Secrets of A Working Mom

I am a working mom. I have three boys aged thirteen (13), eleven (11) and three (3). I am a wife. I have a household to manage. I also work as a senior research analyst during the day. I love my job. I love my family. How do I keep up with all the things that I have to do? Here's a list of the things I usually do to keep my sanity and make sure that everything goes well at work and at home.

(1) Identify major things that need to be accomplished for the month. I have a calendar where I write all the birthdays, important school and office events, and due dates of bills that need to be paid for the month. This helps me a lot in time management and budgeting as well as in planning activities/vacations/trips for the family.

(2) Apart from the monthly calendar, I also make a daily list of the things that I need to do for the day.

(3) I have accepted the fact that I cannot do everything alone. Because of this, I have learned to identify which tasks I can delegate to other members of the family (including our household helper) and which ones I have to attend to personally.

(4) I report for work early and usually leave the office on time. Yes, I leave the office on time but I work really hard during the hours that I am at the office. The result? I never miss deadlines but I get to have dinner with my boys.

(5) Weekends are for my family. Para kaming value meal kapag weekends. Inseparable, they say.

(6) I try to plan for at least two family getaways/vacations/trips in a year. Hubby and I believe in making memories and these trips have always brought the family closer.

(7) Hubby and I make sure we have time to be "hubby and wife" naman. We go out on dates every chance we get. Plus, we both love running so we join running events almost every week.

(8) I attend PTCs to keep myself updated of my sons' performance and behavior in school. I also give my contact numbers to the teachers and tell them that I would appreciate getting feedback (whether positive or negative) about my children.

(9) I try to find time to do the things I love to do like blogging and keeping in touch with my friends via Facebook.

(10) Even though I am a planner by nature, I save some room for spontaneity. This keeps the fun and excitement in the family.

There. I hope that this will, somehow, help other working moms. Marami mang kailangang gawin, kaya natin 'to! We're too blessed to be stressed! :)

Proud Nanay Moment

Congratulations, Kuya Maki!

Third Honors, Best in Language, 7th placer - Battle of the Brains, 3rd placer - Math Congress

I'm proud of you, son! Life is beautiful because I have you.

Recognition Day 2012

I was invited by the school administrator of St. Mary's Angels College of Valenzuela to become the guest speaker during their 12th Commencement Exercises yesterday, March 30 (Friday). I was asked to prepare an inspirational talk about this year's theme, "Your Gift of Learning, Our Tool for Nation Building." The event was originally scheduled at 1-3pm but was later moved to 8-10am. Let me share the speech that I prepared:

Magandang umaga sa inyong lahat.

Isang malugod na pagbati ang taos-puso kong ipinaaabot sa lahat ng mga mag-aaral, magulang at guro na nandito ngayon. Ikinagagalak kong maging bahagi ng okasyong ito sapagkat ang pagdiriwang na ito ay isang pagpapatunay na may tagumpay na naghihintay sa lahat ng nagsisikap. Sa mga magagaling na estudyanteng nasa harap ko ngayon, sulit na sulit ang inyong paggising nang maaga halos araw-araw para pumasok. Sulit na sulit ang maraming oras na nilaan ninyo sa pagbabasa ng inyong mga aralin at paggawa ng mga proyekto. Sulit na sulit ang inyong pagsisikap sapagkat ngayon, kikilalanin kayo at ang inyong kapuri-puring galing at talino.

Ngunit bakit nga ba ganoon na lamang ang inyong kagustuhang pagbutihin ang inyong pag-aaral? Bakit kailangang mag-aral at gumawa ng mga takdang-aralin samantalang mas masayang magbabad sa Facebook o Twitter? Bakit kailangang pumasok araw-araw samantalang mas nakakalibang maglaro ng Tetris o di kaya’y mag-Temple Run?

Sa isang banda, bakit nga ba ganoon na lamang ang pagpapahalaga ng ating pamahalaan sa edukasyon? Bakit ganoon na lamang ang tiyaga ng mga guro na ibahagi sa inyo ang karunungan at hasain ang inyong mga kakayahan?

Alam kong batid ninyo na ang edukasyon ay mahalagang kasangkapan para sa katuparan ng inyong mga pangarap. Alam kong nais ninyong maging maganda ang inyong kinabukasan at ang kasalukuyan ang magiging sandigan nito. Sabi nga ni Pope John Paul II, “The future starts today, not tomorrow.” Kung kaya’t ang pagsisikap para sa katuparan ng pangarap ay kailangang simulan na ngayon.

Maganda ang magkaroon ng pangarap sa buhay. Nagkakaroon ng direksyon ang taong may pangarap. Nagkakaroon ng dahilan ang bawat hakbang na ginagawa niya sa kasalukuyan. Nagiging malinaw sa kanya ang landas na dapat tahakin.

Alam kong ang bawat isa sa inyo ay may kanya-kanyang pangarap na gustong makamtan. Marahil, marami sa inyo ang nagnanais maging duktor, abogado, guro, inhinyero, atbp. Sa sipag at galing na inyong ipinapakita ngayon pa lang, hindi malayong inyong maabot ang inyong mga gusto sa buhay.

Ngunit ang pangarap ay maaaring hindi lamang pansarili. Ang isang pamilya ay maaring magkaroon ng iisang pangarap o hangarin. Gayun din ang isang pamayanan. Gayun din ang isang bansa. Hinihiling ko na ngayon pa lang, maging mas malawak ang inyong kamalayan. Lahat tayo ay bahagi ng isang kabuuan at ito ay ang sambayanang Pilipino kung kaya’t hinihikayat ko kayong magsikap hindi lamang upang mapaunlad ang inyong mga sariling buhay kungdi pati na rin ang inyong pamayanan at ang ating bayan.

Ang ating bawat gawain, maliit man o malaki, masama man o mabuti, ay nakaaapekto hindi lamang sa ating mga sarili kungdi pati na rin sa ating lipunan. Walang pinipiling edad o estado sa buhay ang kagustuhang makatulong sa pagpapaunlad at pagpapabuti ng ating bansa at ito ang nais kong isapuso ninyo. Ngunit ano nga ba ang maaaring gawin ng mga batang katulad ninyo? Paano kayo makatutulong sa pagpapaunlad ng ating bansa?

Sa tahanan at paaralan, binabahagi sa inyo hindi lamang ang karunungan kungdi ang mabuting pag-uugali at tamang disiplina. Isabuhay ninyo ang mga ito ngayon pa lang. Igalang ang mga nakatatanda. Makinig sa payo ng inyong mga magulang. Maging tapat sa inyong mga pakikitungo. Itapon ang basura sa tamang lugar. Matutong pumila. Sumunod sa batas trapiko. Kapag sinabing “bawal tumawid, nakamamatay” o “bawal tumawid, may namatay na rito,” totoo ‘yun. ‘Wag nang mapilit. May tamang tawiran naman. Sumunod sa mga alituntunin ng inyong paaralan at pamayanan. Ang mga ito, at marami pang iba, ay kayang-kaya nyo nang gawin ngayon pa lang. Tandaan ninyo, simple mang pakinggan, ngunit ang pagiging disiplinado at mabuting anak, estudyante, at mamamayan ay makatutulong nang malaki sa pagpapaunlad ng ating bansa.

Mahalagang simulan na ninyo ang pagsabuhay ng magandang pag-uugali at tamang disiplina ngayon pa lang upang ang mga ito ay inyong dalhin sa paglaki, kung kailan mas marami at mas malaki na inyong papel sa lipunan. Alalahanin ninyo, kayo at wala nang iba pa, ang tagapagmana ng ating dakilang bansa. Alalahanin ninyo na kayo ang pag-asa ng ating bayan.

Hindi nyo mamamalayan, matatapos kayo sa inyong pag-aaral. Marahil, ang batch na ito ay magbunga ng magagaling na duktor, abogado, guro, inhinyero, senador, o maging Pangulo. Pagdating ng panahon, panalangin kong gagamitin ninyo ang karunungan at kasanayan upang tulungan, hindi lamang ang inyong mga sarili, kungdi ang ating bansa. Sa inyong mapipiling propesyon, nawa’y mangibabaw ang kagustuhang pagsilbihan at tulungan ang ating kapwa Pilipino lalung-lalo na ang mga kapos-palad sa abot ng inyong makakaya. Nawa’y maging tapat kayo sa inyong magiging tungkulin at maging handa sa lahat ng suliranin na inyong haharapin. Higit sa lahat, panalangin ko na maging matatag kayo laban sa maraming tukso, lalung-lalo na ang tukso ng karangyaan at kapangyarihan. Umaasa ako na, pagdating ng panahon, taglay pa rin ninyo ang mabuting pag-uugali at tamang disiplina upang maging madali ang pagtahak ng tuwid na daan tungo sa wastong pamumuhay at mas maunlad na Pilipinas.

Kayganda siguro ng Pilipinas, pagdating ng panahon.

Kaya’t patuloy ninyong sikaping maging mabuti at kapaki-pakinabang sa tahanan, paaralan, pamayanan, at bansa. Patuloy ninyong pagbutihin ang inyong pag-aaral. Give your best in everything that you do. Strive for excellence. Lagi ninyong iisipin, biniyayaan kayo ng kakaibang galing at talino kaya’t hindi pwede ang pwede na. Kailangang galingan at maaasahan ninyo, maganda ang kinabukasang naghihintay. At habang ginagawa ninyo ang mga ito, maaasahan ninyo na nandito kami, ang inyong mga magulang at mga guro, upang tulungan, gabayan at mahalin kayo.

Sa ngayon, celebrate with your family and enjoy your vacation. Don’t forget to thank your teachers and parents for the love and support they have given you. More importantly, don't forget to thank God and offer all these for His greater glory. Again, congratulations and good morning.

Mako 101: Pak-Tik

Pak-tik - plastic

Ex: "Uya Piko, balik mo po ta pak-tik toy ko."

- "Kuya Miko, balik mo po sa plastic toy ko."

Pak na pak! :D

Brick Game

Remember when I told you about how Mako cried because he wanted us to get him an iPad?

I tried to console him by offering other toys including this:

(Hubby and I bought this for only P65. We thought the Kuyas would like it because they are so crazy over Facebook's Tetris. Pero fail. When we showed this to them, they were not interested. Hindi daw colored?! Kaloka.)

For a moment he stopped crying to look at the new toy. Unfortunately, when I turned it on the sound was too loud so Mako started crying again and said,"No, Mommy. Noooo! Ayaw ko nyan. 'Di 'yan iPad! Ingay 'yan, Mommy. Ingay!"

Kaloka! Anak, noong panahon ni Mommy, astig ka kapag may ganyan ka. 9999 in 1 pa 'yan o! :)

Anyway, Hubby and I explained to the little guy that we cannot afford to buy an iPad at the moment. Our little darling stopped crying and was back to his usual cheerful self after we told him that, for that evening, he gets to choose what to watch on TV (read as: Disney Junior's Timmy Time, Word World, Jungle Junction and Little Einsteins).

PS: Pero hindi naman sayang ang bili namin dyan sa Brick Game. Meron namang natuwa... si Yaya. Aba, aba. Pangarap pala ni Yaya ang magkaroon ng Brick Game. Ayan natupad na. Hahaha! :)

The Magic of Physiogel

My three-year old has sensitive and dry skin. I have already tried different brands (from affordable to expensive ones) but saw minimal to no improvement on his skin. Certain areas (particularly his legs and the back of his knees) remained dry, rough and itchy. My poor baby became cranky during the day and couldn't sleep well through the night because he kept scratching and scratching. It broke my heart to see how uncomfortable my baby was. He kept showing me the dry spots as if telling me, "Mom, do something!"

Fortunately, our pediatrician suggested we try Elica ointment (for a couple of days) and Physiogel cleanser and lotion. They were a little pricey but when I saw how fast my son's skin improved after a few applications only, I can say that the products really gave us our money's worth! No more itchy, dry and rough skin for my baby! He was his usual cheerful self and he slept well through the night. *insert sigh of relief here*


Physiogel lotion is hypoallergenic and unscented... perfect for sensitive skin. Before, a 200-ml bottle cost almost P900 but last month, I was able to buy one for only P650! You should have seen how happy I was. Haha!

Yes, my son still uses Physiogel lotion. There were times when I gave in to temptations of trying cheaper brands but always regretted the decision because the dryness and itchiness always came back. I ended up spending more, hence, I promised myself it will only be Physiogel for my son from now on.

For moms of babies with the same skin concern, I suggest you ask your pediatrician about Physiogel. It did wonders for me and my baby. It might work for you, too! :)

Our Little Helper

I wrote about how our little boy enjoys helping his Mom and Dad in his own little way here.

Here's another picture of our cutie patootsie:


Aaaawwww... His Daddy and I kept telling him Daddy can push the cart so he can walk and get items with Mommy but our little helper insisted. I just had to take this picture.

The Day Mako Pretended to be Asleep

It was already way past his bedtime so I firmly told my three-year old I had to turn off the TV so he can sleep. After a few minutes...


But I know my little boy from head to toe so I knew he was up to something. After a few pokes and tickles here and there, the little boy looked like this. Aha!



You just have to try harder next time little guy. Hahaha. :)

GMA

One evening, I was busy checking my Facebook and Twitter account while Mako was, as usual, focused on his writing. Suddenly, he called me and said, "Mommy, alam ko saan ka office. Dito o, GMA."

And he showed me this...

Aaaawwww... ikaw na talaga, anak! Ikaw na! :)

PS:
Thought bubble: If I showed this to our big boss, would he have given me a bonus? Haha. :)

Mako Learns How to Write

Months ago, Mako learned how to write the alphabet with a little help from me. And I mean little. Usually, Mommies would first show the letter to the kid then hold his/her hand to guide him/her through the strokes. This is how I taught the Kuyas. Mako, however, is different. He would let me show him how the letter looks but refuses to let me hold his hand to show him the strokes. He wants to figure out how to write the letter all by himself. Kaloka but in fairness to him and much to my surprise, he was able to do it.

Here's our little boy's first attempt to write the letter "A..."


... and here's his I-told-you-I-can-do-it-alone look.


Like me, Mako is also very determined. When he wants to learn something, he focuses on it and doesn't stop until he gets everything correctly. Because of this, he quickly learned how to recognize and write all the letters of the alphabet leaving me and Hubby in awe. Given his remarkable interest, I decided it was for him to learn how to write his name. At natutunan naman niya ito... agad-agad!



What was even more bongga, after a few tries, he was able memorize the letters and write his name on his own.

Pero hindi pa pala tapos ang ating bida. He wanted to learn more. He wanted to know how to write the names of Daddy, Mommy, Kuya Miko and Kuya Mako.





I am one proud and happy Mommy. :)

PS:
Dear Mako, may you always have the passion for learning and the drive to become excellent in everything that you do.

Our Little Helper

Here's a picture of our little boy helping Daddy put all the items in the counter. My heart is filled with pride and joy every time I see our little darling eager to help out in his own little way.

Mako and Haircuts

Ganyan kami noon...


Ganito na kami ngayon!


No more iyakan, he stayed put and behaved well the entire time. Yey! Congratulations, my darling Mako. Because of this recent achievement, you are now officially a member of the #gupit-sa-murang-halaga club! :)

Cool Shirt for Mako

Hubby and I found this shirt and bought it right away for our little darling. :)

Ang Hiling ni Mako

Last week, Mako came home crying. Ayaw tumahan ni Kulit. Here's his drama moment:

Reason for crying? He wants an iPad. Oh yes, our little bulol baby declared very clearly that he wants an iPad. I almost fainted. At three years old ha. Dinaig ako sa pangarap, grabe. I'm so sorry, anak. You're too young for very expensive things. Let's get something else na lang... a new toy dinosaur perhaps? :)

Mga Likha ni Mako

At three years old, promising si Mako sa pagiging artist. Here are some of his works:

"Baboy Pig"


"Ephant" --> This is my personal favorite. May perspective o! Hindi ko maiisip ito. Pwedeng logo. #proudnanay


"Fahwer"

"Si Haring Araw at Ang Aming Tahanan"

Mana sa Daddy at mga Kuya. :)

Happy Monday

Yesterday, I practically dragged myself out of bed so I can prepare for work. We had a busy weekend so I still felt sleep-deprived. However, I knew I really had to go to work because our team is busiest on Mondays. As a consolation, I just promised myself eight hours of sleep in the evening (which I did not keep after hitting the sack at 11pm).


E bakit kamo Happy Monday ang title ng post ko? Kasi...

I thought it was my usual boring Monday until I checked Mommy Fleur's blog and found Mako in This Kid is It! Mommy Fleur is a popular mommy blog and is part of my daily read because her stories about her hubby, baby and helpers are so nakakaaliw. Seeing my baby Mako in her kiddie fashion section just put me on Cloud 9! :)

But wait... there's more...

When we got home, a Happy Gram from Kuya Maki's school was waiting for me and Hubby! Our boy ranked 3rd in class and will also receive the Best in Language award. Happiness overload! :)

And finally, a long weekend awaits the family because Hubby and I will be on leave this Friday to attend Kuya Maki's Recognition Day.

So there... my usual "Tinatamad-I-want-to-go-home-agad Monday" turned out to be great! :)

How Are You?

Hubby and I usually spend time with our bunso before going to bed. Mako knows that time with Daddy is play time. Time with Mommy, on the other hand, is usually study time.

Last night, we did a quick review of previous lessons.

Me: 'Ko, what's your name?
Mako: My name is Akel Ayus Vivas (Michael Ramius Vivas)!
Me: How old are you?
Mako: Twee (3)!
Me: How are you?

I expected him to answer, "I'm fine. Thank you." This is what Hubby and I taught him. Instead, our little darling answered, "I'm fine. Love you!"

My heart melted. My son is the sweetest... and I am the luckiest. the happiest. the proudest.

Thank you, Lord, for the wonderful gift of motherhood.