Who Pays?

A few months back, I was "helped" by a security guard who, while backing my husband's car to the street, missed seeing the oncoming AUV and continued backing. Needless to say, the result was a dented rear end for my husband's car, a dented front end for the other vehicle and an argument about who's responsible. In the end, it turned out that the building owners are responsible since the guard is under their employ so they were the ones who settled with the other party. Not everyone can be so fortunate as to have an easy and fast settlement without looking for a lawsuit finance for a claim. I'd say all's well that ends well, except for our poor car, that is. My good hearted husband didn't anymore ask for anything from the building administration except that the other party gets paid.

What Kind of Parent Am I?

While mulling over what type of parent I am, I came across this quiz and decided to take it. I am quite pleased with the results because that's the type of parent I really want to be.

You Will Be a Cool Parent

You seem to naturally know a lot about parenting, and you know what kids need. You can tell when it's time to let kids off the hook, and when it's time to lay down the law. While your parenting is modern and hip, it's not over the top. You know that there's nothing cool about a parent who acts like a teenager... or a drill sergeant!

Would You Be a Cool Parent?

But I really wonder...am I a cool parent? Will I be able to know the fine balance between being too harsh or too lax in disciplining my kids? Will I be "friends" with my kids so that they will learn NOT to keep secrets from me? Will my kids hopefully learn to know right and from wrong, and develop a conscience that would make them do the right things and avoid the wrong ones?

My husband have just started along the path of parenthood with one small boy of 2 years and 10 months of age. This early, we try to be as loving as possible, to give in to his reasonable whims but to be firm in refusing those that are unreasonable. We are fortunate because our little son seems to respond to us with the same amount of love that we're showing him. We hope that more than the ABCs and 123s that he is learning, the basic lessons of what is right and wrong will stick with him throughout his lifetime and he will be a decent man, whether or not he later attains riches.

Just late last week, I attended a Parenting Talk at Teacher Mac's Excellerated Learning Center. The take away message was that "I may never be a PERFECT PARENT but I can be a GREAT ONE".

I do hope I will turn out to be one.
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This is my entry to the 6th Edition of the PPBC, hosted by Guardian Angel.
I am glad to have started this carnival in my other blog, and I hope if you're a Pinoy parent, you will join us in our future editions. Guidelines and archives here.

7 Random Things About Me

Tagged by Kelly and Melisse.

The rules:

A. List these rules on your blog.
B. Share 7 facts about yourself on your blog.
C. Tag 7 people at the end of your post by leaving their names as well as links to their blogs.

1. I learned Chinese before I learned English or Filipino.
2. I have NOT been to Palawan. :(
3. I used to be a wallflower in high school. I think I still am. :)
4. I could hang out in the bookstore for ages.
5. I only have 2 pairs of shoes!
6. I am not a shopaholic. Hmm, must be a defective female gene. :P
7. I haven’t watched a movie for several months now.

I sound so square! Oh well, that's who I am :). Now tagging Maver, Jhona, Sheng, Pheng.

Disclosure and Legalese

The contents on this blog are original works by the author. Quotes and pictures from other sources will be properly credited.

I may accept a fee for some of my works, but rest assured that these would not affect my personal opinions.

Power of Prayer

This was passed on to me by MaverPrayer for the MV Princess of the stars fatalities and survivors:

Dear God,

We pray that you comfort each bereaved family everyday as they grieved for their loss, we pray that you will supply all their needs, we pray for the survivors that they may have a good life after the tragedy, that you will bless them and let them know in the deepest part of their heart that in spite of what have happened, you LOVE and CARE for them. This we pray in the mighty name of Jesus. Amen.

I encourage everyone to keep the prayer going. LET’S P.U.S.H. (PRAY UNTIL SOMETHING HAPPENS).

We Prayed:

1. Through The Rain 2. God’s gift 3. The Adventures of Dong and Jing 4. Me, Myself and I 5. malditang bunso’s journal 6. Underneath It All 7. 100% Kelly 8. Gossip Gehl 9. The Working Mom 10. Joey M.D. 11. Practical Tips and More 12. Online Raket 13. Tsinay 14. You're Next

I'm tagging Leah, Mari, Joanne, Janet for this.

The Domino Tag

Tagged by Janesse.

Rule: Copy the entire list and add your name at the bottom. And tag at least 5 friends. (But you can tag as many as you like).

Note: Please link the blog where you posted the tag We appreciate you linking all your blogs but make sure you post the tag in the blogs too.

Mommy Talks Aggie Shoots. Aggie Scraps All Kinds of Me Stuff The Salad Caper Winding Creek Circle Anorexic Queen Apple of Yan Ple YanPle Howell and Abie My Planet Purple WomenXplore Princess Bela My Happy Place I am Dzoi Cliktrik 100% Kelly My Colorful World Ramdom Thoughts Scribbles of My Life In This Game of Life The Shopaholic in Me Mommyhood and Me My Charmed Life My Joys Sassy Finds Celebrating Life Life is Peachy Belly, Baby and Beyond {BloggerHappy} Fun.Fierce.Fab Ozzy’s Mom Me,Myself+2 Shopaholic Ties the Knot
The Wifey Diaries - jannesse The Working Mom Joey M.D. Practical Tips and More Tsinay

I am passing this to

Magic Lamp of Luck

Got this tag from Jenny :). Thanks so much sis!

"The mighty Genie King and the beautiful Genie Princess from the magical Land of Faraway are back! Upon escaping the clutches of their Evil Master after being held captive for 1000 years, the magical genies have been busy flying on their Magical Flying Carpet, granting wishes and spreading love throughout the blogosphere.

"And now, the genies are back with a special gift for everyone! Behold the sacred, Magic Lamp of Luck! With this magic lamp, your blog will enjoy much good luck and fortune, warding off all things evil lurking around in the blogosphere. We would like to share this magic lamp with you so please pass on the Magic Lamp of Luck to those in need of some good luck. Remember, do not be greedy or unkind, evil or vengeful and good luck & fortune will always be with you! Join us on another exciting magical adventure as we spread goodwill and good luck to one and all!"

I've been visited by the Genies for a stroke of luck, which I really need it! Thanks a bunch, Genies! :)

* Start Copy Here*

1. Add your site(s) to the list once you have received the Magic Lamp of Luck.

2. Pass on the Magic Lamp of Luck to as many people as you like. After all, everyone needs some good luck!

3. Leave a comment HERE once you’ve passed on the Magic Lamp of Luck. Once the Genie King and Genie Princess have visited your site to make sure your links are complete and proper, you will then be added to the Master List.

4. To ensure everyone receives equal link benefit, please UPDATE your list regularly!

1-Mariuca 2-First Time Dad 3-Mariuca's Perfume Gallery 4-Emila's Illustrated Blog 5-The Other Side of Emila 6-My Sweet Escape 7-Bay Head Blog 8-Roxiticus Desperate Housewives 9-LadyJava's Lounge 10-Petty Ramblings of a Petty Queen 11-The Real Deal 12-Pinay Mommy Online 13-Perpustakaan 14-LadyJava Life's Pages 15-Make Money Online 16-Cat Tales 17-LadyJava's Food Paradise 18-Being Woman 19-Spicybug 20-Biz-N-Honey 21-Aeirin's Collections 22-Sasha Says 23-Project Heavy Traffic 24-Picture Clusters 25-My Wanderings 26-Maiylah's Snippets 27-Moments of Colours 28-Life Quest 29-BigMoneyList 30-The Best Parts 31-Morphed 32-Buhay Pinoy 33-Galatayo 34-Blogging Tips 35-Apples Of The Eyes 36-My Own Utopia 37-Sasha's Corner 38-Under One Roof 39-Say Cheese 40-A Great Pleasure 41-A Life in Bloom 42-Because Life is a Blessing 43-Digiscraptology 44-Xixi 45-Ode to Adrienne 46-CrankyDave 47-Simple Life 48-Dew Drops 49-The Journey 50-Mastering Your PC 51-Day Break 52-A Little Girl Talk 53-Mom Knows Everything 54-Day to Day 55-1 of a Kind Wis 56-It's a woman's world! 57-Breather 58-Photo Hook 59-Letterbox 60-Asian Mutt International 61-Dream Doe Philosophy 62-MommyAlehs Up-Close And Personal 63-Livin' the Life! 64-Restnrileks 65-English Corner 66-English Grammar 67-Bodybuilding & Fitness 68-Everything you need 69-One Stop Games 70-Blockbluster Movie Trailers 71-Bodybuilding & Human Growth Hormone 72-World of Tennis 73-Men's Health & Tips 74-Internet Marketing Strategy & Tips 75-Latest Technology 76-Tentang Binaraga 77-Berita Seputar Selebriti 78-Panduan Kesehatan 79-Insurance For You 80-Crissy's Zone 81-Crissy's Library 82-Crissy's Haven 83-sHeNzEe's wOrLd 84-Voice Of The Spirit 85-Best Cuisine Recipes 86-Stand My Ground 87-SeeNRead 88-This Is A Miracle 89-I AM KCAT 90-Traipsey Turvey 91-GBeX & DOm 92-Spun By A Seanachie 93-ISL Family 94-D' Cooking Mudra 95-'Story' the Great 96-UmmiRosma 97-Munirah Abd 98-Atie 99-Hit-or-Miss 100-Twisted Sister 101-Laketrees Artist 102-Blessed Sanctuary 103-Comedy Plus 104-Blogging By Sandee 105-Living Life to the Fullest 106-Speech-Less 107-Happy Life 108-My Discoveries 109-Strangely Out Of Place 110-Rooms of My Heart 111-The Paper Vision 112-Luxurious Retreats 113-Reef 114-Weekend Snapshot 115-Blessie's Finds 116-Confessions of An Army Wife 117-My Pooch Life 118-Five Martini Lunch 119-TIPS FROM THE TRAILER 120-PoeARTica 121-STAY AT HOME MOM 122-Rantings of a Woman 123-Sjtl's Weblog 124-Turn-u-Off 125-My World in My Own Word 126-Shawie 127-A New Saga 128-Janeth Vicy's Life Journey 129-Simple Reveries 130-Berry Blog 131-Touts4u 132-My So Called Life 133-La Vida es Hermosa 134-Speedcat Hollydale Page 135-mangosteenskin 136-Choc Mint Girl 137-Of Colors And Styles 138-Pinaymama's Diary 139-My Life's Rollercoaster Ride 140-My Life...My Journey! 141-Bonoriau 142-Jenny and Belle 143-Read My Mind 144-A Sweet Taste Of Life 145-Shopping Blog 146-Precious Moments 147-Joey M.D. 148-The Working Mom 149- Practical Tips and More 150-Tsinay 151-YOU Next!


*End Copy Here*

I'm passing this tag to Maver Monet, Emz, Leah, Haze, Sheng.

Tsinoy Wedding Customs -- Kwa Di Tsi

I'm inspired to do a piece on Chinese wedding traditions because my brother is getting married. Although he didn't really go through all the traditions, he was not spared from some requirements.

I do realize, though, that enumerating all of these would make a very, very long post, so I decided to focus on one tradition and just post on other traditions later.

Kwa dit tsi, literally means looking for a date. For the Chinese (including Tsinoys), this process is more complicated than usual.

The couple usually consults and expert on Chinese astrology. The expert then asks for their birthdates and time of birth and try to ascertain when the best time is for both of them. It is believed that certain days and times are auspicious for certain signs and bad for others, so a careful search is done. Sometimes the birth information from family members is also taken into consideration.

Although we didn't really have to undergo this because my husband wasn't Tsinoy, we still did because we figured that we don't really lose anything by looking for a "good date".

Think Again

What do you think of this song?

Creative Parenting Seminar

My son's school, Teacher Mac's Excellerated Learning Center, is organizing a parenting seminar. Details as follows:

Topics:
I. Tantrums...How to Keep Your Cool
A. Establishing Routines
- Eating
- Sleeping
- TV Watching
B. Separation Anxiety

II. How To Talk So Kids Will Listen & Listen So Kids Will Talk
A. Helping Children Deal With Their Feelings
B. Alternatives to Punishment

The seminar fee, inclusive of handouts and snacks, are as follows:
- Php300.00 for one parent who will attend, and
- Php500.00 if both parents will attend
- Php200.00 for the yaya

This will be held on July 25, 2008 (Friday), 5:30 to 8:30pm, at the President's Hall, North Greenhills Clubhouse.

Please call up Ms. Jane on or before July 16, 2008 (Wednesday) at 723-4070 or 0928-5019969 to signify your intent to attend.

Married Life

This week's coffee break by Jan is about married life. Coincidentally, Aggie also posted questions about married life! Here's my take on the topic.

What do you love most about being married? (Coffee Break ver 1.25)

Being in love, and working at staying in love. Marriage is always a work in progress. My husband and I went through, and will go through a lot of trials and tribulations, but at the end of it all, through all good things and bad, we continue to remember why we vowed to stay with each other. And that's because we love each other. Sure, we may have bad days and bad moods. Sure, we have some small quarrels once in a while. But as long as we keep our lines of communication open and try to understand each other, and remember all the reasons why we chose each other...we'll remember why we chose to live with each other rather than live our own life individually.

What are the things you want them to know about life after the wedding? (Aggie Wants To Know #1)

My brother's getting married very, very soon. And while these things may sound negative, this is what I want them to know about getting married:

1. When you get married, you don't decide things just for yourself. You have to ALWAYS consider your spouse in your decisions. Later, when you have kids, the more you have to take them into consideration.
2. Money matters may be a source of conflicts within the marriage. A lot of breakups occur because of conflicts over money -- how it should be spent, how much to save, what to spend it on. Decide early on how you are going to manage your money matters. Who's contributing to what, how much you can spend for yourself without having to inform the other, joint and separate bank accounts, insurance and all those other nitty gritty stuff.
3. Although it's romantic to think that marriage is about the two of you, the reality is that marriage also involves other people. Remember that your in-laws are your spouse's family. You have to treat them with respect.
   
4. Children are a joy to have. I have one and I want another one. But having children is definitely not a rash decision to make. Are you ready to raise children? Do you both have the emotional maturity to decide things for a totally dependent being? Children are also expensive. The cost of giving birth, medical care, diapers, milk, education, etc etc will get a big chunk out of your income. Are YOU ready for that?
   
5. As I've said in the paragraph above, the you need at working to stay in love. I'm sure there are things about your partner that irritate you, as early as now. Believe me, more will come out when you are already married. When you're with a person 24/7, sharing the same house, the same room and the same bed, you see all the tiny little quirks that add up to your irritation. Choosing to stay in love also means having to ignore these little (and big) quirks that irritate you so much and remembering all the things that made you fall in love with each other in the first place.

I realize I sound a little negative, but those are the realities of married life. But I'll say that I'm happier now that I'm married, with a child, than I was when I was single. If I go through life again, I'd make the same choices.

Our Children Do Love Us -- PPBC4 Roundup

Sometimes parenting seems to be a dauntless and thankless task. Some people even go so far as to say that having children is simply not worth it. However, to the parents of PPBC, they just know their kids love them.

Sometimes it's as plain simple and straightforward as "I love you, mommy" from Janet's son, when he was but 2 years old.

Who would not be touched with this note from Mommy Jo Ann's five year old daughter?

Mommy, gusto lang talaga kita ma-embrace at makatabi!

(Mommy, I just want to embrace you and be at your side!)

Daddy Angel's children would never fail to say I love you for whatever reason. He also enumerates the 10 exciting ways in which his children show their love.

Mommy Haze's 2 sons also say I love you in their own unique ways. Aside from verbally saying I love you, the boys also show their love in various non-verbal ways which leaves little to guessing.

Maver Monet has a purple dinosaur to thank, as her little son has mastered the words to "I love you, you love me, we're a happy family..." to show his love for them.

Those of us whose kids do not speak much yet, also know our kids love us.

Mommy Pheng knows that her son loves her despite the wrestling moves and the bites, through choosing her over everybody else, laughing at her tricks and kissing her at will.

I (Mommy Joey) haven't heard I Love You from my son yet, but he has said Happy Mommy Day last Mother's Day and sang Happy Birthday on my birthday!

Mommy Jing's little son does not sleep until he sees mommy and daddy and smiles a lot for his parents.

Mommy Jenny's little girl says Mommy so cutely that Mommy Jenny just has to smile.

Although she is not a Pinoy (Filipino) parent, Hortensa sent in an entry which I just had to include. She details the different sorts of love shown by children and ends by saying that as parents, we should show Agape (unconditional love).

These are just a sampling. I urge you to read the complete posts. Click on the pictures and the colored text to see the complete entries. This is, by far, the most difficult roundup I've ever done because it's so hard to what to put down. I want to write everything down, to be honest with you! Every story, every entry is touching and warm, and I loved reading each of them over and over again.

Next edition of PPBC (5th edition) will be hosted by Daddy Angel. Stay tuned.

Guidelines, announcements and archives are here.