Hello everyone!

I don't know guys if you noticed that I took a break from blogging. I just wanted to share how life has been since then.

I tried to look back to my true purpose of coming up with this blog. All I wanted was to keep the memories alive. I am so fond of photo albums and scrapbooks but when the internet thing came in, that's when I started blogging. Initially, I would admit, no one ever dares to read my blog. And I don't even care. It's not for everyone to see. I consider it as a diary or daily logs and I never thought I would end up inspiring a lot of women especially moms who have the same life experiences that I share on my blog.

It's quite hard for me to share one of my darkest moments. If you knew me pretty well, you knew I love cryptic posts and I don't share exactly what those darkest hours were. I would rather keep it to myself and handle it by myself.

But I realized, I have to let it all out. Sometimes life gets harsh but we have to move on and look on to the brighter side of it. So here's the real story...

Life has been very toxic. Moving into a new apartment. Family issues. Kids being active in school. Having a full-time job. Being a full-time mom and wife. I've got no time left for blogging. Life overwhelms me in many ways and I chose to take a break for a while to focus more on personal things that matter most to me - my kids and my family. There's just too much happening in my life.

But why give up on blogging of all things? I would admit negative thoughts hit me, and creatures of self-doubts started to creep in.  Why am I blogging? There are so many bloggers out there better than me. I'm not even half of what they've become. I earn very little from this blog but why am I still doing it? I see how successful my college and high school friends were...and look where I am. I felt so unfulfilled. It went on for months and then a year. And it has affected my current employment. I stopped communicating with my clients for no reason. I just decide to end it that way. I felt intoxicated but no one ever noticed. I try to mask myself with smiles and laughter but would cry when no one's looking.

However, having so much free time gave me more time to spend with the kids, make memories and witness their achievements with my very own eyes. It was the most rewarding thing with all the doubts and worries I've been trying to hide. But don't get me wrong, I wasn't sitting all day crying. There's much happier and fun days and I think that is what's keeping me in my toes and making life balanced.

After a year, I decided to grab a full-time job with better pay, thinking it's better and stable than just blogging. I met someone who offered me a virtual job, although I wasn't really looking at that time. I felt like it was a sign from God telling me it's time to start all over again, renew my life and start working again. And yes, I did.

Everything was good until I got laid off from work. It wasn't as stable as I thought it was. It was a popular real estate company in the US and yet we (including my co-VAs) got laid off. Yes, I'm officially unemployed. And it's stressing me again  -  job hunting; failed interviews; and sending more applications. Hopefully, I'll find something soon.

So what actually forced me to blog once again? Well, someone asked me - who influenced you into blogging? Do you have someone that you look up to? Who was it? It was a long pause. But it sounded funny when I told her...actually, there wasn't anyone. Then, I realized I don't have any influences when I started blogging.

Writing has always been my passion. It relaxes me. And I started blogging simply because I love writing. And I think those words that I can't blurt out, I can say it out loud through writing. I know it's weird. Although, I write mostly about life and family to simply keep the memories alive. Again, not for everyone to see but mainly for personal use 'cause I know time will come that I will look back at all these memories I have posted here and SMILE.

So I realized, it's not really that I gave up blogging but it's really the lack of time that stopped me from doing it. I think I need to do some hardcore time management. I will try my best to come up with new topics once in a while. It may not be as regular as it used to be but I will try to keep up the pace (as a promise to myself).

And despite all the life crisis and self-doubts that would forever linger within me, I accept the fact that life isn't perfect. That we should all find our own purpose in life to live our lives to the fullest. And with this crazy journey, I knew it will always lead me back to blogging. Because this blog defines me better than myself.

At times of trouble

And stress that life brings

These are the moments

I don't want to miss

These moments at hand

I cherish the most

I am truly glad

Happiness just overflows

Worries just slip away

And sunshine comes in

Moments that matter

Forever will stay

It's been an exhausting school year for you

But it's also the most memorable one.

The challenges and hardships along the way

You have overcome and conquered.

Know your enemies and know yourself

And you can fight a thousand battles.

Follow your instinct to find true friends,

That in times of trouble will always be there.

Keep on doing what you know is right.

Ignore the people trying to pull you down.

Dream and keep on your toes.

We will always be here, cheering you on!

Marcelo H. del Pilar Memorial School (in San Nicolas, Bulakan, Bulacan) is continuously improving to provide quality education for children with special needs. 

With donations from good samaritans and through different funding programs led by our PTA officers this school year, the school now has two fully-furnished classrooms specially designed for the SpEd students.

Another important element that our school provides at the end of every school year is recognizing each and every student's abilities and improvement.

This year, Zac once again gets the "Mr. Motivated" Award. His love for school and slow-paced improvement is already something to be proud of. To see him experience getting on stage is what really matters to me. Zac may not have any idea what that was all about but to see him experience these things like normal kids does is what's really important.

At this point, I'm no longer expecting that he will be integrated into regular class. My only concern is for him to be able to read, be independent at home and in school - which is going to be my main objective for the next school year.

Kudos to you Zac!

Teaching social skills to children with special needs takes a lot of time and practice. And our efforts as parents is the key to their improvement.

A child with special needs will inspire you to be a special kind of person.

I remember it was March 2016 when I decided to make an open letter on Facebook to reach out to a lot of people about the needs of the SPED center in Marcelo H. Del Pilar Memorial School in Bulakan. It was a success because two more teachers were added to our SPED program to support the growing enrollees of children with special needs, which was really my main objective. We only had one SPED teacher at that time catering to 70+ students and having two more SPED teachers, things have never been better.

This school year, the student's population have grown even more. From 85 kids with special needs last year, we are now officially at 100. Since one classroom will not be able to accommodate 100 students, the school library has now been given to the SPED program to serve as a secondary classroom. Unfortunately, the room requires more renovation to be properly equipped for the children's safety.

Since local funds are not enough to cover the expenses and needs of our center, I decided to do this simple gesture for the SPED center by making an online campaign to raise funds, and also as a commitment to raise awareness about our community.

I hope in 2 months time, we would be able to raise funds to have the renovation done as soon as possible to provide the students a well-equipped and safe classroom. They need your support and we are truly humble to accept any form of donations.

See how it works on GoGetFunding.com

For other form of donations, you may also visit our SPED center located at Marcelo H. Del Pilar Memorial School in San Nicolas, Bulakan, Bulacan. For updates, you may also visit SPED ni Marcelo on Facebook.

It's been 11 years and counting

Have you even dare to count?

And from other couples we know

There is something that sets us apart.

Anniversaries or even Valentine's

It doesn't matter to us.

We seldom exchange gifts 

And instead, we collect memories.

This year, we're having 

Two celebrations in a day.

Your birthday and father's day,

And it wasn't a coincidence.

You were born to be a great DAD!

And you deserve a shout out.

For the great things you did for us,

And for the choices you made for us!

Happy Birthday and Happy Father's Day.

"For any child, life remains a sea full of rich experiences just waiting to be explored." - Natan Gendelman

Writing and pencil grip is one of the most difficult task to introduce to a child with special needs.

And based on my personal experience with Zac, I knew it's going to be tough because there are early signs of struggles involving hands and fingers like tying shoelaces, holding utensils, rotating door knobs, and even basic things like holding scissors, pencils and colors. In other words, he has poor fine motor skills. But for a determined mom like me, there's nothing that could stop me from doing the best that I could to help my son. It may take time but with effort and with the aid of the SPED teachers of Marcelo H. Del Pilar Memorial School, he will eventually learn it.

During study time, Zac gets tired easily and usually ends up not finishing his home work. So I thought it's best to incorporate fun activities on our home study sessions and try to make it different every time so he has something to look forward to. Also, I don't force him if he's not in the mood. And this is when the fun activity takes place.

Below are some of the finger exercises we do (at home and in school) to help Zac improve his fine motor skills that can also help improve his handwriting ability. This exercises are applicable for beginners. If your child is already good at these types of finger exercises, you may consider a more versatile activities.

1. COIN BANK

Use a regular piggy bank or a recycled container. Ask your child to hold 2-5 coins. Let him put the coins on the slot/opening, one coin at a time, without dropping the other coins in his hand. Rotate the piggy bank once in a while so your child will have to adjust his hand and fingers to match the slot. Use more coins as your child gets better at this task.

I used a recycled can as our coin bank. I love this can because I can just take the lid off to get the coins if we want to do the activity again. A lot more convenient than using a real piggy bank.

2. CLOTHESPIN

Your creative ideas for making different activities using clothespin will come into play. You can use a round cardboard, paper or any flat object where he can align the clothespin. You can also use it to pick up objects and let your child transfer the items in a box. Just make sure that the tripod fingers (see image below) are used correctly. Tripod fingers is the proper pencil grip so this activity can really help in your child's handwriting skills.


3. STRAW & BOTTLE

Putting the straw inside the bottle and taking it out. You can also incorporate numbers/counting and colors to this activity as your child puts the straw inside the bottle. You can try one color a day and once he can already identify each color, start combining all the straws together and see how he would respond when you ask him to "Put the red straw in the bottle". This activity also tests his visual and memory skills.

4. STACKING BLOCKS

Don't underestimate this type of toy because it's really a great help in developing your child's fine motor skills and imagination. As they hold and build the blocks, it strengthen their fingers, hands and arms. It also develops hand-eye coordination which is also important for kids with poor eye contact. It also helps in enhancing their creativity when figuring out how to stack it and create different designs out of it.


Don't limit your child from doing the same activity over and over again. These are just a few examples of fine motor activities you can do at home. You can also get some advice from a professional or a developmental pedia or a SPED teacher on other activities for your child, which is more appropriate for his age and diagnosis.

I hope you found this blog helpful and feel free to share this post!

Ten years ago,

The girl I know was quirky and odd.

Her laughter is contagious

And she's totally hilarious.

Ten years later,

The girl I know is still pretty as ever.

She turned out to be smart and artistic.
Oh no wonder, I'm her mother.

No one knows what the future holds.
As a mom, I wish her the best.
And as she tries to fulfill her dreams,
I promise to support her all the way.

Happy 10th birthday, my Princess.

It's Christmas season once again! For us Filipinos, this is the most wonderful time of the year. It has been our tradition to spend the holidays with our loved ones - families, friends and relatives. But with all the preparations, planning, tight budget and holiday rush...it can also be stressful at some point.

In my case, travelling all the way from Bulacan to Pasig has been our regular routine every Christmas. My mom and most of my relatives are living in the Metro so we try to bring the kids over to spend some quality time with them. But with the traffic issues and pollution very evident in EDSA, travelling with the kids (especially with a special child) can be challenging. My son usually gets irritated for long hours of travel and would sometimes behave badly for no reason. And along with different diseases emerging today, it worries me if it's still safe to travel with kids these days. Kids are very prone to germs, bacteria and viral diseases, and as much as possible we want to make sure they're protected and safe, so I list down a few tips for parents (mostly moms) for a worry-free travel with the kids this holiday.

1. Check routes ahead of time. Whether you're travelling by car or public transportation, it would be a great idea to check routes so you can avoid delay due to road repairs, traffic and road accident on your way to your destination. Less time travel means more bonding time with your loved ones.

2. Have a bag full of tricks. If it is going to be a long travel, bring your kids' favorite toys, books, gadgets or anything that can entertain them while on trip. Bring some snacks or packed meals so your kids can have something to eat, and you no longer need to stop by the convenience store. Less hassle for you and your kids.

3. Go compact. Opt in for small versions of your basic toiletries such as toothpaste, toothbrush, alcohol, lotion, powder, etc. Put it in a separate pouch so you can easily identify your belongings at a glance.


4. Pack efficiently, organized and smart. Only pack items and clothes enough for your trip. If you're staying out for 2 days, just bring enough clothes good for such period. Pack them properly so you won't have to bring bulky bags along with you. Here's a video tutorial on how to pack efficiently:

Good memories are contributing factors on how a person perceives life.

It has been a part of our tradition to celebrate birthdays with a bang! The 1st, 7th, and 18th birthdays are mostly the celebrated milestones of our life. But is it really that necessary?

As we celebrate Zac's 7th birthday this year, we took a break from the usual parties and gatherings. I knew for a fact that Zac will never enjoy things like that. For those readers who are new to my blog, my son is a child with special needs. He's a very hyperactive kid and he has an intellectually disability. He will not appreciate clowns and party games like ordinary kids. His guests would probably do, but not him. I was thinking about things that Zac would love to do on his birthday. After all, it's his birthday! What's really important is how we spend the day that will make it memorable for him.

And with that in mind, I made a decision which I think is best for him. I always take his condition into account and I believe I did the right thing. So my husband and I decided to take him to a place where he would enjoy this day the most. We took him to Kidzoona and he had so much fun. Watch my first ever Vlog below.

Birthdays are truly remarkable for every child. It doesn't have to be fancy because as parents, what we need to prioritize more is to provide our kids with the best memories of their childhood. Memories that they will cherish for the rest of their lives. Memories that they will keep forever in their hearts. 

God has always been good to us and Zac is an epitome of His unconditional love.

Ignorance of law excuses no one.

PWDs (Persons with Disabilities) have the same rights like everyone else and should be treated equally in our society. As a parent of a PWD, it is our responsibility to know our children's rights and privileges. We should educate ourselves more about RA 9442 or also known as "MAGNA CARTA FOR DISABLED PERSONS, AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES". 

Every PWD can avail of all the benefits stated on RA 9442, however, having a PWD ID is very necessary.

To be honest with you, it's been a grueling experience for me and my son to get a PWD ID. We started off last 2015, and we've been getting back and forth but we can't get a hold of the City Health Officer. It was just this April 2016 that we finally caught up with Dr. Villanueva, Bulakan City Health Officer, at the Main Health Center in San Jose, Bulakan.

I want to be of great help to anyone so I'm sharing this step-by-step procedure on how to get a PWD ID. I hope you find this information helpful.

Some personal information are hidden for security purposes.

1. Visit your City Health Office and schedule an appointment with the Authorized City Health Officer. The PWD applicant needs to be present for the evaluation.

2. Present the following documents:

• 4 pcs. 1 x 1 picture of the PWD applicant
• duly-signed clinical abstract by any licensed private or government clinic, or hospital-based physician
• Philhealth ID # (of the guardian, if PWD is underage)

3. The PWD applicant will undergo a blood type test.

4. The City Health Officer will be the one to fill out the application form. A duplicate copy will be provided to you. Bring this copy to your MSWD or Municipal Social Welfare Development.

5. Wait patiently as the MSWD process the PWD ID. The PWD applicant will be required to sign the ID and booklets, otherwise, a thumbmark will do just fine.

Disclaimer: The applications might be slightly different per region or city. Call your local health center or city office to inquire.

• At least 20 percent discount at all establishments relative to the utilization of all services in hotels and similar lodging establishments, restaurants and recreation.
• A minimum of 20 percent discount on admission fees in theaters, cinema houses, concert halls, circuses, carnivals and other similar places of culture, leisure and amusement.
• At least 20 percent discount on medicines in all drugstores.
• At least 20 percent discount on medical and dental services including diagnostic and laboratory fees for x-rays, computerized tomography scans, blood tests and professional fees of attending doctors in all public and private hospitals and medical facilities.
• At least 20 percent discount on fare for domestic air and sea travel, public railways, skyways and bus fare.
• Younger PWDs who meet minimum admission requirements get educational assistance for primary, secondary, tertiary, post tertiary, as well as vocational or technical education, in both public and private schools, through scholarships, grants, financial aids, subsidies and other incentives. This may also include support for books, learning materials, and uniform allowance.
• 5% discount on groceries like basic necessities and prime commodities.
• Priority and express lanes in all commercial and government establishments for PWDs.
• Priority access to government-mandated assistance projects, scholarships and livelihood opportunities.

It's just exciting to know that another school year has ended. But what's more exciting is to see your kids get up on stage to receive awards. 

As a parent, I really do not pressure my kids to be so good at everything. I just want them to do what they love, and enjoy childhood as much as possible. 

In Zac's case, it doesn't really matter whether he gets an award or not. What's more important for me is to see him improving and getting better each day. 

But because we have a very loving and dedicated SPED teacher, Mrs. Myrna Ramos. She made it appoint that all the SPED students will each receive an award. We're just so lucky to have her as our SPED teacher in Marcelo H. del Pilar Memorial School in Bulacan. She has so much passion and love for the students that she wants each and every student to be happy on the day of our school recognition.

And as she calls to award the student who entertains a lot of people, I knew it was Zac. I'm not surprise at all, knowing that Zac is funny and friendly. He really gives a great vibe in the room...and that is if he's in a good mood 'cause if not, that would be a different kind of story. 

This day is not just to recognize the students but also to showcase the importance of our one and only SPED teacher because without her, we don't know where else to go. Thanks for staying with us, and we love you Ma'am Myrna! 

The student is not above the teacher, but everyone who is fully trained will be like their teacher. - Luke 6:40

Starting a new year also means setting some goals (something you can attain in just a year). But if we really thought about it, what's more meaningful is to look back at all the things that has happened the past year.

Be thankful with all the success after failures, acceptance after mourning or loss, joy after struggles, and more. 

Wow! Isn't that a wonderful year? And now, the Earth will orbit around the sun once more for another fun-filled year for all of us.

It only takes a few minutes to just sit down and recall. In just a year, we have grown so much. It made us a lot stronger, more mature and ready to face yet another year no matter what comes our way.

I wish everyone a great year ahead. Happy New Year!

Summer — I always look forward to our summer vacation. It's our family bonding and the kids enjoy it a lot. And even without too much preparation, no one can stop us from getting into the summer heat every year.

As we all know, we only live once. Then let's make the most out of it! Start by being grateful of the simple things in our life. When life hits you hard, don't be afraid to fall. Get back up and learn from it. Be optimistic because life is so wonderful!

How about you? What makes your world wonderful? Share the things that make you who you are. Generate your own meme using the World of Wonder app, just visit wonderful.ph.

It's been a year...but with all the fun-filled and exciting things that has happened, I felt like it's more than just a year. With Zac's continuous progress and improvement, it's more than just a blessing! And I thank God for making it possible, with His unconditional love.

Happy Birthday Zac!