My Kid and His Food Choice

My kid is real foodie at heart. A lot of times, he stays with me in the kitchen during food preparation time. One day, he asks if he can cook for us. Since it was just a very easy omelet dish, I give in to his desire.

the kid cooking his version of Tuna Omelet

A lot of other mom friends are asking me how I make my kid eat vegetables and other healthy foods. Well, as early as he can start on solid foods, I introduced "true" foods to him. He grew up on home cooked mashed potatoes, mashed carrots, and other fruits or vegetables that can be mashed. He never tasted baby foods from the supermarkets. And I guess that is the reason why he has a very good choice when it comes to food. I did not even have to bother asking him to take on healthy snacks like salads and healthy breads over junk foods. Well, not that he does not take some chips or those fat-laden burgers but its just that he knows he can only have it in certain times and not everyday.

He even does the plating of his dish.

To date, the kid normally favors vegetable salads (and even makes his own vinaigrette), he loves fish dishes and most of the time asks for his favorite Chicken Caldereta  ("and Mama, please add in some paprika and some chili pepper for the kick!", he always asks).  For his baon, he wants Vegetable Wrap or Baked Potato with Cheese and Bacon.

another favorite of the kid, Ensaladang Talbos ng Kamote

I guess, it's all about introducing your kids as early as possible to healthy options. And we are both reaping it's benefits. My kid rarely gets sick and if ever it's almost always the usual cough and colds. That makes me a happy Mom!

I Love Being a Mom Because...

A few days back, GMA News TV was re-airing most of its motherhood related documentaries.  One of which was a feature on how a mother gives birth.  As we were watching,memories rushed in.  I remember how it was for me during those days.  It was almost ten years ago but everything is still fresh in my memory.  I could still talk about all the details as if they just happened yesterday.  I was awaken from my trip to memory lane when my son suddenly said, " Mahirap pala maging manganak,Mama, eh bakit gusto mo pa magkaanak pa ulit?...saka ganyan ka din ba nung nanganak ka sa akin?"  I answered his questions with a smile.  But as usual the kid was not contented with that.  So I said, " Ang pagiging nanay ang pinakamasarap na parte ng buhay ko."  In my mind, I began to enumerate why I love being a Mom, and these are what I was able to come up with.

Jian and me, eight years ago

I love Being a Mom Because:

• I was able to give back to my mother for all the hardship of bringing me to this world.  And for me, it is a privilege given only to women because fathers won't know how it their moms feel while they were still in their womb.
• Motherhood brought out the best in me.  Prior to giving birth, I don't think I can love someone unconditionally.
• I learn a lot as my kid grows because motherhood does not come with a user manual.
• My kid is a gift from God (and all kids are).  I was a diagnosed with PCOS as early as I was in college and I never imagined being pregnant after six months of marriage.
• Together with my Hubby, I was able to be one with God by being a co-creator of another life.
• Just seeing the kid happy and healthy is more than enough happiness the mother's heart in me can ever contain.

no, that's not his cake, it's her cousin's cake

Yes, indeed, motherhood is never an easy task.  We don't get paid with cash but with smiles(and hugs and kisses).  We are not allowed to take our day-offs nor resign, because it will mean that we will miss out on more happy time with the kids.  And yes, if I will be given another chance on motherhood, I will gladly obliged.

Now fellow moms, why do you love being a mom? Comment away, I'd love to read your reasons.

A Person Fit for be Called a "Mother"

Accept it or not, not all who have given birth are fit to be called a Mother.  To be fit for the title, one has to be strong yet mushy at times.  One has to be firm yet willing to kiss away the pain.  One has to know how to see serenity in the middle of chaos.  To give birth is let's say a quarter of the trick, the other three quarters is for the lifetime duty that is tied to being a mother.

I was facebooking last night when I saw a video posted on one of my friend's wall.  I never actually liked clicking on links for a video because I know that most of them (especially the ones that have a description in a different language) contains nasty things.  But the description of the video really caught my attention.  So there, curiosity has taken over me and I clicked on the link to the video.  It was a video of a mother holding her baby while she flashes papers with writings.  She was telling the story of her life.  She started with how she met the father of his son and how they got married.  She tells the story of how she knew that she was pregnant and how happy they were.  You can see how happy she was each time she shows the papers.  But the happiness was actually shortlived.



When the news always speaks about fetuses being left here and there or children beaten by their own moms, it is such a relief knowing that there are women out there that has a pure heart which bears the essence of being a mother.  She was told she should have aborted the baby but she didn't.  She chose to bring him into this world.  But his birth is not the end because he was ridiculed, laughed at and sometimes feared by others.   But she continue to be the strong mom that she is.  She made sure that his baby feels loved and she assured that even though he is born blind and with cleft palate, he is still beautiful and he is a blessing from God.

It is not always that I am deeply moved by what I see over the internet.  But, to say that I wept a lot while watching this video is an understatement.  I wanna share this to all of you because I believe that they will also touch your hearts.  She does not beg for money, not even a cent.  All she asks is for us to look at our own blessings (our children ) and continue loving them.

Being a mother is one of the hardest profession in life, but it is something that I would not trade for anything else.  Just seeing my kid with a smile or a glimpse of happiness on his eyes, 'yun lang, quota na ko!


To my Mom in heaven, thank you for showing me how to become a good mother.  You are the most beautiful (syempre carbon copy mo ko eh!), most patient, most kind and most forgiving mother of all.  I would not be the mother I am now, if it wasn't for you.  To all the mothers out there, Happy Mother's Day.  Let us continue building a better planet by nurturing our family well.  Cheers to us all!

The Four-eyed Kid

I was not able to join Mommy Moments last week; not because I do not have something worthy to share but mainly because my schedule was so hectic I was not even able to tend to this blog at all.  But needless to say, I am now back.  I have a new internet connection which I so adored , but that will be another story.  

A few weeks back, Jian was complaining about headaches.  At first ,we shrugged it off and we were telling him that it is because of the weather.  But the occurrences of his head aching became frequent and we noticed that it always happens after he reads or watch TV.  Since Hubby needs to go to the optometrist to get his eyeglasses fixed, we decided to let Jian join with us.  After hubby got his eyes checked, we asked the optometrist who is a good friend of ours if she could perhaps check Jian's vision.   

After checking his eyes, using this equipment, his eyes were dropped with some medicines to dilate his pupils.  And then he was asked to read the Snellen chart to further check his visual acuity.

Yes, the kid will have to wear corrective glasses.  The left eye was diagnosed with mild astigmatism while the right one is hyperropic.  I am definitely not so happy about this at all.   Hubby even asked if we could perhaps delay the use of the eyeglasses but the optometrists said that delaying the use will also hinder him to enjoy on a lot of things.  The astigmatism could cause him to have frequent bouts with headaches which could further evolve to migraines.  And we don't want that for our kid.

 So, yes, a few days from now the kid will be getting his eyeglasses.  We will have regular check ups with an optometrist and an ophthalmologist.  For other moms out there, I'd like to tell you that visual problem can be easily corrected as long as it is detected earlier.  The doctors said that we should get our younger kids to have eye check ups, too.  They said that as early as five or six, they can already run visual acuity checks for kids.  And another thing, it does not necessarily mean that if a kid is diagnosed to have visual problems at a young age that they will forever be tied to using eyeglasses.  Some visual problems (like astigmatism) can be corrected if diagnosed and treated early in life.

As the saying goes, "An ounce of prevention is better than a pound of cure."

Churches and History

My husband was the one who introduced me to Visita Iglesia. We were still dating then when he asked me to go with him one Maundy Thursday to visit churches in Manila. Eversince then, it has been part of our holy week routine year after year to visit churches on Maundy Thursday. We have been visiting churches in Bulacan for two straight years now. But I make sure that we'll get to visit a new church every year. Now that we have a kid, our visita iglesia is not confined to just contemplation and devotion. For the kid, it doubled as a history lesson. Old churches play a big part in our history. Most of them have been silent witness to how the katipuneros work their way to ensure that our dear motherland will be free again from the Spaniards.

This year, we were able to see the historical Barasoain Church. It feels nice to walk on the very same place that first ever congressmen were able to walk. My kid started bombarding me with lots of history questions.

facade of the historical Barasaoin Church

inside Barasoain Church

Another historical church that we visited was Nuestra Senora dela Asuncion in Bulakan, Bulacan. According to the history of the church, it was in here that General Gregorio del Pilar gave out copies of La Solidaridad to the locals of Bulacan.

the scenic Nuestra Senora dela Asuncion

I hope my son could pick this family tradition and that he will do the church visits when he gets his share of parenting.

A Book Festival at the Mall

Whenever we go to the mall, we always stop by either National Bookstore or Book Sale. Last Sunday was different, we no longer have to drag ourselves to those stores because they have already taken their stuffs on the entertainment plaza of SM City Fairview.




The mall was actually having a book Festival hence books are in abundance. What the kid actually enjoyed was the storytelling.




I guess the storyteller coming in on costume was really a great factor for the kids. The kid even wanted to stay for the next round of storytelling which is after two hours. We just told him that we have to go home because I need to iron his uniform for his class the next morning.

The New Look

It’s Friday once again and time for Mommies to post their moments online. Yesterday we also celebrate the International Women’s day. What could best define womanhood than being a mom, I guess nothing else. This is also my birthday month, so you could perhaps imagine the importance of this month for me. And to celebrate this month of merriment (well, at least for me!), I decided to take a bold move of donning a short hair. For the last three years or so, it has been long do for me. My family even raised their eyebrows when I told them I am cutting my hair short. Hubby even said, it’s not bagay for my face shape. But being the hard headed lady that I am, I still pushed through with the idea. So yesterday, I visited a neighborhood salon, and asked the stylist to cut my hair ala KC Concepcion. Even the gay stylist was tongue tied and kept on asking me prior to cutting my hair if I was sure that I want it short. To which I replied, “Yes, it will grow back so nothing to worry about cutting it short.”



The difference in the length is very clear. I am getting mixed reactions on this but in the end what I feel is what's important. I feel great about my new look and I am loving it. I guess you just have to be confident to sometimes move outside of your comfort zone, and yes, that goes with hair lengths, too.

Welcoming Summer

Summer has officially started. With the temperature reaching to as high as 34 degree Celsius, wouldn’t it be nice to dip into cold water with the whole family. And that is what we did last Sunday. We went to Bakas River in Norzagaray, Bulacan. It was an hour jeepney ride from SM Fairview to Norzagaray town proper. Then you can take a tricycle ride to the river. The water was really refreshing and the ambience superb! Since it was a Sunday, there are lots of people, young and old alike, enjoying the water. It was nice to see such a piece of nature like this so near Metro Manila. There are makeshift cottages made by the locals that are being rented out to those that wanted to have a shed to perhaps put in their things and foods while they swim. For people who would want to go the Bakas, I just would like to warn you guys. It is going to be a back-to-the-basic experience. And I mean: no toilets, no stores nearby and no electricity. But I bet, you will surely enjoy your stay there. What with the nice view, the calmness that you will experience and the good company.

pristine water and nice rock formations!

The kid says even Optimus Prime and Megatron are taking a bath because of the heat.

Enjoying the scene with the one you love, how hot is that!

This last image says it all!

To say that the whole family wants to go back there is an understatement. And in fact, we already have a plan on going back!

My Lucky Charm

The year of the Black Water Dragon arrived last 23rd of January. The whole Chinese community was very busy decorating their areas and ensuring that their traditions are still being followed to a T. The Philippines, being a country that has Chinese as the biggest minority group, was not spared with all the happenings. What better way to show it than declaring that day as a special non-working holiday. The malls are ablaze with red lanterns and whenever you turn your head you will surely see someone wearing red. The Chinese not only believed that the color red signifies luck for the coming year, they also say that red drives away bad vibes and evil spirits. My kid was really excited when he saw this huge tree inside SM City Fairview with hanging Ang Paos. He thought that anyone who was at the mall is given the chance to pick one from the tree and take with it whatever was inside. I explained to him that it was just for display and pictorial purposes. When he heard it, he gamely posed in front of the huge tree and ask me to take his picture.

huge tree full of Ang Pao

Japanese not Chinese!

praying for a sibling, eh?

my very own Buddha, my lucky charm

He also asked us to pose for the camera as well.

Feng Shui experts say that this is an auspicious year, since a dragon is synonymous to prosperity.  I claim that this year is going to be filled with more blessings not just for my family but for the entire country,not because I was boen in the year of the dragon but because I believe that every year is God’s year.

MM: Allergy Attacks

Last Wednesday,we had Crabs in Salted Egg Sauce for lunch. The whole family was delighted to feast on the crabs specially the kid. He was even nostalgic because he remembered eating Black Pepper crabs in Singapore last year. After lunch, we took our afternoon nap. When I woke up, I fried the Turon with Bacon and Cheese and then wake the kid up and snacked on the turons. And since that was my rest day from work, I took a long luxurious bath. I was still inside the bathroom, when I heard the kid shouting how itchy his feet were feeling. Hubby told him that he left the door wide open hence mosquitoes are coming in and started to pester him. The kid knocked on the bathroom's door and then he shown me his feet. His feet started swelling and he complained of itching. I finish what I was doing and immediately handed him a teaspoon of sugar. I read somewhere (and a doctor confirmed) that sugar is the first aid treatment for someone being attacked with allergies. This is not the first time that he experienced the itchiness after eating seafoods. The first time was with tiger prawns. What bothers me is that each allergic attack seems worse than the previous one. He was not treated by the teaspoonful of sugar so to speak. I asked Hubby to immediately buy an antihistamine so can drink it. I was searching on the net for alarming symptoms. I read an article that mentioned that swollen mouth is a sign to be really alarmed off. I was not able to sleep the whole night even after the kid was able to drink his antihistamine. I was on the lookout of other sign that could be too alarming. Gladly, after the dose of antihistamine, the sweeling went down and the itchiness became bearable and he was able to sleep through the night.

I hate that this is my Mommy Moment for this week but yes this really is. To be honest it was the first time in this year that I was alarmed of his health. My kid hardly get sick apart from the usual cough and colds. I realized how important it is to know what foods and medicines would threaten the lives of our little ones. As a mom, we have to be really aware of the foods they are allergic too. I talked to my cousin who is a doctor and he told me that I still have to let him eat seafoods though in moderation. This would make his body to produce the antibodies for the allergens. I think it is call desensitization. Though, I always have to carry his antihistamine in our travel bag.

I learned my lessons now. I will always be on the lookout for allergic reactions especially with other seafood and will always make sure that we have available antihistamine wherever we go.

MM: Mama's Birthday

This day could have been Mama's 54th birthday, but she is celebrating her birthday without us. Instead of the usual videoke feat that the family used to have whenever he natal day came, she is being sung to by angels. Instead of the usual food , she is enjoying food for the soul. Yes, she is no longer with us. The last birthday she celebrated with us was her 50th. It was really a blast. All her loved ones were there. I was able to bring in her friends from her heydays. I was really exhausted that day even a week before the big event. I supervised everything: from foods, to her clothes, to the visitors. It was to repay all the wonderful birthday memories I had that she was able to give me; from my 1st, my 18th and even to those that I was spending away from her. And it was not only my birthdays that she made special, even those of my brothers and that of her only apo, my son. She never failed to remember cooking our favorite dishes during our birthdays. So, on her 50th birthday, we gave her what we could give back.


We called all her dearest friends, gave her sisters from Pangasinan and Cebu their fare so they could attend. We bought her a three-tiered cake, which she really adored. His brothers danced with her ala cotillion. Their were roses for the wishes and balloons for more wishes. We were able to show her how important a person she was and how she touched a lot of lives. But, we did not know that was going to be her last. She joined her creator six months after her 50th birthday. But up to this day, she is remembered during her birthday and each day. On top of anyone else, I look up to her as the ideal mother.



Mama, I know you are still there looking down on us, guiding us in your own way. I know, we had our times of disagreement but I know as well that even before I asked for forgiveness, you've already embraced me including all those faults. I hope I am making you proud with how I am fulfilling my job as a mother to my son now. I am so blessed to have you as my mother and I would not want anyone else. I love you, Mama.

A story behind each picture

Okay, so we are not on our best looking attires and the lighting does not seem to be favorable but the reason why I have this as one of my favorite pictures is because of the fact that I know we could no longer have a "complete" family picture because Mama is no longer with us. I know that photo editing soft wares could easily insert her image to any image that we want to have but the difference is that it will not capture the joy of the moment. Like this picture which was taken on Mama's last Christmas.



For the same reason that I love this picture of my little one kid. His smile shows innocence, his eyes shows how untainted his knowledge about how this world works. If I could just hold him on my arms like that, I would; but yes, I know I couldn't.

Indeed, a picture paints a thousand words. I am sure there would be a lot to see on other mom's site, too.

Let's talk favorites

The name of my top favorite product is BumbleBro, he is our ever trusted Honda Bravo who will turn five by January next year. He never lets us down and we can always trust him, be it a smooth ride or a rough one. He was named by my son after BumbleBee, the transformer robot-guardian of Sam Witwicky in the movie Transformers and we talked to him like a real person. I always asked him to take care of Hubby whenever he brings him to work. We always thanked him after bringing us all safe to home and Hubby ensures he gets his daily bath. He is also pampered by a weekly treat to the carwash. I would not be a hypocrite and say that I don't want to have a true BumbleBee (who would not want a Camaro, eh!?) but what I can assure BumbleBro is that I would not trade him for whatever car, he will always be our BumbleBro.

After BumbleBro, the laptop I am typing with comes next. I loved that it makes me connected with people from different locations and that I can journal my thoughts with it. It that he keeps all my files, photos and documents, intact.

Then, there comes Picasa, a software that allows not only photo storage but also photo editing. It is what I used to watermark my images. I have also edited some pictures though it. It is also nice that you can easily connect and upload to your online Picasa website with just some click of buttons on their interface.

Next, comes my wedges. Wedges are like my everyday shoes. You see, I was one of those ladies not really blessed with good height. I stand only 5 feet 2 inches tall. Hubby is beside me and is whispering don't lie, you're only 5 feet flat. And hence I needed something to make me look a little bit taller. After giving birth nine years ago, high heels and stiletto shoes became uncomfortable for me. Imagine a mom with a kid in tow and a big baby bag on her shoulders wearing a 3 inch shoes. That would be hurtful and a total inconvenience. Good thing that the wedges came to the rescue. Stilettos and high heels are just for, uhmm, formal occasions now. I now have 5 pairs of wedges and wanting to buy another one.

Hmm, I wonder what other mommies consider their favorite products.

MM : Food, Movies and Scrapblogs

I so love the theme of this month's Mommy Moments. Mommies will be talking about the least of the person they are concerned about, themselves. Admit it or not, mommies, in the course of taking care of their families,most often that not, forget about themselves. We normally drown ourselves with the needs of our family that a lot of times we forget that we are also in need of some pampering.

For this week, let us talk about our hobbies. Ever since I could remember, I have always been a foodie. I love to eat though a lot of those who know me personally says that my body is really good in not showing it. Apart from consuming food, I also love creating them. Yes, I love to cook and bake. If given the chance to study again, I would definitely love to go to a culinary school. Our kitchen is always busy especially during my restdays because that is my haven. It is where I find peace and I love the aroma of food from my own kitchen. I am so into cooking that I decided to devote my second blog to my second love. I hope you could drop by Mom from Manila Cooks.



Apart from food, other things that occupies my time are movies and TV series. Right now, I am so into the Vampire Diaries that even Hubby gets excited when I tell him that a new episode is about to be shown. I also love musicals so I easily got hook with Glee. When it comes to movies, we mostly watched sci-fi but when I am with Hubby, we both love romantic movies such as The Notebook, our fave of all-time. I am also always on the look out for new cooking shows or new episodes of the old ones. My personal favorite would be Chef Michael Smith's Chef at Home. Just recently, my attention was also caught by one local teleserye, 100 days.

I also love to do online scrapbooking. I really don't do this most of the time but it is one of my stress relievers. I feel so creative using this online scrapbooking tools. in the future, i wanna learn how to use photo editors like Gimp or Photoshop.




If you wanna know what other things we are best in doing apart from parenting, just head on to Mommy Chris' site.