had the chance to run a few errands with him. We had a few serious conversations, too.

My little boy makes me laugh! Conversations like this one are priceless.

I am blessed to have a funny toddler who erases all trace of exhaustion. Thank you, Lord for RL!

Extra time is rare in my family. The extra minutes are blessings! Have you been blessed with the "extras" today?

Day 9: Free Haircut!

Note: Didn't get to blog during the weekend, sorry!


My mom took RL out on a date Saturday afternoon. My kids get separate dates with their Granny, and they both look forward to it. Saturday was RL's day, and my mom took him to get his haircut.

Ever since RL watched both A and me at the salon two months ago, he's been bugging everyone for a hair cut. We were all scared he'd do another Trinoma episode (cried his heart out for all of Trinoma to hear, when we went to have his hair shaved off last year for a wedding), but the last haircut was decent enough. So when my mom asked if she can take RL to get his haircut, I said yes.

Serious little boy getting his long hair chopped. (Photo from KY's iTouch)

The best thing about dates with Granny? My kids get to do what they want (ie. buy what they want) and I don't have to spend a dime! LOL!

I am blessed with a great mother who dotes on my kids. Thank you, Lord.

Day 7: Look'it What Came Today!

Okay, for all of you following this blog, you must be wondering how all these blessings are just pouring in... Believe me, I am scratching my head as well.

When I used to keep a journal as a kid (and even when I migrated that journal to Xanga), I would often note down my blessing for the day. Not everyday, however. So this blog project sure is coming in handy. My days have changed. I now try to see the positive, over the negative.

Today, this came in the mail.

UK Post! Thank you, Trunki!

EDIT: Here is a photo of the Trunki strap!

We recently got our little boy RL a Trunki Freddie the Fire Engine Ride-On from the Hong Kong airport. However, when we got to Manila, we noticed the strap missing. Now, a Trunki isn't a Trunki without the strap. I tried asking resellers if they sold the strap, but none of them had the extras. So I did the next best thing. I wrote to Trunki UK, and guess what? They sent me a new strap via post! For FREE!

To find out more about Trunki and their products, check out their website here.

God is faithful everyday, isn't He? I am amazed and my heart is bursting with joy. 

Day 6: After Years of Searching...

...I finally found another Signs and Symbols poster!

When A was a year old, I bought a similar poster and had her learn all the signs for the Alphabet. In a week, she knew them by heart. This was how I taught her spelling and eventually, how to read. So when RL came along, I wanted the same poster. But I searched NBS for this poster, and they no longer had it. The truth is, I hardly ever look anymore. RL has baby signing books, and he's mastered his signs. But we're currently teaching him the Alphabet and letter-recognition, and it would have been great to use the Signs and Symbols poster.

A needed a new Philippine Map for tomorrow's AP test (we can't find the one supplied by her school). So after lunch today, I decided to check out NBS Quezon Avenue. Was looking through the poster rack for maps, and there it was, a stack of Signs and Symbols posters!

Signs and Symbols Poster - P25.00! Cheap, too!

I know it isn't a big deal, but I am so happy! Hahaha!

Are you happy with even the smallest of blessings? Count it all joy!