It was July last year when our 6 year old son’s first lower permanent incisors started pushing out.  Having a healthy set of teeth, both milk teeth were still very much intact. One was actually tougher than usual to pull out. It really is a good thing that we introduced our son to a dentist early in his childhood. He was less than two years old that time, I believe. It paved the way for a good early introduction. I remember when I was little visiting the dentist was the least that I look forward to. And that’s putting it lightly. It also helped a lot that we also were able to have him embrace the importance of oral hygiene. He does not do the ideal “Happy Birthday” song twice when he brushes but at least he makes it a point to brush at least twice a day.

It was a week before our son’s 7th birthday when we first saw another two lower incisors pushing out. My initial response was to have the milk teeth extracted to make way for the new teeth. But hubby insisted that we wait until after his birthday celebration. We would not want him to be uncomfortable having an awkward smile on his special day.

Since our son was scheduled for his oral prophylaxis, Doc Pinky also inspected the rest of his teeth. We found out that our little man already has four permanent back teeth (molars).  Aside from that, he was warned to take care not to use his two upper teeth until after his birthday. Both are ready to fall out as the replacement permanent teeth are already pushing their way out!  While Jed might not be the first 7 year old to celebrate his birthday toothless, he prefers to have them on if he can. His birthday celebration is but just two days away, anyway.

When Doc Pinky saw that our son has four permanent molars, she suggested for him to have dental sealant done after the oral prophylaxis. It was actually the first time I have heard of it.  She briefly explained to me what that is and it did make sense to have my son’s molars protected. Ordinarily, I will have to look something up, its safety, benefits and overall reputation before we give it a go. But because we trust our dentist, we had one of Jed’s molar sealed.  Doc Pinky said to just have one molar done for him have a feel of it and do the rest later.

Why is it important for a child’s back teeth to have dental sealant? The grooves of our back teeth are so narrow that ordinary toothbrush cannot fit into those spaces to prevent plaque. Dental sealants protect those grooves from decay caused by plaque. Totally made sense to me, since my back teeth were the first ones that needed filling in my elementary days.

The application of dental sealant is similar to having a light cure filling, from what I observed. The tooth is etched with a mild acid to create retention for the sealant. It is then rinsed and air dried. The liquid sealant, which is flouride fortified is painted into the grooves of the teeth.  Lastly,  high intensity light is used to activate the liquid plastic to harden.

the farthest back molar with dental sealant

Our son, for the most part, breezed through the whole procedure. It was good that Doc Pinky encouraged him to count with her as they waited for the light cure to finish. They counted  from 1 to 25.  Aside from that and the sealant tasted funny, he chattered away trying to tell stories in between procedures.

Dental sealants is  definitely an option that parents should look into as it outweighs the benefits more than the cost.  It only cost us five hundred pesos. While its potential can last up to ten years. Everything considered, it will cost us more to have a filling done in the future than have the sealing done now that our son’s molar is practically brand new and plaque free.

My helper has been with me for a year and a half. The only time I expressed my woes over her was the first few times she took some weekends off and won’t come back at the time she promised she would and would not respond to my text messages. I later summed it up to her adjustment period. Being a social being, she did not feel comfortable yet with us back then and if she had a choice at all, she would really not want to be working as a househelp.

Denna w/ Jed when we celebrated her birthday last November (sorry for the crappy mobile shot)

After having letting go of the helper prior to her (stayed with me for 2 weeks) who left me a phone bill amounting to five thousand pesos, I knew right there that we were better off without a helper. After single-handedly managing my household all by myself for 9 years, including the time when our son was born, how hard can it be? Receiving Denna to our household on December 2010, fresh from our 9th anniversary getaway, we agreed that we will have to do a 2-week trial period. I explained to her that I was actually no longer looking for a helper after the headache I had with the one before her. Who, by the way, I sent to prison to be questioned. I needed to have that done for the girl to learn her lesson.  Apparently, she has done some stealing with her previous employer, which I only found out when I hired her.

Denna, after proving herself trustworthy, was given a raise 3 months since I hired her. I also had her apply for her SSS membership and we started to pay her contribution for her service with us soon after. She also had a birthday and Christmas bonus. Needless to say, we were really happy with her service.

I remember telling her three things when she came. Three things that I needed her to keep in mind.

1. I don’t condone thieves and liars.
2. I don’t like having to tell every single thing she needs to do around the house.
3. Her primary role is to take care of the house. My son, who was 5 years old that time, can practically fend for himself.

Three things that I never had a problem with her about. We leave our jewelry, gadgets, even cash lying around just about everywhere around the house and there was never a single thing that went missing in the duration of her stay with us. She does everything around the house. There was not a time since she came that I needed to tell her to change the beddings, curtain or clean the cars, the fans. She initiated on doing all her tasks without being told. She was pretty consistent. What a gem! Now, I’m not sure if you can actually hire that kind of help from any local agency. If at all, they should provide liability insurance for marketers for them to be able to pay for damages that their recruits cause.

Denna has a boyfriend of eight years. They have been together since she was in high school in Bacolod. Whenever I spoke with her about her boyfriend, she’d always say that they are planning to save up to be married in the next few years. I reminded her the natural progression of relationships and all that. Then this happened. I was amazed at how she was more worried about us as she plans to go back to the province and give birth there.  She teared up as she expressed how awful she feels having to leave us at this time when our family is going through some tough times.  She has been treated like family and our boy loves her.  She first wanted to stay around until the month she is set to give birth but later decided that it is better for her to spend her last trimester back at the province with her family.

We spoke to both her and her boyfriend and assured them that even if they did not plan this baby, God has a purpose for him or her. Denna has a personal relationship with Jesus, so it assures us that the Holy Spirit in her will take care of her as she goes through this. We shared the gospel to her boyfriend, G, but we did not compel him to make a decision. We just needed to be comforted that we will be sending off our Denna to someone who also has  personal relationship with Jesus. We prayed for them before we let Denna go.  She’s very grateful that she now has SSS which she can use to claim her maternity benefit when she gives birth to her child. She promised to come back after giving birth. But I reminded her that she should prioritize her child, first and foremost and make sure to find a church in the province where she will grow spiritually.

Truth be told, finding a reliable and trustworthy househelp is a real gem, these days.  It was the one thing we so thank God for after having experienced how it is to have the exact opposite previously.  After being helper free for 9 years, letting go of our well-loved privacy was a sacrifice for us. But because we owe it to ourselves (myself, really) to rest a little and be a little more comfortable as I can focus more on homeschooling my son and my online job, we had to hire one.  Now, I’m back to my old, domestic goddess self! And what better way to welcome it but by concocting my very own homemade laundry detergent which I will blog about real soon.

We miss Denna a whole lot and she has not been gone a full week yet.  She left at 5 in the morning last Saturday and even managed to prepare breakfast for us before she left for good. How can you not appreciate a helper like that?  Now, whenever well-meaning family or friends recommend a replacement, I gently have to turn them down for all the obvious reasons.

We stayed in Pacific Hotel when we went to Phnom Penh, Cambodia last March 29 to April 1, 2012. From Vietnam we were supposed to go to Siem Reap. But because we were not able to book earlier (we enjoyed HCMC all too well), there were no more slots available for the trip to Siem Reap, Cambodia on March 29. The hotel booking we paid in advance for our stay in Siem Reap went to waste. There was not really much of a choice so, Phnom Penh, it is. Saved us the 12 hour long ride from HCMC, Vietnam to Siem Reap, Cambodia. It also meant we’ll have extra days to go around Phnom, Penh.

Because of the change of plans, we arrived Pacific Hotel in Phnom, Penh, Cambodia two days earlier. We were originally booked with Marcau Hotel by our friend and missionary to Cambodia, Pastor Edu. But Marcau was fully booked upon our arrival. But the manager of Marcau Hotel, Hieng Siek Kim made arrangements for us to stay in Pacific Hotel instead, which we were very grateful for. Nora, the front desk staff of Marcau Hotel was also the one who arranged for us our trip back to Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam on April 1. Having arrived from a seven hour long land trip from Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, all we really wanted was to settle in our room and rest our tired bodies.

Our family got two rooms, one for my boys and me and another for my parents. We took the bigger room. We stayed in Pacific Hotel for three days. For a standard room, there was space aplenty, to our son’s delight.  The hotel is not new, judging from the unresponsive airconditioning unit and fridge.  But nothing that their staff was not able to take care of.

We were just too tired when we got to the rooms that we were not able to take decent photos. There was even a set of cabin furniture that serves as coffee table at the far end of the room. I personally loved the space. I wonder why they charge the same for the room that my parents stayed in, when it was a whole lot smaller.

 I like the spacious toilet with bath tub. But it could have been nicer if they had a bidet installed.

We had our late dinner at Pacific Hotel when we arrived. We just did not have the energy to go around the area and check out other restaurants.  From what we observed, Cambodians speak better English by notches higher than Vietnamese. Their history would explain why. But I did appreciate this as soon as we arrived Phnom Penh. It finally felt, for once in days, that we do not need to struggle communicating with the locals.

Buffet Breakfast at Pacific Hotel was pretty basic.  We still favor Thien Xuan Hotel’s buffet breakfast. Definitely the best from amongst the hotels we stayed in during this trip. If we would go visit Phnom Penh again, we sure will consider to stay in Pacific Hotel again. Plus, the nearby Ratanakiri Spa is worthy of going back to.  The hotel’s location is good. Being just a few blocks away from the nearby Soriya Mall.

While I know I have not posted a lot about our Vietnam – Cambodia trip yet, I thought, I should at least finish with all the hotel reviews since I have already published two posts of the hotels we stayed in Vietnam – Thien Xuan Hotel and Ha Hien Saigon Hotel. I know all too well how hotel reviews come in very handy for travelers. Reviews of real hotel guests are the ones I personally look into when considering hotels for our trips. Pacific Hotel is a decent three star hotel in Phnom Penh, Cambodia.

Pacific Hotel
234 Monivong Boulevard
Sangkat Phsar Thmei II
Khan Daun Penh, Oreussey
Phnom Penh, Cambodia

That homeschool conference reinforced our hearts towards this alternative education, as future parent educators to our then 3 year old. We officially started homeschooling our son the school year following that 2008 Philippine Homeschool Conference. The handful of testimonies that were played during the conference via that mounting bracket for tv, one of which was the testimony of Tim Tebow‘s life, who was homeschooled, played a major role for the hubby to encourage me that despite my feeling inadequate, our family will be able to successfully make it by God’s grace. Four years since and we will still feel as strongly, if not more strong now about homeschooling than we did back then. We have been using the School of Tomorrow curriculum. You will read more of our homeschooling journey via ChristianHomeschooler.info.

This year’s Homeschooling Conference is themed “Laying a Strong Foundation.” It will feature lectures from esteemed homeschooling authorities both here and abroad including: noted inspirational speaker, best-selling author and homeschool parent, Bo Sanchez; and former high school and college educator and best-selling author of award-winning books like “Ultimate Guide to Homeschooling,” “Ultimate Guide to Homeschooling Teens,” and “Ultimate Planners for Moms, Teens and Students,” Debra Bell. The Philippine Homeschool Conference 2012 is happening on May 19, 2012 at 5/F St. Francis Square, Julia Vargas Avenue corner Bank Drive, Ortigas Center, Mandaluyong City.

We have arranged for Jed’s birthday celebration months ahead and everything is set. Friends have offered their services for free! Jed’s photobooth is courtesy of his Ninong Montsch and Tita Iris of Krazy Pix and Leodini’s special appearance is sponsored by his Ninong Ted and Tita Rose! Just recently Tita Annette, Tita Iris’ mom and Dojie offered to take care of the balloon arrangement. And friendship discount for our son’s birthday cake by Ph Bakehouse by Iris.  How sweet can people be? Our family is beyond blessed!

We are doing the party in a spacious fast food place. The package we got includes the host and practically everything else. I don’t have to bother with the sound system, panduit raceway, even the buffet arrangements. But we will use our own music. We will post photos next week of our son’s 7th birthday celebration.

Watching this made me really stop and think for more than a bit. It is going to be a real task to get our son to do away from what he has been accustomed to almost all his life.

First and foremost rule, it is okay to be rude to strangers.  This warrants some serious talking with our little guy real soon.

We can put a lot of pressure on ourselves to produce “successful” kids, and there is no question that parenting requires a lot of hard work. But, what exactly is our role in the process? In this passage, Paul explains the role of a teacher. We believe it applies just as well to a family.

Parents are God’s representatives in the family, and that role is crucially important. In the end, however, we have to surrender the results to God because He is the One “who causes the growth.” He will grow our children into His design. While it is difficult to let go of our design and surrender our kids to God, it is God’s will that they grow less and less dependent on us and more dependent on Him.

You cannot force your child to grow up to be a godly person, but you can be a godly parent. Use your children’s experiences, your example and gentle exploration to “plant and water” your kids, and surrender the results to God.

This explains my heart of hearts even as I see for myself wayward children who were built aright by their parents. The challenge really is to ultimately surrender my child’s future unto God’s hand as we stop at nothing as we pray for him to be the person God has purposed for him to be.

Some Mondays, my boys would do their soccer drills outside the house. Other times Jeff would take out his Alvarez guitar case and jam with his loves. We love music and we’re really thrilled that our son is into it as much. Right from when he was a baby, he’d soothe himself to sleep by doing this rhythmic sound and he hums a tune upon waking! That’s when we know he’s up. And now that he’s grown he sings a tune! He’s our singing alarm clock. Now he tells us he wants to rock for God!

Today we’re doing our family day differently by watching Lord of the Rings. Jeff and I last did a marathon on this favorite of ours in 2002 for its first two installments. Then in 2003 when the Return of the King was shown. It was so good that we finished the books as well. It just tickles me so for our son to get to know the middle earth people and how similar he is to the hobbits. Especially with all the second meals they both take! We’re still watching The Fellowship of the Ring. Wait till  we get to the part where the hobbits are stuck to having lembas all day long. Meanwhile, excuse me please as I squeeze myself in the couch with my boys.

When we arrived at Ha Hien Saigon Hotel, we first thought that it was in the midst of a very secluded district. We later figured that there was a blackout caused by the storm. It all added up when we saw the day after, a few streets that were closed due to uprooted trees.  The road was actually scary when we were in transit back to HCMC. Jed and I prayed that the storm will die down in time for our arrival in Ho Chi Minh and God answered our prayer. It was only drizzling when we got off the bus to take a cab to our hotel. As for its location, Ha Hien Saigon Hotel is right smack HCMC’s Museum of Fine Arts and around three blocks away from Benh Thanh Market.

Lobby is considerably bigger than your usual HCMC hotel

Unlike the staff who welcomed us in Thien Xuan, the people in Ha Hien Saigon Hotel did not smile much. But we have to give it to them that they helped us with the cab driver trying to trick us by charging us $20 for what we would normally pay for just around $1. We ended up just paying $10. The exact fare we were charged from the airport to our hotel, which is more than 5 times farther than that ride. Oh well, since we just wanted to rest from that long bus ride (7 hours) from Phnom Penh, Cambodia, we decided to just let it go. That cab driver will reap what he has sown anyway.

Cab tip when you’re in HCMC, Vietnam: Take only Mailinh or Vinasun Taxi. Those are the two cab companies we found to charge correctly and with no faulty meters.

We chose Ha Hien Saigon Hotel primarily because of its being one of the new hotels in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. True enough, everything smells fresh and new.  Compared to Thien Xuan’s Standard room, Ha Hien Saigon Hotel’s Superior Double is too small for comfort. Even for a family of three, Asian size, at that. Then there are a few more issues here and there.

The clogged lavatory drain

First, the clogged lavatory drain.  We had to call housekeeping more than two times to take care of it.  The clog was not entirely dealt with. Because we left the day after with the same clogged lavatory.

Now with the clogged drain, there could always be the previous settlers to blame for. But for the persistent murky water from the faucet? What’s up with that? I don’t know what the housekeeping did. But it got resolved after him doing his business in the washroom for quite  a while. Could it have been the storm? Maybe. But my parents who was in room 205 (we were in 204) did not have the same water issue. It also takes forever for the water to warm up, if at all.

Another water issue is that they only provide two drinking water bottles upon arrival. Regardless of the number of nights we stayed in the hotel. That I don’t quite get.  Our family arrived late in the evening and had to fly back to Manila evening the next day. So even if we practically stayed for just 24 hours in the hotel, because of the check-in and check-out time, we had to pay 2 nights for both rooms. That we understand. I was quite confused why they won’t provide the drinking water for our second night. Then I was told it’s only upon arrival. Welcome drinks, possibly? Anyway, it just doesn’t add up why that is. It is just as silly as it sounds. Moving on…

Another thing we consider when choosing a hotel to book with are the reviews. Aside from secure payment facility and FFIEC Guidance. We were warned about the Ha Hien Saigon Hotel rooms’ zero soundproofing. I thought, how bad can it be? We’d only stay one night anyway. That was, until we entered our respective rooms and literally hear the conversations of my mom and dad from the next room. Most of the sounds are coming from the washroom with the perforated ceiling furnishing. Ack! Yes, not to mention that particular part was coming off.

Each room has its own door bell.

I don’t quite get the need for a doorbell, really. When you can hear the slightest voice from outside your wall. Eye candy? Perhaps. Don’t get me started with their buffet breakfast. After having had a very restful and enjoyable stay in Thien Xuan Hotel, we really were every bit disappointed with Ha Hien Saigon Hotel and to think that their rooms are pricier than Thien Xuan’s.

Ha Hien Saigon Hotel
65-67-69 Nguyen Thai Binh St., District 1
District 1 – Ben Thanh Market
Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam 70000

After being a Healthy Options Green Card Member for quite a while now, I finally got an sms last month that I have now been upgraded to being a Gold Card Member and my physical card was ready for pick up! For my own reference and for those who are looking into upgrading to Gold Card member, I’m jotting down the perks of being one:

• 10% off on all cash and credit card purchases (excluding sale, promo and consigned items).
• Additional 10% discount on a one-time purchase during member’s birthday month – limited to members of at least one year who have accumulated 2,500 points during the six (6) months preceding their birthday month.
• Earn a Php 250 rebate for every Php 5000 net single-receipt purchase.
• A complimentary copy of the Healthy Options Lifestyle News Digest. Copy may be downloaded via our website or claimed at any store when you present your Gold Card.
• Complimentary annual Healthy Options desk calendar.
• Free Health Notes print-outs at any Healthy Options store.
• Members-only invitations to exclusive Healthy Options events.
• Option to apply for one (1) supplementary Healthy Options Gold Card for an immediate family member. A P100 card fee applies, and the privilege is limited to member’s father, mother, spouse, or child with a valid ID showing same residential address.

We mostly purchase our food supplement from Healthy Options. It has been quite a while since we veered away from synthetic based supplements. Healthy Options carry a wide array of organic multivitamins to ageless male and female supplements, even organic toiletries. I also purchase my Ester-C supplement from Healthy Options and of course the organic Gummy bears our little kiddo loves to chew on for his daily dose of Vitamin C.

This came to me when I heard him blurt on a very depressing day that he needs to sing and give thanks despite of the not so good things that are happening. At first I thought he was just checking out his Bass Strings but when he pulled out his acoustic guitar from its bag and strummed away to the tune of Hillsong’s “Rise,” I knew he was going down to the business of praise.

All the earth come alive
Lift your eyes to the morning
Let our hearts beat again
With a lifeblood that never fails
Your love it will never fail

Breaking down the divide in a holy collision
The divine in disguise
Took the cross for our sin and shame
Our God You will never fail

See the lost in return
Swing the doors ever wider
See the tide as it turns
Love and mercy is on the rise
As the world folds into Your light
All creation will see Your light

Hear the sound of freedom rise
As our song breaks the silence
Echoing the angel cry
Let us lift up Your holy Name
Hereafter to sing Your praise
Forever and ever

We will hold, we will love
We will fall in surrender
We will rise, we will run
We will live to declare Your Name
Forever to bring You praise
Forever we’ll lift up Your Name

The universe on its knees
See the stars in surrender
God above kings and queens
Every idol will bend and break
But our God You will never fail
Forever and ever

We will hold, we will love
We will fall in surrender
We will rise, we will run
We will live to declare Your Name
Forever to bring You praise
Jesus, Jesus
We will hold, we will love
We will fall in surrender
We will rise, we will run
We will live to declare Your Name
Forever to bring You praise
Forever we’ll lift up Your Name

Swing the doors wider
Sound the praise louder
All our hearts cry out
For the glory of Your Name
Our God You will never fail

Lift the Name higher
Shine the light brighter
All the earth cry out
For the glory of Your Name
Our God You will never fail

We will hold, we will love
We will fall in surrender
We will rise, we will run
We will live to declare Your Name
Forever to bring You praise

Swing the doors wider
Sound the praise louder
All our hearts cry out
For the glory of Your Name
Our God You will never fail
Jesus, Jesus
Lift the Name higher
Shine the light brighter
All the earth cry out
For the glory of Your Name
Our God You will never fail
Forever we’ll lift up Your Name

To choose to praise God in the not so good times may not be what is humanly common at first. But God’s Spirit brings His children to this need when the imperfection of human life gets the better of our circumstance. I just realized last night yet again how blessed I am to have him in my life as I watched my dear husband. It amazes me all the more how a lot of his love for music is passed down to our son.

Here are a couple of entries I published in 2009 and 2008 on My Husband Rocks:

My Husband Rocks – My Ever Reliable Handyman

My Husband Rocks! Friday

Between the two hotels we stayed in Vietnam, Thien Xuan is the place we were more impressed with. While Ha Hien might have a boutique view from the outside and is considerably new, their customer service was just not at par with Thien Xuan’s.

Ben Thanh Night Market

Aside from being just a block away from Ben Thanh Market, Thien Xuan is so close to a whole lot of places in Ho Chi Minh City  that tourists can visit. It is also only around 20 minutes away from Tan Son Nhat Airport.

Nearby Attractions:

1. Ben Thanh Market
2. Notre Dame Cathedral
3. Post Office
4. Reunification Palace
5. Opera House
6. War Remnants Museum

Thien Xuan Standard Room

We were originally booked from March 27 to March 29, 2012. But since we arrived in the wee hours of the morning of March 27, we need to pay for another night for two rooms. Standard room was $42/night. Rooms are considerably spacious.

I especially love that floors are tiled and are not carpeted. It is way more sanitary that way. Carpets attract odors no  matter how often they get cleaned. There’s a safe provided in the closet, Samsung LCD television, dresser, refrigerator, blow dryer and daily ration of hot water.

Thien Xuan Hotel’s Standard room bathroom is spacious as well. I don’t mind if the bidet is placed on the left side of the toilet, it was fine as long as there was one. That’s actually one of the things I don’t fancy about “western” hotels. Bidets, are for the most part, unheard of.  Hot and cold water are also provided in the toilet and is not such a challenge to use. Unlike Ha Hien’s.

Yes, I just had to take a photo of the ceiling. The intricate carvings and design were lovely to look at. The rooms also have vents, which I think, made the room clean smelling. It was convenient that the two rooms that we booked were just across each other.  It was not the same when we went to Cambodia on March 29 and stayed there until April 1. Our rooms were two floors away from each other.

Thien Xuan Hotel Restaurant on the 10th Floor

Thien Xuan Hotel’s Restaurant is located on its topmost floor, 10th. We appreciated our buffet breakfast every morning. Left us stuffed until after mid day every time. Children are free of charge. We were told that if it was charged, a person has to pay VND 100,000 (approx. $5), which is still cheap for a buffet.  I’m sure I took a picture of the other buffet table but I cannot find it for now.

We were very pleased with Thien Xuan Hotel’s customer service aside from all the amenities that we’ve got for the two Standard rooms that we have booked for three days.  Very affordable and we definitely got more value for our money. The staff were also very helpful when they booked our Mekong Delta tour and our bus ride to Cambodia.  We were originally headed for Siem Reap but since we were not able to book earlier, there was no more available seats for us when we tried to book. But they found us a bus company (Kumho) that will take us to Phnom Penh, Cambodia instead on March 29.

Thien Xuan Hotel Level 10 Restaurant Alfresco

Vietnamese for the most part, speak very little English, so we did get to practice a whole lot of sign language. But it was a relief that the front desk staff of Thien Xuan Hotel speak English that is considerably understandable.

It was a mistake to stay at another hotel (just for the fun of it and just be able to try another hotel) when we  came back to HCMC, Vietnam from Phnom Penh, Cambodia on April 1. It would have saved us the trouble (and a few headaches) if we stayed in Thien Xuan Hotel instead. We loved our stay at Thien Xuan Hotel and we highly recommend it to everyone who is planning to go visit HCMC, Vietnam.

Thien Xuan Hotel
108-110 Le Thanh Ton street, Ben Thanh ward, district 01, District 1
Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
Email: info@thienxuanhotel.com.vn

P&G Mombassador, Kris Aquino interviews the Barriga mother and son.

I loved it that Proctor and Gamble showed their support to the Barriga family by pampering Mark’s mother and giving her a home makeover .  She also gets to join Mark to London when he fights for the title at the London 2012 Olympic Games. I can only imagine the anxiety of Mark’s mom as he flies to London without any member of the family. That one is taken cared of by P& G. Now, that’s how moms are taken cared of.

Towards the end of the program, all moms were asked to stand up and we were all awarded with this medal of appreciation. I actually felt I could make use of another medal to give my mom. She has believed in me in more ways than one. More often, her belief in me affirms and pushes me to do things that I would otherwise think I am unqualified to pursue.

That’s me, immersing in the recognition of being a mother who sees a hero in my child! I have not been a mother very long. But I believe that this is the very heart of every mother.  To uplift my son to pursue what God has purposed for him to be.

Needless to say, Mark and his Momsky (as her son fondly calls her) were surprised by all the support P & G and International Olympic Committee have given them. Mark Anthony Barriga wishes to make the Philippines proud. He is currently trained by retired boxer Roel Velasco who won the bronze medal in the light flyweight division at the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona and is also the elder brother of Mansueto “Onyok” Velasco Jr. who won silver medal at the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta in the same weight division. Here’s hoping that Mark Anthony Barriga will bring home the gold!

If you’re a parent and you have sick child to look after, chances are you also get your own health jeopardized by staying up for several consecutive nights looking after your child, sponge bathing or just plain monitoring his temperature. That is exactly what happened last month. When our son’s immune system went down due to dehydration, he developed cough and colds and we naturally contracted them.

Then complications arose when I figured I was not getting well despite the antibiotics and mucolytic the doctors have prescribed. It was two Sundays ago when I fell ill with fever. Had myself checked the day after and sure enough, my chest x-ray showed I had Pneumonia. Hence, the hospitalization. I thank God that my son’s x-ray result was negative. Although I was practically fever-free from the second day of my confinement, I had to stay put so I can finish the course of the antibiotics that was given to me via IV.

Apparently, a Pneumococcal Immunization does not exactly cover you from having Pneumonia. I was perplexed! What on earth was the Pneumococcal Vaccine is for if I won’t be protected from Pneumonia after all? Aside from asking the doctor about it, I also did my own research before I submitted myself for confinement.

There are more than 80 different types of pneumococcus bacteria-23 of these are covered in the current vaccination. The vaccine is injected into the body to stimulate the normal immune system to produce antibodies that are directed against pneumococcus bacteria.

This method of stimulating the normal immune system to be directed against a specific microbe is called immunization. Pneumococcal vaccination is also referred to as Pneumococcal immunization.

Pneumococcal vaccination does not protect against pneumonia caused by microbes other than pneumococcus bacteria, nor does it protect against pneumococcal bacteria strains not included in the vaccine. It is reassuring do note that of the 80 different serotypes, the vast majority of infections are caused by the 23 serotypes contained in the vaccine.

In layman’s term, since the Pneumonia I contracted was caused by a complication of a withstanding illness (cough and colds), it is basically not covered by the immunization I had last year. By the looks of it, we did not welcome 2012 with a very healthy start. But as sure as I bade the lovely nurses on Marcus medical scrubs goodbye yesterday of Jesus Immaculate Conception Hospital in Marikina, we resolve to be healthier the rest of the year, by God’s grace. And for the record, I am no longer contagious. The awesome cocktails of antibiotics Dra. Zulueta treated me with via IV did its job real well. Yes, my son and I have the same doctor. We switched to Dra. Zulueta years ago. There’s nothing like having a doctor who is God-fearing and loves the Lord. I was surprised to learn just recently that she is already 70 years old. She doesn’t look it. God sure is sustaining her as she remains sharp, active and wise. Here’s praying that our family will be healthier the rest of the year.

The very first thing that got me listening to what Gus* Modern Furniture has to offer are these: design, functionality, durability and price. The marriage of all these combined was the very thing I wished we had back in 2007. But then again, while we are planning our home renovation project, Gus* Furniture is the one shop we sure will look into.

Interestingly, it was only through Gus* that I learned about the Fabric Wearability Code that furniture companies make use of. Most of them term it as number of rubs or abrasion. This is definitely something new to me that I made sure I took note of. If you are like me and would rather have a furniture that will last then the fabric strength is something that you should carefully look into. The double rub test is the back and forth motion that measures approximately the wear and tear that comes from sitting down. Just to give you an estimate, 3,000 double rubs equals one year’s worth of use. Yes, these are just a few of the interesting things in the world of furniture!

Stump Storage Box

Meanwhile, here are a few of the Gus* Modern Furniture pieces that I have my eye on. Because we have a tiny house to start with, double purpose items like this almost always catch my attention. The Stump Storage Box can serve as a lovley end table or even nightstand. The storage feature will add value to the house being tidy and stylish. Yes, the temptation to store clutter is always there. But I really would rather make use of the storage feature for important things I would rather not have laying around the house but don’t belong to the clutter category.

Upcycle Ottoman

Because my taste has always been non-conventional, this is something that appeals to me a lot. I love that each Upcycle Ottoman is different from the rest. As I understand it, there are no two Upcycle Ottoman that are alike. The uniqueness and playfulness of this piece appeals to me. Something I can throw in our future family room and easily find that it to be an accent on its own.

Timber Table in the midst of 2 GT Rocker

The Timber Table is a classy through and through. I love its sleek design. It was one of the few pieces that first caught my eye when I went in to check out the Gus* Design Pod Showroom. The GT Rocker has a powder-coated black steel base and architecturally-styled cushion inspired by airport lounge seating and 70’s retro car interiors. Notches better than the outdoor chaise lounges that I always had my eyes on. It’s the perfect lounge and rocking chair combination.

About Gus* Modern
The inception of GUS* was the result of a passion for elegant minimal furniture and the desire to bring these products to market. Each piece is designed and manufactured in-house and is selected for its timeless design, many inspired by the classic works of the past. Their furnishings have been chosen for their ability to work together, or as stand-alone, in residential, contract and hospitality environments.

James Lounge

This unique and versatile lounge has removable back cushions which allows James to transform into a single bed. You see the pattern here? My attraction really is towards the double purpose stuff.  I see this sitting in our future guest room. There are a whole bunch of furniture to go check out at the Gus* Design Pod.

Gus* Design Pod
G/F The Residences at Greenbelt Makati
and
Connecticut St. in Greenhills, San Juan
Tel. 621.8171
Email: gus@livingspace.com.ph

It was a week before I was set to confirm my son’s trial class schedule at Global Art Serendra, when fellow mommy blogger, Rowena of Animetric.blogspot.com emailed me about an upcoming Global Art event.  I couldn’t be more thrilled. Talk about timing!

My son is beyond excited! As soon as I asked him if he wanted to enroll in a Global Art class, he has been talking about it since.  As a work from home mom, in as much as I want him to be involved with all the things he is interested in, my schedule cannot accommodate each and every one.  I was thinking for summer, we’ll have him enrolled in Global Art and Swimming Classes instead and take a couple of months break from doing Karate.

We arrived a wee bit early at Global Art Main Headquarters in Greenhills, San Juan on the event day.  I normally would not commit to an event when it’s my no drive day. But because this is something that our family is going to get involved in very soon, we dragged each other (my son and I) to Greenhills before the 3PM window. Nevermind if we had to stay put until 7PM, when we are already allowed to hit the road.  Because we were early, I was able to check out the fancy artworks on the exhibit wall.  I was there gushing, for the most part, especially when I saw the tags below each art work of children ages 5-8! Their works of art are something I’m not sure, at 35,  I am able to be half as good at.

Honestly, I need no more convincing. Don’t just take my word for it, you have to go visit a Global Art branch nearby to see for yourselves.  The art technique of Global Art is unique in itself. While a few “art schools” try to mimic their curriculum, Global Art sticks to a high quality standard that continues to upgrade itself on a regular basis.

Featured on the Most Creative Wall are artworks for the months of January and February 2012. The one on the right is an artwork of a 6 year old boy! How cool is that?

Featured on the Most Improved wall are the before and after artworks of a little girl. Check out the details of her “after” artwork. Unlike the one on the “before” artwork on the left, the one on the right is a tad livelier. It is easy to see that the shading, blending are done in a more careful manner. Lesser white spots and definitely improved!

When most of the kids of mommy bloggers were in, they were ushered in a room where they were taught a few basics of coloring, drawing and clay molding, according to their age group.

Jed working it at Global Art Greenhills.

Together with four other mommy bloggers, we were in the adjacent room briefed by Teacher Yenny Saw about the history and subject offerings of Global Art. Global Art was founded and established  in 1999 by Mr. Mahair Goh. Global Art has over 200,000 students worldwide in 18 countries.

1. Different sizes
2. Different directions
3. Different objects and shapes
4. Cropping
5. Layering
6. Overlapping

At least a couple of children’s artworks were showcased and explained how Global Art teachers graded them according to how they complied with the checklist.

 

 

 

Both showcased works of art were done by 8 year old students of Global Art Greenhills.

Global Art also offers Sketching and Painting Classes for advanced learners.

Shortly after,  the artworks of our little kiddos were available for us to examine in detail.  To be honest, I was not exactly expecting a lot. For one, Jed has  kind of taken after me, even in coloring. From how I see him do his artwork at home, he kind of fancies finishing his project right away. Yes, I’m sorta like that too.

 

 

 

You can just imagine my surprise when Jed excitedly showed this to me. I actually had to look at it twice, thrice even. And that’s just a few minutes of learning time with Global Art!  And it’s not all mommy thing, I tell you. This little guy is looking forward to getting enrolled very soon!

 

 

 

Jed posing with his work of art.

As a homeschooling family, classes like what Global Art offers are the supplementary learnings we are blessed to have access to and incorporate in our very flexible homeschooling schedule. This is also perfect for children who are inclined towards the arts or even parents who would like to tap the love for arts in their children.

Global Art is currently offering its summer program from March to June 2012.  Their summer program course consists of 8 sessions, with 90 minutes per session. The course package inclues a workbook, oil pastel, pencil and bag. Aside from this Global Art also offers year-round courses like the following:

Core Program:

1. Foundation Level for children ages 4 to 6 – Working with simple themes with dotted lines. Designed to build a child’s dexterity and teach the concept of colors and shades.
2. Basic Level for children ages 7 to 9 – Introduction to creative drawing, using themes from fruits and animals to lead them to create their own illustrations while learning various techniques.
3. Intermediate level for ages 10 to 12 – Further developing creative drawing. Students learn even more techniques by handling more difficult, human figure-based themes.

Advanced Level:  (for ages 13 years old and above)

1.  Sketching – Enhancevisualization skills through the creative composition of sketches and drawing to the quality of lines and tonal values.
2. Painting – Using liquid medium such as Poster Color and Water color. Elevate your sense of colors by incorporating the warm and cool colors to reach a balance color composition and harmony.
3. Illustration – Put your visualization, drawing and design ability to use by creating expressive illustration.

Additional/New Programs:

1. Cartoon and Comic (Ages 7 and above) 
2. G-Clay – Explore the colorful world of 3 dimensional subjects.
3. Acrylic Painting – On canvass. Explore and learn the very versatile method of painting with a variety of brush strokes

 

I love how the honing of drawing and coloring skills can help our homeschooler as it is a useful method of learning discipline, creativity and resourcefulness. All of which are essential in the academic and practical areas of a child’s life.  Currently, there are nine (9) branches of Global Art here in the Philippines.

Global Art Philippines
Contact Nos. 726.0435 | 0915.8747747
Email: HQ@globalart-phils.com
Website: www.globalartphils.com.ph

Unlike our son’s hospitalization for Dengue, the bulk of which was paid for by PhilHealth, Jed’s hospitalization for Intestinal Flu was more expensive. During our son’s hospitalization in September 2011, Dengue I or Dengue Grades 1 and 2 and Dengue II or Grades 3 and 4 treatments under the new PhilHealth case rates are worth P8,000 and P16,000, respectively. Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth) shouldered P8,000 for our son’s hospitalization due to Dengue. Being our son’s Dengue case was under Grade 1.

The package that came today with the P4,000 check. P1,000 for every day my son spent in the hospital.

Filing for claim for our hospitalization benefit was easy. The first thing I had to do was go to www.aceinsurance.com.ph. Click on the following Tabs:  Customer Service –> Claims –>Accident & Health –>Personal. After which, click on the link at the bottom of the page that reads, “Accident and Sickness Proof of Loss Form.”

To process the hospitalization insurance claim, “Certified True Copy” of the following documents should be forwarded to Ace Insurance:

1. Hospital Discharge Summary
2. Admitting History
3. Hospital Statement of Account

Ace Insurance Manager’s Check

The Ace Insurance Manager’s Check arrived a couple of weeks after I have sent the documents over to Ace Insurance office. While the amount may be considered minute compared to all the premiums I have paid over the years combined, Hospitalization Insurance is still worth considering.  Something that we hope we never have to make use of and pay anyway. Especially since despite our submitting our son’s Birth Certificate to Maxicare a couple of weeks after I gave birth to him and a whole bunch of follow ups thereafter, turns out my husband’s Maxicare coverage won’t count him as a dependent. FYI, we pay Ace Insurance less than P270/month.

Ace Insurance
Insurance Company of North America
14th Floor Export Bank Plaza, Chino Roces Avenue Corner
Senator Gil J. Puyat Avenue, Makati City, 1230
Philippines
Phone:+63 (2) 849-6000
Website: http://www.aceinsurance.com.ph

Especially so that we have an unico hijo, I can very well relate to parents who take pride on their children’s milestones.  I should know. It was the very thing that drove me to blog back in 2004. Just recently, my son showed me this artwork that I never would have thought he was capable of doing. Not with his usual careless way of drawing and coloring, anyway.  I will publish a separate post on that soon.

Meanwhile, Enfa Kid + and National Geographic Little Kids have collaborated this contest entitled “See What They Learn” where parents can upload their children’s drawing inspired by something new they learned in the classroom, at home, or even from outdoor playtime.

At stake is a chance to win a family trip to the Singapore Art Science Museum through the Enfakid A+ See What They Learn promotion. A partnership with National Geographic Little Kids, the contest calls on moms and dads of 3-7 year-olds to submit their illustrations of anything fascinating they learned from the January-February issue of National Geographic Little Kids (included with Smart Parenting magazine), or from the website http://kidsblogs.nationalgeographic.com/littlekids/.

The entries should be submitted on http://www.seewhattheylearn.com where they will be displayed for public voting on the site until March 30, 2012. After the votes are in, the top 10 entries from participants 3-4 years old, and from participants 5-7 years old, will be shorlisted. A panel of judges will then select the two (2) Grand Prize Winners from the top 10 of each age category.

Each winner will receive a trip for four (4) to the Singapore ArtScience Museum, inclusive of airfare, accommodations, museum entrance fees, and pocket money. The winners will also be featured in a future issue of National Geographic Little Kids.

]]> http://www.marriageandbeyond.com/2012/03/02/win-a-trip-to-singapore-with-enfa-kid-a-and-national-geographic-little-kids/feed/ 4 http://www.marriageandbeyond.com/2012/03/01/i-just-cant-take-it-anymore-book-giveaway-winner/ http://www.marriageandbeyond.com/2012/03/01/i-just-cant-take-it-anymore-book-giveaway-winner/#comments Thu, 01 Mar 2012 04:25:58 +0000 Jennie http://www.marriageandbeyond.com/?p=8431 Congratulations to the drawn winner of Marriage and Beyond’s Book Giveaway, “I Just Can’t Take It Anymore” book by bestselling author Anthony DeStefano.

I always knew that we have come to an era that people don’t read a lot. Be it eBooks or physical ones.  Judging from our current contest joiners, it’s easy to see that people are not much into reading these days anymore. While our previous joiners where we giveaway stuff other than books, would range from 80 to 300. As much as I love reading eBooks, there is still something about physical books. Anyhoo, whether eBook or a hard copy, here is hoping that we all revive the love for reading. Our family love books. This is also why we took heed to the affiliate marketing tips that tell us to make use of Amazon and such sites where books are sold.

Congratulations to Ma. Victoria Parungao!

Kindly email us via jenaspacio@facebook.com your details: shipping address, mobile number and a scanned ID. We will send Anthony DeStefano’s newly launched book, “I Just Can’t Take It Anymore,” the soonest!