Nature and Nurture

My husband and I were having one of our usual conversations when suddenly my son did an amusing thing which made us both laugh. I remember telling Alvin to look at what his son has been doing and he just told me "that's what you've prayed for right?" And true enough it was what we prayed for when Liam was still inside my tummy. We always prayed for gifts for our then unborn son, name it, we've prayed for it. Any parent would only want the best for his kids right? Intelligence, wisdom, good physical abilities, and a good heart. And after 18 months of being parents to him we're slowly seeing these gifts with him. We are thankful but we are also challenged. You see, being an Education graduate allowed me to cross paths with this "Nature and Nurture" thing with kids. I realized that having the gifts are not enough. Nurturing the gifts is as important as well. As a parent, you should by all means try in your best capacity to nurture these gifts. That is what Alvin and I will be working on. Seeing how Liam has developed over the last 18 months made us realize that God granted what we have asked of Him. The harder part is how we can nurture these gifts so Liam can grow up to be one person who has maximized all his potentials for the greater glory of his Creator. He is just 18 months and it's a long way for us.We just hope that by the time Liam is old enough to decide for himself, we have done our share of correctly nurturing all his God-given gifts. As for now, we are enjoying every bit of opportunity God has given us to marvel on this little creation He has made and has entrusted to us.

Brush, brush, brush

These are the first three words of a toothpaste commercial or the commercial jingle my son enjoyed watching and listening when we were still in Manila. At first, I thought that he was just amused with the rhythm and the rabbit that was dancing along with the kids. But it soon became a favorite. And when his baby teeth erupted one after the other, this song became more than just a song. We are not experiencing any difficulties brushing the teeth of my 18-month old son because of this song. We started brushing his teeth when all his (hmm, I'm going to be a little technical here) upper and lower central and lateral incisors erupted and also when he started eating solids. The first time we attempted brushing his teeth was a success! No tantrums, no crying on Liam's part. No headaches or tempers rising on our part. And it was all because of the song. Before we started brushing his teeth, we first sang the song. After hearing his favorite song, he obliged right away, with Mum brushing his teeth. And the rest as they say is history. Now, we're allowing him to hold his toothbrush and get to experience brushing his teeth all by himself. And until now, we are not encountering problems with this. I'm lucky my son loved the commercial. I will be forever thankful for the creators of that commercial. It surely made one of the toughest jobs of a first-time parent a lot easier!

24/7

Being a full time mum for only four months allowed me to see the beauty of being a mum. I once read a book about motherhood and how it has presented the other side of being a mum. It's not a bed of roses and at this point I very much agree with it. But the four months I have stayed at home while trying to strike a balance between being a mum and a wife allowed me to become a better person. There are frustrating days but more than that I am very happy to have personally witnessed how my 18-month old son has progressed over the months. Simple things but it did bring joy to me. Here are some of the things I am thankful for now that I am still a mum 24/7.

1. I was there when he finally said Papa and Mama very clearly.

2. I was there when he learned how to tell me or his Papa that he wanted to poop. (Saving a lot of nappies for us here!)

3. I was there when he responded to my question in a complete sentence, "What do you want Liam?", "I want dede Mama"

4. I was there when he first tried to eat by himself using his Papa's baby utensils or with the use of his bare hands.

5. I was there when he started attempting to climb up the slide enjoying it at the same time.

6. I was there when he learned how tell me he wanted to eat, he wanted to drink, he wanted to watch his favorite TV shows or listen to his favorite songs.

7. I was there when he frst attempted to sing his favorite song.

8. I was there when he first showed a big interest in buses and trucks.

9. I was there when started climbing the stairs on his own.

10. I was there when he started associating things with people.

11. I was there when he tried to imitate his Papa when using the laptop.

12. I was there when he imitated the funny faces his Mama was doing.

13. I was there when he started to enjoy the company of his cousins and not wanting to be left all by himself.

14. I was there when he understood that he cannot play outside beacuse it was raining.

15. I was there when I tried to teach him the value of patience (still at work here though)

16. I was there when he pretended to read a book we gave him.

There maybe a lot of things I missed writing but everytime there is a first I can't help but be thankful for the opportunity to be with him when he did it. I had a terrible time accepting that I'll just be staying at home and will not be working anymore. A friend told me once that being a full time mom and wife will grow on me and true enough it has started to grow in me.

Of Driving and English Tests!

My journey the past few months has been a bit more challenging. Having migrated to  Australia allowed me to experience a lot of firsts. Well, come to think of it, it's not really a first for me since I have done it ages ago. What am I talking about? It's my driving test and my IELTS test. Why do I need to take the driving test? Well, for one, it is a necessity here in Australia. Commuting here is a bit harder as compared to Manila. You have to always be on time or you might end up missing your bus and waiting for another 30 minutes at the bus stop! If you wouldn't want to waste time waiting you only have one option and that is to walk. The distance is no joke. I found myself always using the "Plan Your Trip" option in the website of the bus company. I can't risk wasting time with my son in tow. So I really have to pass my driving test. I passed the Knowledge Test but unfortunately, I haven't passed my practicals yet. It's so hard to pass the test here they say. Or is it? I tried my best to follow all the rules but I just can't seem to please my examiners. The first attempt, I had problems with speed and parking. I can accept the parking, after all it was parallel parking and I haven't had a lot of opportunities to do it even when I was in Manila. But the speed? Oh, come on! The second try, it was still my speed. If at first I was too slow for my examiner, this time I was overspeeding! These scenarios definitely look familiar. It was like when I was writing my thesis. After the first round of defense and changes, I ended up going around circles. I'd undo something and re-do it the next meeting. So now, I am about to take my third practical test and hopefully I can pass it already. It's quite challenging to commute with a pram and a 13-kg baby in tow. Sometimes I ask myself if this is Karma having been a reckless driver when I was still in Manila. Now I can't be as reckless! The system is different and you really have to follow the rules or else! Lucky, my husband passed it it just one take! How I wish I was that lucky! Now for my IELTS exam. I took it the first time in 2006 and since it has been more two years now I have to take it again. The academic version of the test is much harder than the General Training. I need to take the Academic version since it is needed in my profession. I am a teacher by profession and I plan to continue teaching here after my family and I have settled already. IELTS obviously is one of their requirements. I tried to do away with it by telling them that I earned both my Bachelors and Masters degree in Universities where English is the medium of instruction. In addition to that, my industry experience for more than seven years was using English as well as the medium of intsruction. I have written articles and a textbook which were all written in English. But a rule is a rule. So bottomline, I still need to take the test.As I write this blog, I am actually just taking a break from my review. The tips, the reading materials are giving me a headache!  How I wish I can pass both tests in a snap of a finger, but I can't. I have to work hard to earn it. I have to do my best so I can both pass it. I just wish that destiny and luck will be both on my side when I take both tests because I really don't have any plans of taking it again in the near future!

Chef Jeana

No, I am not a Professional Chef  nor did I attend a cooking school. This is just me talking, or should I say writing, about the cook in me. I grew up seeing a lot of cooks at home. My mom, aunts or lolas.  At times I'd just hang around with them and observe how they take the time to prepare and see to it that the family will enjoy our lunch or dinner for that day. At times, my mom would really call me to sit and watch her. She always told me that if I want to get married someday I should learn to cook. Since single blessedness runs in the family and I wouldn't want to become one, I'd really stay and watch. Of course, when I grew up, I started helping prepare the ingredients. Aside from those observations, I also love watching cooking shows. I fondly remember waiting with much excitement for Wok with Yan to start cooking. I even imagined myself having my own cooking show. Funny, but at times when I cook, I pretend to be the host and speak out loud the instructions of  what I am cooking. Well, since I love to eat (who doesn't?) it's not a surprise that now I am already the one cooking and preparing dishes at home. I remember cooking a couple of dishes for family and some friends and not getting the appreciation or reaction I was hoping. I tried baking in Secondary school and managed to get good results. It was from there that I realized that maybe I had the potential to be good cook someday. My cooking career didn't prosper for the lack of materials and time. Maybe, I wasn't also that enthusiastic at that time since I found it hard to prepare all the ingredients and clean up all the mess afterwards. I still cooked though. At times when my mom was out of town, I'd be the one in-charge of cooking our food at home. When I got married, I still didn't have enough chance to cook since my husband is also good cook. I only cooked when my husband was craving for my specialties or if he was busy at work. Now, where is Chef Jeana? She has started with her career and is on the process of becoming better at something she's good at. Being out of work allowed me to do so. Now, Im not only cooking the usual dishes. The past couple of months I've done more dishes like Beef Salpicao and Lengua. Of course, I've done the usual pasta dishes: pesto, red or white sauce. I do a variety of deserts now. I've also started baking again. I can't forget this day when I baked Blueberry muffins and my son enjoyed eating it. He loved the muffin, it was so obvious in the glow of his eyes! This inspired me to continue trying out new dishes. Cooking is hard. It looks easy on TV but it's actually not in real life. It's a labor of love. Of course! I'm cooking for the greatest loves of my life.