First Backlog

Happy new year!

Yes, it's the first day of 2013 and I'm posting my very first blog entry too!

There is one big problem though. As much as I want to write about all the adventures we have been doing the past months, I can't. Still can't. I even want to write my goals for this year, and Liam's pending trip to Melbourne to watch the Australian Open, but I still don't have the luxury of time.

Yes, backlogs to start the new year! Good sign or bad sign? Naaah. I'm just choosing to do the more important ones.

I know i will have the time to write all of those, soon ;)

Catching Up!

It's the school holidays and the kids are in Yogies so I get to finally catch up on my blogging!

Pardon me because it might be a long post. I just decided to put everything here than make or write separate blog entries for each of the stories I want to share :)

We are already on the last quarter of the year and yes, it is becoming busier by the day!

While on school holidays and I have my niece and nephew to help me out in taking care of Sam, I decided to start preparing for her birthday party. I know it's still a month away, but since I'm already booked by the first three weeks of Term 4, I decided now is the best time to do it. As I have mentioned it before, I don't work well with pressure hehehe :)

Here are the things that are keeping me busy the past few days:

I made the lolly bags, prepared the birthday banner, bought the balloon pack, bought the lollies, made my own pinata (I find the ready made too expensive!), did and put the thank you tags for the party favours and bought the plates, cuttlery etc. needed for the party. I'm still thinking if I will be making  personalized name tags for the kids...haven't decided at this point, although I already bought the materials :)



sorry upside down! lollies for the big kids' lolly bags
(the little ones will have a separate one c/o the venue)

additional lollies for the pinata

my DIY pinata, saving me $15 bucks!

labels of the girls' party favours



the props -- birthday candles, sparklers, trumpets, face paint, tattoos,
 birthday banners, balloon pack, medals, lolly bags

I have already updated the guest list as some of our guests have sent their "regrets" of not being able to join us. I still need to place the food orders, I'm giving myself until a week before because I have given our guests until 14 October to confirm their attendance. That way, I won't be ordering too much food.

I still need to ask and think of people who can help me out with the face paint, putting on tattoo, giving of prizes, and of course documentation. I can already ask my two nieces to give the party favours for the kids after the party. This is the hardest part of having a party, the small details -- they are driving me nuts hehehe. I am stopping myself because I originally planned to have a VERY SIMPLE one, so I'm not going to stress myself with this (fingers crossed!).

That is the big event for next month. Although prior to that, most of our weekends have been booked with other kids' parties, not to mention that we will have the annual family day of BAT by the 13th of October, again at Luna Park.

Another thing that is keeping me busy is our next travel as a family!

Yes, I can now spill the beans as we decided not to surprise hubby's family anymore!

all ready to fly again as a family! weeee!

My sister-in-law is tying the knot soon and we decided that we will all go home to be there with her on her special day. Weddings are very special occasions where we think, the whole family, as much as possible, should be complete. On our original plan, it is only Alvin who is to go home. We wanted to bring Liam with him, but I'm not 100% at peace with the idea. Besides, Liam had important events here, Moving Up Day (Pre-school grduation) and Kindy transition and of course, we had to think of the expenses. We had to be practical as well, right?

Anyway, to make the long story short, God in His goodness put everything in place, Liam's graduation and Kindy transition will be happening before our the wedding so no conflicts whatsoever, including providing for the funds that we will be needing for the tripS. Yes, we will be stopping over Singapore first before heading to Manila. We will be staying there for four days :) Another bonding activity for the family and another opprtunity to expose our children to another culture. Lucky (very lucky) kids! (Kami ng tatay nila malaki na ng makasakay ng eroplano!)

God has been providing and we can't thank Him enough for allowing us to live comfortably and enjoy plenty of extras (more on this later). We haven't left for our trip but we already incurred expenses like passport renewals (for me and Liam) and flights (SQ flights are not that cheap and we didn't get the ones on sale because we had to consider the chances of possibly rebooking the flights just in case, touchwood, something happens). I'm excited to fly SQ this time because even if you pay more than the other airlines, your travel will really be very comfortable and relaxing. Additonal expenses are of course the hotel bookings (hotel booking has been confirmed, just waiting for the costings from our travel agent), the pocket money we will be spending both in Singapore and in Manila, the entrance fees that we will be paying for the sites we will be visiting in Singapore. Not to mention the wedding gift we will be giving to the newly weds and the early Christmas presents we will be giving to hubby's other siblings.

The funny thing though is we will only be staying in Manila for 7 days. That already includes our  flights to and from Sydney! hehehe Most of our friends are saying, sayang naman ang ginastos sa pamasahe, but we can't stay long since Alvin cannot take a long leave from work and my parents and two younger siblings are scheduled to fly down under to celebrate the holidays with us. This is the first time, in years that my family will be complete, so extending our stay in Manila is non-negotiable.

Anyway, ganoon talaga, ipipikit mo na lang ang mga mata sa gastos para mapasaya ang mga mahal mo. I was actually very excited to see the faces of my in-laws when they see us arrive at the airport if we decided to keep it as a secret to the very end. Natakot lang ako, baka wala kami tulugan when we keep it as a secret hahaha. We just told them about the good news last week and boy, the smile on my MIL and FIL's faces? Priceless :) Joy radiated on their faces. I know they are very happy and excited to see and spend time with their grandkids again after almost a year :)

(My SIL and my parents knew we were all coming home, they had to because we will be part of the entourage. Trying to keep this one a low profile because we don't think we can meet up with friends as much as we would like to. Alvin's relatives from the US are also flying to Manila so I'm already expecting a lot of time catching up with them).

God is good. If this blog can be an instrument to sort of evangelize other people, then so be it. Last Sunday hubby and I were talking of how we felt so "maluwag" ...since I started working. Hubby's salary is more than enough to meet our daily needs and our "luho" every now and then. But me working again made us feel the difference. Some people learning that we will be going to Singapore and Manila are saying that we should grab the opportunity to shop because it's much cheaper there. It made me think, I don't have to go to another country just to shop because, God in His goodness, has allowed me and my family to buy the things we want (and need) here in Sydney. This includes maintaining our two other savings account, the kids' savings account and swiping everything on the credit card bills every month.

I remember our humble beginnings here in Sydney -- hubby doing manual labor, me helping re-pack hairnets  he brings home from work and be paid 10cents  for each pack, and comparing what we are now, I can't help but get teary-eyed. I get teary-eyed because my heart is just overflowing with gladness and thanksgiving, BIG TIME. And so when I see someone who looks like a new migrant (folders, papers on bag, holding a map)...I can't help but remember that three years ago, hubby might have looked like that person...I say a silent prayer for that person, that he will also be blessed in the same way we have been blessed. When I started working as a teacher again, I was extremely surprised with all the calls that I got this year! I mean, the past years, there were days when I didn't get any calls! This year, the calls just kept coming, not that I'm complaining, but I was and am amazed! I was also given my very first 2-week teaching block starting next term. This opportunity made me decide not to push thru with my enrollment. God has been giving me the signals, I'm just too stubborn, ignoring them, still doubting. But when this offer came? It's like one BIG SIGN from God,  flashing in front of me saying: I WILL TAKE CARE OF YOU! BELIEVE! HAVE FAITH! Not keeping all the blessings to ourselves, we try in our own small way to help others in need.

Hubby didn't get the job he applied for (the one which was 15minutes from our place) but we are okay. We after all prayed for humility to accept whatever He wills for us and for Alvin, during the time that we were also praying for him to get the job. So if He says no, then, we know that something better is in store for us :) Keeping the faith.

I'm already a self-confessed Facebook addict, but there are days when I feel it's starting to get boring. Recently, I have discovered new apps which takes my time away from Facebook. It's Instragram, Goodreads and Pinterest.

I am loving Goodreads because I get to have ideas from fellow friends who are book lovers, what books I can read. I have made it my own book club. I get to have ideas about good books and I get to share my ideas of good books that I have read. It reignited my love for reading :) I just finished reading The Time Keeper of Mitch Albom and now I am currently reading Days Like These. The book I am currently reading is a memoir of a cancer patient. Gave me a chance to see what they have to go through just to get Cancer free. I feel it is a good book to read after the Time Keeper. There were "lessons" in Albom's book that were proven in the life of author of Days Like These.

The other one which is keeping me busy is Pinterest. I get to see plenty of nice, cute, brilliant photos! Not only that, it also gives me plenty of ideas about anything under the sun -- weddings, photos, parties, fashion, schooling, home decorating, home keeping and a lot more! Try it :)

Weee! Natapos din. I hope you had fun reading my stories. I hope to be able to update you, time permitting, but if not, you know very well the reasons ;D

Wanting to Remember

I started writing blogs for two reasons: one, I enjoy writing and two, I was kind of hoping to earn extra through blogging.

Thankfully, there is no need for me to write blogs in order to earn. I get to write now because I love and enjoy it and it also serves as my breather from the daily grind of life.

After almost four years of blogging, there seems to be another reason emerging as to why I continue to chronicle my journey: I want to remember.

I'm pretty sure you are familiar with the novel The Notebook. Well if you haven't read it I'm sure you've watched the film.

Having Alzheimer's Disease runs in the family. My father's immediate aunt and my father's own sister were diagnosed to have one. So I am open to the idea that I might have it too in the future. It doesn't help that at the age of 33, I have had 3 major operations that needed general anesthesia.

Because of this possibilty, I now  write because years from now, when I  am old and gray, and who knows with Alzheimers, I would like to have something to  help me remember how my life was before. On how I have lived my life. On how my journey went. I would love Alvin to read it to me as well, just like in The Notebook.

But Alzheimers or no Alzheimers, I'm sure years from now, I will be very happy with the decision I made, of writing my journey to remember all the happy and sad stories and the choices I made.

Hopefully, there will be no regrets, only lessons learned and lessons to be taught in the next generations :)

Blogger Mobile App

Talk about being slow and late. I just discovered that blogger has a mobile app!

I tried it twice on my new mobile and in less than fifteen minutes I had two blogs, published!

Had I known, I would've tried and installed one in the tablet. Well, better late than never, right?

It wasn't so hard considering I also had to put some pictures. Downside though, I can't edit the position of the photos and put some captions.

But overall, I'm just loving it  :-)

My Blog to A Book

February of last year, I remember writing my plans of printing my blogs to a book, so just in case something happens with my account with blogger, I already (and still) have a copy of everything I have written. Like some projects, it was one of those to-dos which is the first to go when a more urgent matter arises. I kept on postponing it until last week. I finally pushed myself to doing it, especially after a friend, qtbelle, had an incident with blogger. The horror stories I have heard before came back to me and I shared it with hubby. He was actually surprised that I haven't done it yet. So hubby was actually the one who reminded me and pushed me to do it.

I re-read some of my past blogs every now and then and I just can't imagine the horror and the anguish I will be feeling when one day I wake up and realize everything is gone! So before that day even comes and that event happens, I played it safe!

Now, I have a copy of everything I have written! Yipee!

Reading them all now, gives me a certain thrill and excitement and awe! Still can't believe I have written sooo much already. Sometimes I can't believe and I still need some convincing that I was the one who actually wrote all of it! LOL :)

Writing has been very helpful for me. It has been my friend and my outlet. It helped me in my adjustment here in Sydney and it continues to help me. It is my avenue for sharing what I'm going through, an avenue to share my blessings, adventures and misadventures.

I am just glad I did it, before it was too late :)

Full Moon

Took a while to write my next blog entry.

Was trying to write about something but I just can't pull my acts together. Was being consumed by a lot of things.

I needed to do a lot of things yesterday (well, actually, I still do), but I wasn't up for the challenge. I tried to run away by going to the shops with my children, but of course when I got home, the issues and the to-dos were still there. But my trip with the kids helped, heaps. Let's just say I was getting lost with all the commotion and they helped me find my way back, just by being themselves :-)

The words are coming out easily now because I feel better :-)

bilog lang siguro ang buwan :-)

LOA

The list of my things-to-do is now at its peak! I actually thought of having an LOA or leave of absence from blogging so I can concentrate on my papers and the other gazillion things needed for our holidays. The deadline of my papers will still be on the end of November, but I am making it to second week of October for two reasons: one, I am not a crammer and two: I really want to enjoy my holidays in Manila (we'll be flying back for a quick vacation end of October).

But, I love writing and blogging is my outlet. Yes, it does take some time when I write, but I also get to spend my me-time when I blog so I can't afford not to blog for a loooong time.

My solution? I will only blog once or twice a week. I will stick with it. Promise. Even if it is very tempting to write. I will stick with it so I can get to do the things that needs to be done.

Go!

Finally, my patience and hardwork has finally paid off! The ball has started to roll, but it has just rolled over a few mm.Why you ask? Becuase I have had one writing task to date, but that doesn't bother me. I just take delight knowing that someone was an angel to me and trusted me to write something the way he (or is it they) wanted to.

I am thankful as well that my mentor, though I keep asking her a gazillion questions about my newest endeavor, hasn't given up on me. Sometimes, I think I already need a Dummies guide as I try to learn new things and explore the blogging world. I didn't know that there is so much than to write and click and send an article. The world of blogging can be very technical and time-consuming at that. Sometimes I find myself spending more time now researching or studying new definitions. I need to because I am taking this one seriously.

I have tried a couple of companies but I think they think my blog is too simple. I think my blog not having a high PR is the reason. But I assure you I would definitely work on that. As soon as I figure out the basics, I would definitely work and improve my blog's PR.

Short and sweet. I told you I would be updating you with my development. Don't worry, more updates to come if the ball has continued to roll.

Ready, Steady, GO!

Yes, I have officially begun my career in blogging. God has been so good He allowed me to have friends who were very generous enough to share their knowledge on this field.

I had a lot of questions and it resulted in my apprehension in pursuing this one. But after a series of e-mails, chats and googles, I think I am more prepared.As what I have told my friend, I didn't want to go into something I am not really ready for. Oh, I'm still not 100% confident but at least most of my questions were answered already. I have just placed my first two bids in a webiste that offered general opportunities for bloggers. I don't know if I will get an approval but if ever it will be accepted than the ball has indeed started to roll!

I actually told my friend that I will be updating her on my progress. As of the moment, I cannot maintain 2 or more blogs. If I do, I might end up neglecting my duties as a wife and as a mum. So, I decided to stick it out with my blogspot first. I am in no hurry. I will start slow. That way, I can assure my future clients that they can expect quality work from me.

I would like to thank my friend Mitch, whom I already treat as my mentor, when I finally decided to give this one a try. Hopefully, like my past mentors at work, I can make her proud someday.

I am still keeping my fingers crossed. Hopefully, the ball will start rolling, soon.

Am I Too Late?

Am I too late? Yes, that is the question I am asking myself right now. I think I have been too busy the past couple of years that I neglected my love for writing. Now that I have all the time in the world to write I still see the need to do more. The need to do more, where? Well, last year, when a life-changing decision happened in my life, I decided to launch my writng career again thru blogging and earn on the side, I've realized that I might be a little too late already. It's just sad that now that I am getting into it I see that I still need to read more and more and study more and more.

The internet is so clogged nowadays and there are so many bloggers out there, who like me, would like to earn from writing. The question is, how will I get noticed?There are a number of opportunities to earn through the net but I am still in the stage of being cautious of getting trapped into something that is bogus or not legal.

Am I too late? Well, I still don't know. I am still a work in progress when it comes to paid blogging. A big number of competitors out there! Hopefully, someone will chance upon my site and start the ball rolling!

We'll know. You'll know. I'll let you know.

My Love Affair with Writing

My love affair with writing is not love at first sight. It's an on and off relationship. I never knew I could write until I reached 5th grade.  Since I was trying to follow the footsteps of my brother, who was then the Editor-in-Chief of their schoolpaper, I tried my luck by submitting my own poem. I made it as one of the Literary staffers. I was happy. It was a start.

From then on I find myself grabbing a pen and paper writing anything and everything under the sun, may it be a poem, a feature or even a news account. But after graduating from Primary School, I realized that there was no spark anymore. And so I bid goodbye to writing. Only to find it bugging me again when I was in Senior year. I did write articles, ost of which were news artciles about the latest happenings in the school. But no, I still didn't pursue a career in writing, even if I was our school paper's Associate Editor during my senior year. Winning in writing competitions didn't help as well.I felt that my love for writing is something temporary. After graduating from high school, I bid writing goodbye again.

After my stint in our school paper ended, so was my affair with writing. It didn't bug me until blogging began. Reading all the blog entries of friends made me realize that my affair with writing is far from over. I had a rough start. It wasn't as easy as I thought it would be. There were a lot of attempts, but I just couldn't pull it off.

A few weeks ago I did finally make it. I realized that I can't go back to writing because I tried too hard. I thought too hard. I realized that everything that I wanted to share will come out on its own if I make things simple. If I write from the heart. Now, that I am back, I just can't seem to stop. I have a lot of ideas and topics in mind. Maybe it's the same feeling when you get back with someone you really love.

My love affair with writing is far from over. It's just beginning.