The other day, while chatting nonchalantly with my only son, he innocently blurted that he’s ugly. I said this to make him feel better: “of course not, isn’t it you look after Mama so you’re not ugly cause I’m not.” He replied, “my classmate said so.”

My son developed an obvious case of skin asthma where white spots and rashes took over his entire face. The derma said the disease is similar to eczema and does look like one so it’s definitely not a pretty sight on his face. with the creams and ointments we applied, the rashes are all gone but the white spots remained and the derma said it will take months or even years before the scars or the spots fade.

At first, I thought my son is not bothered by this. He seemed unfazed by the mockery he gets from mean people but apparently, it is affecting him. His confidence is melting down as his classmates and others tease him about his spots. I feel so bad about this and I almost cried in front of him. I composed myself and said: “Don’t mind them son. Just tell them the spots will be gone in no time. It’s bad to tease other people about their weaknesses or their looks and you should not do that to others too.”

Initially, a mom’s reaction would be to ask who the classmate is and to confront that child and tell him to leave my boy alone. I did not do that because I know I have to handle the situation calmly and should respond to the problem, not react to it. I know that even if I wanted to put my son under my protective wings from people who may harm him or hurt his feelings, I can’t do that all the time. He has to learn how to protect himself and stand up for himself so that he will grow up a man, not a boy.

What about you? Any suggestion(s) on how to handle these situations with your child or your future child?

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No matter how commercialized valentines day is all over the world, and most especially here in the Philippines, no one can detest the fact that lovers and those wishing for love put high regard on this sweet and romantic day.

Would you agree with me that it’s hard to buy men gifts than women? Well, that truth goes to me and baffles me every time I have to buy my lovey-dovey a gift. If you are in this position today and wondering what valentine’s gift to give for for your man this February 14 and you have the budget to make him happy, I may have just the perfect suggestion for you!

Is he sporty, the athletic type? Is he a gamer, does he love mind games? Is he fond of going to the arcade, playing foosball and such? If he is any of the three, the perfect gift for him are game tables. This is not an everyday-kind of gift that’s why it is special and will surely put that lovely smile on his face! Look at these photo os to give you an idea what I’m talking about here.

Whether you pick this fabulous surprise for your sweetheart this Valentine’s day or decided to just plant him a sweet kiss on the cheek, I’m sure you’ll be happy together as long as there is love, true love that is! Advance happy hearts day everyone!

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First stop — indulgence on a much-needed luxury — a spa treat!

After going to SM Marikina to lodge my complaints against Globelines services, I decided to hit another mall since SM department store was not open on January 1. I went to my next favorite mall — the Robinsons Metro East. By this time, I have already decided I wanted a whole body massage so I roam around the beauty and wellness centers at the third level.

Since I already tried Relaksasi Spa a year ago and thought it’s expensive for an ordinary spa service, I looked for another one and found a quite new beauty center named Skin Natural which offers an hour of whole body massage with free use of Dome for only P450. Sounds interesting and reasonably priced so I booked myself in and enjoyed the rest of the spa treat.

The “dome” is like a heating room where you lie inside a tube and you get an instant steam service. I liked my experience with Skin Natural as their service is good — polite and assistive front desk officers, very clean place and my therapist, Edith, is a really nice and patient woman who knows how to give a good massage. I also like their “heater bed” which warms you after a nice shower. All in all, I think I found my newest favorite Spa.

Next stop and treat — special dinner with my husband!

After a relaxing massage, my husband and I went to dinner at Quizia. We had fun eating and joking around. We ordered our favorite seafood pasta, Quizia special pizza and cookies and cream shakes. It was a wonderful new year’s evening and probably one of the best times of my life.

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This is what I realized when I attended the wedding of a good friend yesterday, Neil and his wife, Niel. I would never miss their wedding because Neil is the one responsible for my entrance to the blogosphere. He was patient in teaching me the technicalities of website development, even if at times, I was such a sour student.

Neil and Niel are no doubt, a happy couple. Look at the evidences of this statement:

Neil and Niel, congratulations for your union. Jen and I were all smiles looking at your happy and wide-smiling faces all through out the ceremony. May God bless your marriage with healthy and cute kids.

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If there’s one thing I am thankful for, it is the fact that God created me healthy and complete — no damaged or missing parts, and not sickly. My flaws, if you would call them that way, was being ordinary looking, fat, and poor. In my childhood, I was the girl who was likeable because I was funny and a little “smart” but that’s all. No outstanding character traits, no reason to be popular. I was known to some, unknown to most.

The good thing about having flaws and being plain-looking, is you develop some sort of humility and the will to prove yourself. Because of this, I strived to study hard and do good in finding a career for myself. It took me some time but when I did, It was all worth it. The journey was long and tough, but the experiences were humbling. In the end, I am thankful that I wasn’t the sheltered, pretty girl who has, and can get everything easily. Because of this, I was trained to bear and overcome poverty, pain, and challenges without losing my ground. I am a survivor in my own right.

Today, I still am not popular, still not rich, and still not dashing physically. I still am the “chubby chic” who constantly ask herself how to lose belly fat. The improvements in my personality and lifestyle are already visible though. I am now more confident as a result of my education and search for continuous learning. Physically, because I read and observe, I now know how to look decent and attractive and because I am a “practical” fashionista and I speak well, the impression of other people about me was the opposite of what I used to be. Those who do not know me usually are intimidated of me because they thought I’m classy and very intelligent. I am educated and confident and that’s it. It’s a bonus others see me greater than what I truly am. Then again, I believe I earned this because I learned accepting and loving myself and that I worked hard to prove to myself and others what I am capable of.

As I always say: “Life is what we make it.”

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Ironically, instead of losing weight because of my strenous schedule, I am apparently gaining more Sad, really. The reverse side effect was brought by my eating late dinners since my classes ends at nine in the evening. By this time, I’m totally famish and you can just imagine how mad I am at the sight of food.

It’s bad I know, health wise and everything else. I just noticed a week ago that my pants were bulging and soon, I may be forced to scout for replacement. Plus, this may preempt me to consider again taking a weight loss pill to help me lose some pounds I gained since the start of the semester. More financial burdens.

But then again, you always have to find sunshine in the midst of a cloudy day. This, I learned from the movie Harry Potter. In short, I have to still be positive amidst my bulging waist. Kidding aside, I need a simple and doable health plan to control my weight disorder. Any ideas?

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My days were extremely busy and I would like to share with you some of the things that occupied my waking, and even, my supposedly sleeping hours. It is midterm week and since I’m teaching two major subjects in college, it was major preparation — preparing the questionnaires, administering the exam and checking the test papers.

My day job also required me to finish major assignments and one of them, I am happy to announce, would be hitting the streets of Marikina soon, but let’s hush about it for now because I don’t want to preempt the project. On a positive note, I was again invited by MMA Media Inc., organizer of the Ten Outstanding Young Employees of Marikina City (TOYEM), for a “Gabi ng Parangal” for their tenth year anniversary as one of their past awardees way back in year 2003. The night was very glamorous and I was too shy to walk on the runway when my name was called but I obliged of course.

I was also busy with my speaking engagements with the foundation, FFICI, where I serve as a resource person. We already finished our projects in Cebu and Antipolo City and this weekend, we’ll be hitting the suburbs of Roxas City. I’d be busier in the next days as I need to prepare my presentations.

On the lighter side, I spent a day in Bustos, Bulacan, with my husband’s clan reunion. It was an enjoyable day and my son loved everything except not winning the parlor games. Last Friday too, I was a proud Momma because my son played the role of our hero, Dr. Jose Rizal, in a school presentation for the Linggo ng Wika. My mother-in-law made him his Rizal costume and I bought him his Rizal hat which turned out to be a comic relief when his classmate blurted: “Marcus, you look like Michael Jackson!” My husband scolded me for making him wear that hat because he pointed out early on that the hat was more of MJ’s than Rizal’s.

I often complain about my need for more time to do everything I needed and wanted to do. This week, I wish I am my son’s newest favorite heroine, Darna, so I can accomplish everything without accumulating eyebags and pimples. I need the best acne treatment today if I wanted to look presentable for my speaking engagements in the coming days as my acnes are having a field day. Ugh!

Life is too precious to waste. I know that even if I am not sleeping decently and my stress’ decibel is of the highest level, I can proudly say that these are all worth it. For my family and for my community, I know, I am somehow, making a “bit” difference. Every bit counts ‘ayt?

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Nay, I love you so much and I thank you for everything wornderful you have done for me, my son, Marcus, and the rest of teh family. You are the best and will remain the best Nanay and Lola in the whole world!

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Among her products are bikers’ and cowboys’ apparels. The designs made me remember my little boy’s fondness for equestrian apparel as he really wanted to become a cowboy when he was three or four year-old. He was given a black vest by his grandmother and he wear it even in his sleep. We had to eventually tell him the vest was lost so he would give it a rest.

Even as a young boy, he already loved horses and he would ride carousels so he can feel how it is to be a cowboy. For this reason, I promised myself I would bring him to Baguio someday so he can ride a real horse. So I did, and so did he.

How time flies! Soon, my baby will be a grown boy and he would seek independence. I hope that as he age, he would remain sweet and thoughtful as I would really miss our good times together. He’s very close to me. I’ve been very busy these days and my son misses me so much. He would always tell me after an out-of-town trip how he slept hugging my picture while I’m away. You can just imagine how guilty I am with these remarks. I am always trying hard to cope with the demands of my jobs and my being a mother but sometimes, I am messing.

Nevertheless, my little cowboy will always be the meaning of my life and I hope I will still be there when he hops on a real horse and make it run in the wild.

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Love withers with predictability; its very essence is surprise and
amazement. To make love a prisoner of the mundane is to take its passion and lose it forever. Leo Buscaglia

All of us dream of a happy ending. Canned fairy tale love affairs coupled with castles, knight in shining armors and chivalrous and romantic heroes. I had my share of these dreams. I stared night after night at the ceiling of my cramped bedroom starry-eyed and looking at an imaginary falling star silently praying that my prince will come and save me from being loveless…

That was years ago. Some 8 or 9 cranked love affairs after, I have realized that the movies were good and the books were fantastic, and they are pure fiction. They gave me a very vivid presentation of how my perfect lover should be leaving the reality that he is nowhere to be found in my world. Such a shame because I have lived my teenage to womanhood years positively hoping and expecting for the arrival of my prince.

Now, with a husband and a kid later, I’ve realized one great reality — that a perfect fairy tale romance is not dependent on having a castle and a handsome knight… it is having a lover who is with you all the way — -