Christmas gift list [part 1]

I realized since we spend so many hours inside toy stores that I might as well take that time to start looking for Christmas gifts to buy already - and I thought, why dont I share it with you too!

I know how hunting for gifts for kids, especially when you are on a budget, can get really frustrating - more so if you have to buy for 3 dozen kids composed of your nephews, nieces, god children, your son's or daughter's playmates, classmates, and so on...

My tip when gift buying for kids is not to over analyze. Being some sort of a perfectionist, sometimes I too am so guilty of over-thinking - asking myself questions like - "maybe he has this toy already?", or "maybe she wont like this?", or "isn't he too old for this toy?", or "a lot of people might think of this gift..."... I always want to be the mom who gives cool gifts.

But now I know, we shouldn't be too hard on ourselves when thinking of gifts for kids - because its with kids that the saying "its the thought that counts" holds very true. They really dont care what it is inside - they just want to open their gifts! They don't care if its their 5th slinky or if its a board game they will never play with - they will still appreciate it and will not go anywhere without it, at least for the day, haha. But of course, some really spoiled and bratty kids will be exceptions to this general rule of thumb.

So for the majority of your kiddie Christmas list, here goes part one of my mini best buys list for Christmas, from Toys R Us (Powerplant, Rockwell). All are Php200 and below, and most of it for toddler boys (because I know its harder to buy gifts for boys).

Chuck and Friends mini toy trucks - Php 99.75

Rainbow ball - Php 189.75, Shape sorter - Php 199.75

Wood puzzles - Php 149-189.75

Maisto die cast cars - Php 79.75

Fastlane die cast cars - Php 79.75

Tech deck starter set (for 6yrs old and above) - Php 199.75

Art materials - 12 colored pencils - Php 99.75, 24 colored pencils - Php 159.75, big crayons - Php 129.75,  27 crayons - Php 64.75, scissors - 69.75

Googly worm (that lights up) - Php 159.75

Universe of Imagination clay mini tubs set of 10 - Php 149.75

Universe of Imagination clay tubs (Amazing buy 3 get 1 free deal) - Php 34.75 each

For sure we'll be out this weekend in some mall again so watch out for part 2 of my gift list :)

Start making your Christmas lists now! I know I will!

[repost] The Bad Guy

[Reposting old stuff from my old blog www.paulandsara888.blogspot.com]

Dear Basti,

I’m here at work today thinking about you. And hoping you are ok, and not throwing up anymore like yesterday.

I know one day you’d understand why even on days that you don’t feel too well, I still have to go to work.

I need to believe you wont think I love you less. And I pray to God that you wont love me less.

I hope you know that if I could, I would just stay home with you everyday - even when you are not sick. I hope you know that I would rather be playing with you and singing songs with you or simply just be near you to watch you sleep.

But somethings just have to be done. Like work.

It’s probably not easy to understand why I can’t just drop everything at work everytime you get sick. I guess it doesn’t make sense when I say you’re the most important person in my life, and when you need me to be there with you, I can’t.

So today, to you, I will be the bad guy instead of the hero.

But that’s my sacrifice. For you.

Love,

Mommy (September 14, 2010)

[repost] Our Job

[Reposting old stuff from my old blog www.paulandsara888.blogspot.com]

Last night, Basti and I were playing in our room before we went to bed and one second he was so happy, the next he was wailing like crazy. His fingers got pinned when he pushed close a drawer. My heart raced as I ran, no, leapt to where he was, pulled open the drawer to release his fingers and carried him and kissed him and tried to console him and just did not know what to do. I screamed for an icepack and while I was waiting for it to be brought upstairs to us so I can apply it on his fingers, so many thoughts ran across my mind -- are his fingers alright? Are they complete? I checked. Yes they are all intact. But is blood flowing inside? How will I know? Shit. Can he move his fingers? He has not stopped crying. Oh God. I know it hurts like hell. I once had all four fingers pinned by a sliding door of a van. It was so traumatic for me that I got shingles a few weeks after because of the stress it caused me.

Finally, his dad came rushing to us with the icepack. Basti was a bit distracted by it and stopped crying as we placed it on his fingers. But I guess it was still painful and so he started crying again... I thought I was going to cry too. I think I did. After several agonizing minutes, I was able to calm him down a bit and he fell asleep- probably from exhaustion from too much crying and the shock.

Basti's fingers are completely ok. He was able to hold his bottle properly when he was dozing off to sleep. When he fell asleep, I tried to re-enact how he pinned his fingers and did it several times with probably more force, just to check the level of pain he probably felt so I can assess how he was feeling. After a few times, I felt a bit better. I don't know if it was because I realized it did not hurt too much (but then again I was 29years old and Basti's fingers are just more than a year old!), but maybe also because I felt like I punished myself already by experiencing the same pain more times over.

But of course that was not enough punishment for me! My thoughts raced again -- what if what happened was much worse?? What if his fingers got cut? What if they weren't cut but they got numb forever? Will he still be able to play ball? He loved shooting hoops! He is so good at it. Will he be able to drive a car? He loves playing with the steering wheel…

A few more minutes passed, and soon I was able to calm down more. And the sensible me started whispering to myself, just relax. It’s nothing. He'll be fine and will forget about it tomorrow. Besides, it’s the first time, and there will be more similar terrifying experiences to come...maybe some even much worse. Its part of growing up and raising a child…

Sometimes, I still get overwhelmed when I think about our job as parents, my job as a mom.

At work, I run the operations of a company composed of about 50people. My responsibility includes ensuring that the company is earning more than enough, so that we can pay our dues, and pay the salaries of the people in our team, so they in turn can pay their dues. It’s quite a handful to manage, it’s a very big responsibility such that if I don't do my job well, a lot of people will be very much affected in a bad way.

But when something like tonight's incident happens to me, I am reminded of what a bigger responsibility it is to be a parent. Your child has only you to depend on, for his life, for his future… At work, if I don't do well, they can just replace me... My baby boy, he did not choose me. He cannot replace me even if he wanted to (I’m sure it will occur to him to wish for that at one point in his life). He's stuck with me. And he's counting on me, us, his parents. So it’s up to us to be just the best we can possibly be for him.

When he grows up to be a fine young man someday, I’m sure I will not get a loyalty award for being a good parent and putting up with him for so many years. I’m sure there will be no fat bonus waiting for me when he graduates from college or when he gets married. But one thing I’m definitely sure of – it will still be the most rewarding job I will ever have in my life.

- Sara (August 31, 2010)

long weekend, yay!

Here comes the long weekend!
This is my way of saying I probably wont be able to blog as well for several days, haha :)
Will be spending a lot of quality time with the family for sure, can't wait!

Be back soon!

My family had the grandest time in Amorita, the best family boutique resort in Bohol!
Here are some photos of our trip - will tell you more about it in another post :)

First Flight

We're going to Bohol on Saturday, and its going to be my son's first plane ride!
We're very excited, but anxious at the same time, because he is in his terrible twos and I'm really not sure what to prepare for - to ensure he will be comfortable and cooperative during the wait at the airport and during the flight...

Any tips for me?

So far, I'm busy downloading lots of animated movies on our iPad so he can watch it during the wait/flight.

I've been trying to prep him also emotionally and have been telling him about our trip since last week - but instead of getting him excited, his reaction is defiance, haha. "No sakay airplane Basti!" (No ride airplane Basti!) which is just his usual reaction anyway to everything at this age, but nonetheless, its not helping, haha :p

Oh well, my husband and I are just focusing on the thought that we will be in Amorita this weekend! Its the best resort in Panglao, Bohol, and we cant wait! :) Especially that we're bringing Basti this time :)

I'm actually going to be there for work, but just for the Saturday, hopefully :) then the rest of the weekend until Monday, we can relax and enjoy in the beach! Yey! Its been really such a long time since we were able to travel as a family, because of the knee operation my husband had to go through this year. Sure we were still able to go to his family's resort in Lucban, Quezon a couple of times this year, but really going away to somewhere far away will still be different :)

Will tell you all about it when we come back!

Back!

Ok, so i know i was really really really unbelievably MIA for awhile.
Just so many things came up, like life, in general :)
Anyhow, i was browsing some favorite sites today to get inspired for a new look for my blog and came across this image, an old post from the wolf and willow blog.
I just wanted to post this and share, especially for me to remember :) Also dedicated to my fabulous friends S, L, M, T, S :)