Proud To Be A SAHM

I met up with a few ex-co workers recently. It has been a few months since we last saw each other. As usual, everyone updated each other on what has been happening these past months. When it was my turn to tell them that I'm still staying at home and starting to homeschool Kowi, well, let's say there were a few nods and odd responses. And none of them were enthusiastic.

Most of them asked when I plan on going back to work. One even said I was so lucky to "do nothing all day." As I was explaining my reasons for staying home, I could see it in their eyes, pity, sadness, disbelief. Oh, I see this reaction from a few family members as well.

It's shocking to learn that most people don't know how tough it is to stay at home. Managing a household, homeschooling Kowi, afterschooling Kuya and working at home is a lot on the plate. The dishes do not clean themselves while I watch Oprah and drink iced tea. It takes a certain amount of effort, ability and love to juggle all these and still find a reason to smile at the end of the day.

While some may think that I am unsuccessful in landing a job or wasting my education by staying home, I beg to disagree. I do have a double degree from one of the top three schools in the country, have been a consistent dean's lister and have been given a national award for academic achievement. I stay home because my children will benefit the most from my skills. Isn't that a better use for it?

Although my "career" is put on the backburner, my children are only young once. I figure I can always be CEO in a few years.

Now, if somebody asks me again when I plan to get work...arrrrgh!!!

A Ben 10 Day

Kuya had it easy today. His school decided to give everyone a break by declaring it Achievement Holiday. After four days of exams, they deserve a little break.

Good thing that Kuya didn't have school so he can see Ben 10 a bit earlier than the other kids.

Kuya put on his Omnitrix and brought it to the show. What's a Ben 10 show without it?

We were seated at the front row, eager to watch Ben 10 live. The show started with a little bit of Ben 10 trivia and games. Kuya won three! It was a definite advantage to sit in front.

The show started with a backgrounder of how Ben got the Omnitrix. Then Wild Mutt and Four Arms appeared and did a couple of stunts while fighting off the alien bad guys.

There was a meet and greet Ben after. Kuya is all smiles in the pic and shows off his Omnitrix proudly. Too bad that Wild Mutt and Four Arms weren't there. That would've been cooler.

Ben 10 fans, you can still catch Ben 10, Wild Mutt and Four Arms live at Alabang Town Center tomorrow and Sunday. Kuya is asking if we could go again. We might. But I'm not too sure if Cartoon Network will allow him to participate in the games since he's won three times.

Right Age To Go To School

Maicel wants me to share my views about Toddlers going to school.

::START::

RULES: 1. Add your Blog to the list. If you're keeping multiple Blogs, it'll be fine if you add them all up and just post your answers in one of them.
2. IMPORTANT: kindly get back to me [MAICEL] so i will be able to visit your sites, read your answers and include you in the Master List.
3. Please do copy from Start to End.
4. You may tag as many online friends as you please.
5. Copy this Participants List:Simple Delights / Motherhood in a Nutshell / 3 for 100 / Living A' La Mode / Insights from the Grocery Cart / Your Blog HERE

Do you have kids? Yes, I've got two adorable kids.

How old are they? My Kuya is 7 years old and Kowi is three.

What do you think is the ideal age for the kids to be sent to school? It depends on their readiness. There really is no "ideal age."

Would you consider sending your 3-year-old toddler to school? I am actually starting to homeschool my 3 year old. Sending her to toddler school is not an option at the moment.

Explain your reasons. I feel that I am the best person to teach my child. Although we really don't have "formal schooling" at home, we play a lot and talk a lot. She helps me out with chores, we do arts and crafts, rest and have fun. Learning life skills are more important at this point.

::END::

Please feel free to grab this tag.

Kind Blogger Awards

Here are the rules:
1. Only 5 people are allowed to receive this award.
2. Four (4) of them are followers of your blog.
3. One has to be new to your blog and live in another part of the world.
4. You must link back to who ever gave you the award.

Awarding this to Kaycee, Jam, Juliana, Tuttie, Jody and Vhiel. Thank you for welcoming me to the wonderful world of blogging.

Thanks Tet and Eds.

Happy Birthday, Dad

Today, my Dad got his dual citizenship. He is now both a Filipino citizen and a senior citizen. Yes, he's officially 60 years old.

Here are 10 facts about my Dad:

1. He's addicted to the following foods: Chocnut, Hany, Jolly, Good Shepherd ube jam, Hi-ro and hopiang hapon.

2. He only knows the restaurants Saisaki, Aristocrat and Max's.

3. He promises to go on a diet after eating in these restaurants. And I have yet to see this.

4. He plays golf at least 4 times a week. On the days he's not on the green, he's at the driving range.

5. He's a golf professional. No, he's not a golf instructor. He just wins in all the raffles. To date, he's won at least 8 TVs, 5 refrigerators, 4 washing machines, several rice cookers, a couple of flat irons, a few oven toasters, the occasional golf ball and gloves, a few boxes of beer in cans and energy drinks. His latest winning is a five thousand Rustan's gift certificate.

6. He has yet to win a car. Go for that hole-in-one, Dad!

7. When I was little, he claimed to look like Philip Gamboa, then Philip Salvador, then Zoren Legaspi and now, Papa Piolo Pascual!

8. His first attempt to cook hot dogs was a disaster. He cooked them with the plastic still intact! According to him, plastic has nutritional value.

9. He does have an official job, which he goes to once a week.

10. To keep himself updated with changing times, he enrolled in Informatics. But until now, he doesn't know how to open Microsoft Word or open his Yahoo! Mail on his own. This is actually a good thing. Without help, he can't read this!

Happy birthday, Dad! Love you.

Really Cool Online Math Website

As I was doing Kuya's Math worksheets for his exam tomorrow, I stumbled upon Dr. Math. It's a cool website that has a variety of Math questions ranging from Elementary through High School.

I was looking Math exercises for Kuya and saw Mad Math where he can practice addition, subtraction and multiplication online. Actually, it's a way to practice all basic Math skills so there are also problems in division.

The site is great because you can customize how many problems you can give and what problem types. you can also choose subtraction with negative difference and division with remainders.

I added it to my favorites. Kuya and I will be checking this site out frequently. This just saved me printer ink and paper. =)

Needle In A Haystack

I've been wanting to buy James Patterson's Double Cross since it was released last year. Somehow all the bookstores in the country were out of stock--for 9 months.

My Dad has been a James Patterson fan for about a few years. He loves the Alex Cross and the Women's Murder Club plus the few stand alone books that are out. So far, he's missing Double Cross in his collection.

I had planned to surprise him for his birthday with a copy of the book last September 9. But I was pleasantly surprised when Power Books told me they were all out of copies and were taking orders.

By some stroke of luck, as my sister and I were in National Bookstore, I saw it. It was a paperback copy of Double Cross and the last one. Wedged between Cross and Mary, Mary, Double Cross screamed at me. I just bought it immediately. And now my Dad's reading it.

First Term Finals Week

Today is the start of Kuya's first term finals week. We have been in review mode since last week, but there are still a few things we have to cover.

Kuya has ELA today, then Math and Computer tomorrow. I'm making additional worksheets for him.

Good thing, I don't have a problem with his Science exam. He has been consistently perfect in almost all worksheets, quizzes and mastery tests.

But all this work in preparing reviewers and worksheets plus managing the house and an independent-minded preschooler and sneaking in to do my articles...

All work and no blog, makes Carol go pffff!

Too Busy - Grr!

I've been too busy this weekend. I barely had time to visit my blog.

Yesterday, I went online at 4pm. I saw that I had missed an opportunity from SS! Grrr!

To date, SS has only given me three (3) opportunities. And I missed one!!!

Lesson: Check e-mail in the morning.