The Year 2007

It’s a common practice for us to make resolutions as the year comes to an end and a new one is approaching. I used to do this before but now I’m just grateful for whatever happened to me the previous year, be it good or bad.

There are so many things that happened in 2007 that I am so much thankful for. It’s been a year now since we left New Zealand and the adjustment process went well for all of us especially for the kids. We meet and made good friends here in Australia which makes a lot easier for us to cope with our new environment. My husband and I were blessed with good jobs and all of us remain fit and healthy for the whole year.

Surely, there were some bumpy days but we surpassed them somehow. These made our faith stronger and we learned more to trust God and allow Him to direct our lives. Most especially, we learned to be more patient and to wait for His perfect time

Change, Change, Change...

I just finished reading “Who Moved My Cheese?” by Dr. Spencer Johnson and it's a very interesting and inspiring book. My supervisor gave it to me as a Christmas present. At first I thought that it is one of those ‘work-related’ books which I am not too keen to read. But it wasn't.

“Who Moved My Cheese?” is about how people react to changes, whether changes at work place or in their personal lives. One can easily relate to the story’s main characters, the mice Sniff and Scurry and to the little people Haw and Hem.

Sniff and Scurry being mice that do not have emotions, can easily determine if something is changing and immediately do something about it. On the other hand, the two little people use their feelings to make decisions that make it harder for them to cope with changes. Hem who refuses change and hold on to what he believes in and Haw who finally gave in to change and moved on.

I have been through a lot of changes, be it in my personal life or in my career. I can see myself like the little people. There were times when I shut my mind to the idea of exploring other possibilities that might help me grow emotionally, socially and spiritually. Once I found my comfort zone, I just want to stay in there forever. I don’t care what other people say or do. Because of this kind of attitude I became aggravated and disgruntled most often.

The book changed my perception and attitude towards change. A perfect gift especially when we are going through some changes at work. As the cliché goes, ‘Change is the only constant thing in this world’.

The Crib

Christmas is one of my favorite seasons. The Christmas ornaments you can see in houses and malls, the carols they played on the radio, the crispness that you can feel in the air…these bring me joy and excitement. But what completes my happiness is the crib that the church displays as Christmas day draws near.

I had three Nativity set at home. I bought the first one when we went at Brickworks. It’s a second-hand one and there are missing characters such as the oxen, ram, donkey and the shepherd.

The second set (and my favorite one) came from a charity shop close to work. It has all the characters and the figures and crib were lovingly hand-made by less-fortunate children here in Adelaide. The third set is really not mine. This belongs to my kids. It’s a gift to them from our parish for joining their sacramental program.

I don’t know why, but every time I look at the crib I feel a sense of contentment and happiness. This serves as a reminder of how fortunate I am. Indeed life is not pleasant all the time. There are heaps of rough days but when I think of the nativity scene, of baby Jesus born in a manger, all my worries and fears were replaced with serenity and gratitude.

I may not have all the luxuries in this world but compared to Jesus I am very lucky to be born in a hospital, to sleep in a comfortable bed, to live and grow in a warm and nice house, to wear beautiful clothes and shoes. All of these things made me realized that I should learn to be satisfied and be thankful, to take each day one at a time and to treat trials as a way to strengthen my relationship with God.

Two Masters

It is never easy to balance family and work especially if you have children. There were months when I had a deadline to meet and then suddenly my children will begged me to attend their school assemblies or presentations. Of course, I can’t say no to them. But a half-day off from work has an impact to the project’s delivery date. That’s why I am forever grateful to my supervisor for being so supportive and understanding.

I love my family. Sometimes I wish that I can be a full-time wife and mother. I know I can do this whenever I want to but when I started thinking about the financial side it will be hard.

Now is so much different from before. My mother is a plain housewife. My father is the only breadwinner of our family. They’re able to support 4 children (I have 3 siblings). They’re able to provide us the basic necessities, some extras and sent us to private schools. But now, life will be very tough if you have three children and only one source of living. Hence, with a heavy heart I need to work to help my husband support our family.

I learned to be emotionally strong for the past nine years. I tried to convince myself that everything will be fine when we leave our kids to the caregiver. At work, I am trying so hard to focus my mind on what I am doing and try not to glance at the time. But at 5 in the afternoon I can’t wait to hopped in the bus and be with my family.

So who said you can’t serve two masters at the same time? I have been doing this for almost a decade and will still be doing this until we are financially better-off.

Fingerprints

My daughter gave me a card last year for Mother’s Day. It has her fingerprints and a lovely poem. I was so touched and cried when I read it (and felt guilty because I am so particular when it comes to cleanliness!).

I know you get discouraged
Because I am so small
And always leave my fingerprints
On furniture and walls
But everyday I am growing
I’ll be grown up some day
And all the smudges that I did
Will surely fade away
So here’s another bunch of them
Just so you can recall
Exactly how my fingers looked
When I was very small

I realized how time flies so fast and soon, my priceless possessions will not anymore be mine. Whether I like it or not, I have to set them free and let them find those things that can make them happy on their own. Of course, I will still be there when they need me.

That’s why, while they are still small and so dependent on me, I make sure to fully savor every second I spent with them.

Learning Tagalog

I keep on telling my kids to practise their Tagalog. Sa bahay tagalog na ang gamit namin kapag kinakausap namin sila (hirap kasi mag-translate ng salita sa English...hehehe). They can understand some Filipino words but can't really speak the language. Kapag nasa supermarket or mall kami, Tagalog din kung kausapin namin sila. Kapag nag-turo 'di nakakahiya sabihin na "huwag iyan kasi mahal".

Our eldest was born in the Philippines. I told him he should at least try to speak in Tagalog. He told me that if he will do that, he will then be called 'ano po iyon' boy. 'Yun lang daw kasi ang alam niyang sabihin 'ano po iyon'.

Our princess, the 2nd one, is at least trying her best to use Tagalog when speaking to us. Basic words alam na niya. She can count in Tagalog very well!

Recently, si bunso biglang nagpa-turo sa akin ng Tagalog. He keeps on asking me what is the Tagalog of cold, hot, warm, toothbrush and many other things. He is so cute! Tawag niya sa warm is 'gamgam'. 'Di kasi niya mabigkas ang maligamgam. Pero 'di pa rin niya masabi ang 'I Love You' sa Tagalog. Before, I told him "Mahal kita Cedric". I asked him if he knew what 'mahal' is in English. He proudly said "expensive"...hehehe...

Time is Gold

Time flies so fast! Imagine it's almost the end of the 1st quarter for 2007. Soon you can hear Christmas carols being played on the radio.

Being a mother, I always remind my kids to use their time wisely. I told them how precious time is and that it will not stop and wait for them. Why I am telling this to them, because I realized that I haven't used my time well.

I have 3 beautiful children but I wasn't there when they first smiled, when they first sit, when they first stand and when they took their first big step. Where am I during those times, at work. I am so scared that I could not give them the best in this world. That's why I told my self I need to work hard for them. But I was wrong...

There are things that can wait and will eventually happen. There are things that cannot wait and they just happen. It is a matter of how well you prioritized things. If only I can bring back the past, I will give more focus on being a mum. I'll make sure that I will always be there for my children.

My Favorite Things...

Aside from God and my loved ones (my 3 kids, husband, parents, siblings, close relatives and friends) there are some special things that can make me smile...

- Birds chirping
- Butterflies
- Flowers blooming
- Morning dew
- Sunrise and Sunset
- Rainbow
- The smell of freshly brewed coffee
- The smell of freshly baked bread

and of course hearing my children's voice and laughter...

Life is truly wonderful!

Dining in at Nando's

We often have lunch or dinner at Nando's. Our favorite order is the family feast. It comes with a whole chicken and a large side-dish (sa NZ it comes with 2 large side-dish and 4 small drinks), very affordable and enough for the whole family. May sobra pa for take away!

Lately, we noticed na laging ubos ang chicken. Last Friday, we had our dinner again at Nando's my husband asked if I only ordered a half chicken. Kasi simot ang plate. I simply told him, malalaki na ang 3 bata. Each of them can now finish 2 pieces of chicken. Time flies so fast...can't stopped them from growing. Maybe 2 or 3 years from now kailangan 2 whole chicken na ang orderin namin...hehehe...

From Z to A

From our beautiful home country (Philippines) we moved to New Zealand. That was the year 1999. We only had one child at that time. After 7 years and 6 months of staying in NZ, my husband and I decided to try here in Australia. Glad to say, we like the lifestyle here.

New Zealand is a beautiful country. The people are friendly, the air is fresh and everything is green. However the cost of living is quite expensive. It is not easy to save if you have a big family (we have 3 kids). Here in AU, life is balance (maybe it also depends on which state you are residing). The basic necessities (food, shelter, clothing, etc.) are of reasonable prices, the salary is good and plenty of job opportunities.

Migrating from one country to another is not easy especially if you have children. But as long as the family is together and making God as your guide, nothing is difficult.

The Lord is My Sheperd

February 24, 2007, Sunday

We attended a mass at Mater Christi and during the offertory, they played the song "The Lord is My Shepherd". Our children became silent. This was the song they used to sing when they were still at Good Shepherd Primary School in Auckland, NZ.

Kuya, Ate and Baby, we want you to always remember this song. We knew that it was against your will to transfer into another school much more to moved into a new country...

The Lord is my shepherd
And I want to follow
Wherever He leads me, wherever He goes.
And over the mountains, the highways and by ways
He promised to be there to help us along.

I want to go to meet Him there
To lay myself down in His love.
The Lord is my Shepherd
And I want to follow
Wherever He leads me, wherever He goes.

My Sunshine...

My day will not be complete without singing my children's favorite song to them. Yup, theme song namin itong magi-ina...

You are my sunshine
My only sunshine
You make me happy when sky is grey
You never know dear how much I love you
Please don't take my sunshine away

The other night dear
As I lay sleeping
I dreamt about you here in my arms
But when I awoke dear, I was mistaken
So I hang my head down and cried