place of we can take off our shoes and be ourselves.
Scratch where it itches; clutter stuff, pick up, argue, agree.






And most importantly, it is where we learn that imperfections of others and ourselves are acceptable.

...where simplicity begins.




Simple pleasures come from simple things.


Vase hand painted by my daughter. Flowers came from the backyard, left in the wild by previous neighbors.



Mine to behold.

What do you think?

Sometimes wishes do come true.
Long ago, i wished my kids would grow up fast...




Now that they are bigger, I miss the sticky kisses, innocence and baby antics, too.
There are times I want to just say: stop growing!

Who will ever tire of taking pictures of their kids?

No hands raised.

Not me, either.



And she always asks: "Why do you always take pictures of me?"



"Ahhh...I am busy, Mother. I am writing my story"



"This is going to be my story and I will sell it to Papa."





"Are you my paparazzi?"


Yes. Make that lifelong...

Found this letter inside his leather shoes.

My ten year old cleaned and brushed his shoes the night before work.

"Dear Daddy, today is a new day. Today, I will miss your morning hug and kiss. You will spend all the mornings and afternoons with your cubicle and students. You need to spend the entire day without us because you love us. You will also miss lunch time with us. Dad, have a happy and safe travel without us, but with God's protection. God bless. Love, Hannah"


Priceless. Agree?


image from: babyequipment.blogspot.com

Life is simple.
It is us who complicates things.
It is our wants that put us into traps and binds which stress us eventually.
If we follow the simple nature and cycle of things, we will have less of the complications.
It is either I am in the path of old age and sagacity or many experiences have taught me lessons already. Whichever is the answer, I choose the path of simplicity these days: less want, less problem.

This is our coin bank at home. This is where we drop our loose change and coins at the end of the day. Or even right smack in the middle of the day.

Just last week, I was planning to buy a bottle of softdrink or soda to quench my craving. I decided otherwise and dropped it here. Instead of buying 3 pieces of candy, my daughter dropped her coin here.

A coin will always be a coin. It's not much but what do they say: a stitch in time saves nine? It is because 6 months from now, we hope to spend a family vacation. Wherever our coins will take us, we will be more than happy to go.

Simple hope: trip. Simple solution: save for it!

If the Accor Hotels 3-Day Super Sale Asia Pacific will still be on, like right now then that would be a super help!

Homeschooling rocks!

It spells freedom.

It means borderless learning.

Endless possibilities are spelled out every single day waiting to be explored.

There are gazzilion of things and explorations we can do aside from being tied down to the chairs from morning till late afternoon. Possibilities beckon in teaching my kids concepts they need to learn in the most fun or open-ended way. Life after all is not out of the textbook, right?









As of today, my daughter is still busy writing her story. Last I heard, the story she has been writing has reached 43 pages. I am even amazed how she approaches her writing in the most free flowing manner. As if it is so natural for her to write from her thoughts. Ballpoint pen in hand, she does it with ease. Right now, she asks if she can write online thru a blog. It's time to look for a reliable webhosting.

When basic skill building is done for the day, explorations begin. They look forward to this, thus they are motivated to do their basic skills using paper and pencil. Motivation sometimes falter but what am I here for? With prodding and constant reminder they do it nonetheless.

Baking, cooking, gardening, painting, sketching, tinkering with the computer, creating crafts, running around, selling, day camping and performing are just a few explorations they constantly pursue.

Now, that is true learning for me. Don't we all agree that experience is the best teacher?

My daughter Hannah won a contest.
She joined our Parish's on-the-spot poster making contest in the elementary students level. She won third place. She was so happy, she couldn't believe it when she heard her name being called.





Here she is when she received her award from the priests of our parish.

We were proud parents!!!! Teary-eyed we were when we witnessed the moment.

She got a cash prize and a certificate.

Some hand sewing did me good. It felt stress-free and relaxed to do the monotonous needle work.

It was a refreshing break from the usual daily routine. Cause there are times that if I could pass the buck at home, it wouldn't hurt at least once in a while. But that is not a choice.

I felt free and pressure-free as i did the needle work free hand. After about four hours of work, with breaks in between, a blouse is ready to be worn. Since sewing is not my cup of tea, I am learning how to perfect the craft. Hey, Rome was not built in one day, right? So I am taking my time to learn.

Staying at home has its merits and downside. There are times I just want to have short breaks or tell someone to trick or treat me.
Speaking of Halloween, it is almost here. Yeah, time for the kids to dig into loots and goodies. I will still feel my way around if my kids would still love to do it.

AS techie as we all are now, I'm sure you can say trick or treat me on twitter!

Why not? That is totally possible.

Nail-polishing. That's the recent trend for the 3 girls. Signs they're into fashion?



Baking. Never goes out of trend in our house. Yours too?






Sugar overload here. Ahh. One way to reward ourselves. Feels good though if not too often!



Can you believe I started gardening? Whaatt? There goes the "brown thumb" again. Well, there's no harm in trying, right?

So what's up with yours?

This is the message for me today. Actually, a command is more like it.

This is her message for him- the Dad.

Need she say more?

One sunny morning...we walked in the woods.









We had fun communing with nature.
And cherished the moments with God's creations.












So much fun...so much fun, loving Him!

The hands that painted these were little ones way back.

In fact they used to wiggle inside me.

Now they have grown and would soon be same sizes as mine.

How time flies...

And yes, one canvass is a reused material. That's a bonus, right?

I have not blogged for ten million years.
Busy is the four-letter word that can always be reasoned, so let it be.

So here are some pics from my little Picassos first attempt on canvas! Team effort from my three girls.
If this sells millions years from now... that would be the day!

At one point in my married life, I had my three kids all under the age of five. I was young and working full time then. It was a tough time. At the back of my young mid-twenties mind then, I was always wishing that time would fly and my kids would all grow up so as not to be too dependent on me.

Today, as we were all glam up while we attended my sister's wedding I just realized how my kids have grown - taller, bigger and way too on their own.

I just realized my wish came too soon. Time flew and they grew! Soon, they will be all grown up for real. It is really a treasure to invest time being at home and with the family for time does not return.

Happy birthday to my darling girl Frances Maridel.

At eleven, you are now our little lady. God bless your journey to this life.

Your Daddy and I are so blessed to have you: God-fearing, healthy, voracious reader, and respectful to others.

I pray that you live up to your name which means "free" but never forgetting the values of both your Lolas (grandmothers) Delia and Norma (thus MARiDEL) have: strength in characters and passion for a well-lived life.

God must be smiling from ear to ear in heaven with this prayer. I found this written on a piece of paper atop our altar table at home.

I typed this as it was written:

"To the Father to the Sun and to the Holy Spirit Amen. God pls give me food God give mercy guide me God Pls control me God Lord give me many angel. Father the Sun and the Holy Spirit Amen."

My little girl instructed everyone not to remove the paper from the altar.



Ahhh.
Tugs my heart.
Among the gazzilion things I did wrong or did not do right, there is one thing I have done: taught this little one how to pray.

Inside the church during a solemn mass.

Me:(Whispering) Hey little one, you have to behave. We have to listen to what the priest is saying.

6 years old Kid 3 : (Not whispering) Okay Mom.

Me : Thanks!

After 5 minutes or so started to dance and sing.

Me:(Whispering) Shhh. Quiet please...

6 years old Kid 3: Why?

Me:(Whispering) Because we are not supposed to sing out loud here.

6 years old Kid 3: But how come the choir does?

Whoa.

Let me be one proud stage Mommy for a moment - but for the nth time.

What the heck, I like to brag about my kids.

I think they are worth the bragging. LOL.

Things go wrong so that we will be able to tell the difference when things are right. But I ask: when will things be ever perfectly right? Clueless.

Despite how wrong and skewed things are with me, I still have these camera-hungry kids to come home to!

See? Priceless poses!

In sleeping attires or not, we are ready to strike our poses, with endless giggles!

Meet me, (the Mom) and my 3 giddy girls: Madel, Hannah and Erika!