GottaLoveMom

School’s almost over and the weekends have been fun and hectic. Summer is definitely here! I love summer – the sunshine, the flowers, the fruits, the beach, the lemonade, the relaxing family time! Getting up early to get the kids to school and the pressure of completing homework or a project is over; The past few summers, I scheduled summer activities - gymnastics, piano, TaeKwon-dp, musicals or theatre for the kids. But this summer, nothing is structured. Just like what it was in the past. Am I going to be pulling my hair out after a few weeks or will this be a totally awesome change? Children grow so fast and summers will just be some relaxing time for me to enjoy them grow. What are your plans for the summer? (Thank you Ate Maiet for sharing the colors of happiness...)

“Whatever they grow up to be, they are still our children, and the one most important of all the things we can give to them is unconditional love. Not a love that depends on anything at all except that they are our children.” - Rosaleen Dickson Thank you Buckeroomama of Mamahood, Among Other Things for sharing this awesome award to me. If you haven't visited Josh and Zoe's mom's website, do it now. Her posts reflect her love and pride about her wonderful and cute children. Buckeroomama, thank you again for sharing this award to me and I'm sharing it to all the mothers out there who unconditionally love their children and to the mothers who make other moms happy. Here are some sites to visit and share the love! Tami of Diary of A Mad Woman Suzanne of Shabby Chicks Paula of A party of six - Alicia of More Than Words Dee of A Mom’s Journey Veronica Lee of Of Mice and RaMen Jennifer of It’s a Beauty Filled Life (More to be added later on...) “ Children will not...

I can’t believe it’s been 20 years since I officially became a mom. I am writing this so that my daughter can remember how she truly is a special part of my life. I can still remember the time I found out I was pregnant with my first child. Oh no, it was not a planned pregnancy. It was full of drama in fact. I was very sick, had a few x-rays taken and was under a lot of medication for my gastro-intestinal issues. One day, I was rushed to the emergency room and had to be admitted to the hospital because I was totally dehydrated. Of course as standard procedure, they always take pregnancy test at the hospital. So to my surprise ( and my parents) , there I was pregnant at 24! The news went from “Congratulations, you’re having a baby” to “Sorry, but we have to terminate the pregnancy!” My doctor told me that since I’ve taken all sorts of medicine and a few x-rays, they need to terminate the pregnancy because there’s a high probability that my child will have mental...

I can't believe it's been 3 days since I posted something. I've been preoccupied with my kids' back-to-back concerts, offline writing, kids' TaeKwon-do testing, paperwork, poor eyesight and carpal tunnel (Sshh...honey's getting upset since I haven't made an appointment to get my new prescription) And to top it off, Internet Explorer and Blogger are making it very, very difficult to post anything! There are some awards (see photo below) I have to share with everyone. I feel so bad not posting it immediately but between time constraints and Internet Explorer-Blogger problems, I'm really getting frustrated. The women that shared their awards with me deserve to have these awards bounced back to them because they always make my day. Everyday they stop by and leave me a message - what a way to start my day smiling! So ladies, thank you so much for sharing the love and making me smile. 1) Tami of A Diary of A Mad Woman shared with me...

There's nothing like celebrating my daughter's birthday... looking back her playfulness This day will always be Papa's unforgettable day! (My Dad thought she was gone, not realizing she was sleeping next to her big stuff puppy.) Oh, those endless dance recitals and competitions.... Daddy and daughter... Daughter and Daddy... We love to giggle (quietly) She loves the beach... An A plus student who works super hard.... My daughter and her bestfriend-boyfriend (a great guy!) Dream BIG, and reach for the stars! Happy Birthday my little princess! (See sidebar photos of her and her brothers! Nicole's been a great sister to all three boys) To read more about that special day 20 years ago - Click here.

Parade, concerts, graduation, lemonade and warm sunny weather - yes, summer is definitely here! Just spent the entire weekend with the family – walking, running, bike riding (yes, I didn’t realize I know how to ride a bike!), swimming and getting sunburn ( not good ). There are always a lot of things to do but when your child asks you to go bike riding or ride the scooter, you just have to be flexible and enjoy the moment with your child. I still remember the fun summer memories at my lolo and lola’s house in the province. I remember complaining having to take siesta (afternoon nap ) right after lunch. Now I wish I can take a nap! My cousins and I would be laying on a rattan mat and force ourselves to sleep – we just chatted until we fell asleep. I remember the cold halo-halo ( Filipino fruit shake ) , banana-q (sweet banana on a stick cooked with brown sugar) and bibingka ( Filipino pound cake ) and just enjoying being a kid! I remember swimming in the river and almost gett...

Manic Mother: Ezra Update

RELAX... ENJOY... HAVE FUN! LAUGH out LOUD! HAVE A GREAT WEEKEND! We'll be busy with kids' concerts, birthday parties, Memorial Day parade, and hopefully get some much-needed zzzz's... how are you celebrating your weekend? Remember to say thank you to the men and women who keep us safe and free!

It's always a treat at Thursday Sweet Treat , but this week is super sweet because the artists at TST got their inspiration from the children's poems. I am the first beam of sunlight that marks a new path, that starts slow and mild, and step-by-step gathers strength, as the clock ticks seconds, minutes and hours pass I am the radiant sunray that shines through the clouds, that touches life as it shows the way, and guides to persist as the clouds cast the shadow in a day. I am the promise of hope, the joy of being, the feeling of success, the grace of confidence as a new moment is cherished I am the warmth that oppresses rage, the flame that can explode, the rage that will infuriate, the wrath that has to be contained as the darkness sneaks through the day. I am the promise of sunshine, the escort of the rainbow, the conductor of the sounds, the love that shines through, as the storm stops. I am to end the day, to recharge...

While we prepare to celebrate the Memorial Day weekend, let's not forget why we're heading to the beach, or getting together for a BBQ: Here's what my 13yo, as President of the Student Council, addressed the veterans: I am proud more than anything to be an American. This country is the single greatest place in the world. Before us, freedom was only a dream; hope was only a dream opportunity was only a dream. Because of our veterans, this freedom, this hope, this opportunity is ours. They have fought for our freedom. They have fought against tyranny. And they are the heart and soul of America. I am honored to live here. The greatest country on the face of the planet. And it is all because of you – the veterans of the United States of America that I can wake up and know…I am free. Copyright © 2009 GottaLoveMom CJ Solutions, Inc. All rights reserved.

My oldest just finished her finals! She said, now she can finally breathe! (My daughter’s in her 2nd year and had been awarded Deans List and a member of the National Collegiate of Scholars so you can imagine that she was just studying for weeks!) I have four kids and by the time my youngest goes to college, I should be a pro by then, right? My first college experience was not what I thought it would be. My oldest applied to all the universities she hoped to graduate from. I remember her saying, “I can’t wait to go away to college.” And with that in mind, she applied to most colleges in the South. My daughter, my husband and I toured and visited about five universities and when she got the scholarship to her number one choice, University of South Carolina, we went back and did the campus tour and the whole “ Welcome to College ” orientations. We were impressed and couldn’t wait for the “move-in” date. Since it’s the first child going away to co...

My children just love to bake – thanks to both grandmas! My 8yo’s favorite cookie recipe is Land O’Lakes’ BEST EVER BUTTER COOKIES So yesterday while they’re at school, I made the dough. So that after school, my 8yo can finally bake his cookies again! (He’s been bugging me for weeks now..)

“The A friend who is far away is sometimes much nearer than one who is at hand. Is not the mountain far more awe-inspiring and more clearly visible to one passing through the valley than to those who inhabit the mountain?” – Kahlil Gibran It’s a little over three months since I started “typing-away”. I’ve known a new group of friends that I never would have known. I express what I feel and there you are listening to me and having conversations! And as I visit your own “home”, I learn more about the beauty of this world with your photographs and thoughts. You share part of your heart and that I believe is something to be cherished. Thank you all for taking time in visiting me and sharing your thoughts at the same time. I know your day is filled with responsibilities and yet you find time to visit. Sure, I'm probably devoloping some kind of carpel tunnel syndrome, back ache, neck pain and blurry vision - but hey, as they say, "no pain, no gain!" ...

If you read my posts last week, I am on this “Motivate-me-to-be-fit” mindset. It must be the warm weather that prompted the whole thing! The Power90 DVD that I’m working out with suggests that I work-out 6 days a week, and 7th day is the day to rest. So rest I did… 1) Heavy lifting – Vacuumed using Dyson vacuum cleaner 2) Bicep curls - Scrubbed the bathrooms 3) Lunges – went up and down my 40-step split-level home to gather up and put-away the laundry. 4) Stretched for few minutes to check my emails 5) Cardio – sneezed endlessly after power-washing and cleaning the fire pit, moving around the outdoor furniture. I think the sneezing alone burned a few hundred calories! 6) Breathing – did some art-painting with my 8yo and a couple of neighbor’s kids; 7) Tricep curls - Finally ironed all the clothes So I guess on weekends, we do REST from our regular workouts~ Enjoy the rest of the week, ladies =D You might like these previous posts: Another Van Gogh or Picasso in the making? Spring, Moti...

GottaLoveMom: Power to Change "No matter who you are, no matter what you do, you absolutely, positively do have the power to change." ~Bill Phillips A few charitable causes to support this month: Bike to get rid of the world free of MS (support Team Vitamin Shoppe) Relay for Life – Celebrate, Remember, Fight Back Lupus Foundation of America Mind, Body, Spirit – National Arthritis Month

My 8yo helping me with my Thursday Sweet Treat project! Check out the following, too: JOSHIZMs, the universe according to an 8-year old Joshizms Copyright © 2009 GottaLoveMom CJ Solutions, Inc. All rights reserved.

If you see me in person, you’ll dismiss my notion of trying to get fit and lose the weight. But as all of you know and experience, no matter what people say about how you look and feel, there’s only one person that TRULY knows how you look and feel – and that’s YOU! In my early 20’s I had some eating issues. I’m naturally thin already but I don’t know why I had to worry about being thin. Luckily for me, I found “true happiness” 14 years ago . My husband has always been a tremendous support. I still weigh myself every day - just to have a guide when I have to be serious about exercising. I give myself plus 5, 6, 7 pounds before I say, “Oh boy, it’s time to do Tony (Tony Horton’s Power 90).” I’m approaching 45 and I keep saying I’m perimenopause for the past 4 years. I noticed my moods and my metabolism changed. My favorite part of the dinner is dessert, so you can imagine my surprise when I go on the scale the next day and wondered how I gained 4 pounds in one day! Yes, that’s...

"No matter who you are, no matter what you do, you absolutely, positively do have the power to change." ~Bill Phillips A few charitable causes to support this month: Bike to get rid of the world free of MS (support Team Vitamin Shoppe) Relay for Life – Celebrate, Remember, Fight Back Lupus Foundation of America Mind, Body, Spirit – National Arthritis Month Photos taken at Nomahegan Park, NJ - May 2009 Thank you for all my new friends who signed-up to read my posts - 100 followers, I never thought I'd reach 100 ! Thank you again...

My mom loves to garden. She has a very “vibrant” green thumb! Anything she plants bloom hundredfold better than anyone I know. Five years ago when she (along with my Dad and my brothers) had to go back to the Philippines, I took home the plants that were left in her green house. Sad to say, I did not inherit her green thumb. I killed most of her plants – her cactus collection, orchids, Japanese bamboo or fortune plants, jasmine and other indoor/outdoor plants. I managed to keep a few of her plants – the peonies. My 8yo calls them “Mama’s roses ”, and proud me I have four of them. The yellow peonies bloom before the red and the pink. The yellow peony bush blooms one bud at a time and then in a week’s time, all of a sudden I have five flowers! Mama’s roses are one of the things that remind me of my mother. Every time I see them, it feels like she’s just right around the corner and ready to check on them and make sure that they’ll keep blooming every season – just like...