E and Gravity

E: Mommy! Mommy! Mommy!

Me: YES!!!!

E: The reason why it is so hard to do a handstand (he says all the while trying over and over to do so) is because gravity keeps pulling you down and it's hard to get your feet high in the air.

Me: That is right, E!!!

He cracks me up :-)

Gift from Papa

So, we have been looking at getting another computer for homeschooling and have been doing research on different Apple options. As mentioned before, we have become Apple diehards, so we knew it was between another iMac or a Macbook of some sort.

After some consideration, we decided on a laptop because we figured the portability and convenience is the essence of the benefits of homeschooling and virtual schooling. We looked at the Apple store online, refurbished Apples and used Apples. Refurbished looked like our best option.

I called my dad, the Apple genius, and asked him his opinion, and he gave us some great ideas.

Theeeeeeen, on August 25th, my dad called and told me he was at our house. I was at the 1/2 Price Book Store, so I wasn't there to receive him. . . Oh, no! Is something wrong? Dad had just had surgery to remove a tumor from his chin. Was he coming over to tell me there was cancer found? My heart sank. I asked him if everything was OK and he said, "Yes. I was just coming over to talk about something." He was being vague, and a cool, uncomfortable feeling rushed to my belly. I felt like I was going to vomit.

I told him we would come home right after we were done with our errand and he said he would try to come over again in a couple of hours. The whole time, my heart pounded. I took the kids to Barnes & Noble to get M free birthday cookie (as I had promised), looked at the kids books (trying to stay calm and walk off the anxiety).

Then we made our way home. I called Dad to tell him we were on our way. He came to our house soon after we arrived and there was the usual, "Papa!!!" squeals from the kids. He gave them some goodies: Pez candy dispensers and Hello Kitty place settings for the girls. I waited to get down to the nitty gritty of what was really going on. Was his tumor benign, malignant? What?!?

Theeeeeeeen . . .

Dad: "Sweetie, I am just so proud of you for homeschooling the grandkids and working so hard. I know you all are needing another computer, so I wanted to give this to you."

He grabs his laptop case and pulls out his very own MacBook Pro!!!!!!!

Me: "What?!?! What is this?"

I am absolutely floored. I start crying and hugging my dear Dad and am just stunned.

If ever I wanted someone else's laptop, of course it would be my Dad's! He bought it to his very specifications and desires!!!

Stats:
MacBook Pro 15 inch
Mac OS X
Processor: 2.8 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo
RAM: 8 GB!!!! (What?????)



Thank you, Dad!!! MyLove and I are so blessed by your gift. The kids just love having their "MacBook" for their school work and its portability is exactly what were hoping for. We are humbled by your generosity.

I looooooooooove youuuuuu, Dad!!!!!

Here, C, of her own doing, took out both sets of plates, bowls and cups, brought the chair to the sink and washed them, dried them, then took them to the high cabinets and standing on the counters put them away!!!! She is a force to reckon with!

Time with our dear Nephews and Neices

This last summer we have really focused on spending one-on-one time with each of my nephews and nieces because they were moving to Guam. during this time, we enjoyed laughter, fun, tears, bonding, sharing and loving. It was so very special.

Well, all of this bonding really put some pain in MyLove's and my heart because for the last three summers, we have tried having our dear Sv and Sp over but for one reason or another, it has never worked out . . . until last weekend!!!!

We finally had them over, and oh, how special it was. They are the last of all our nephews and nieces that have come to our house to spend the night and have a good time just bonding.

SE played so lovingly and tirelessly with our little ones. We had movie time and ate popcorn and snacks. They used their imaginations in the most creative ways playing with all sorts of things. We played Pictionary and, as SE put it, they got all their "crazies" out by dancing their hearts out. Songs she provided on her iPod: I Love Rock and Roll, and We Will Rock You, and more . . . Oh, so precious.

SR was just a breath of fresh air. He is mature beyond his years at only 16. We had invigorating conversation about Jesus Christ, the Bible, his catholic beliefs and our beliefs. We lovingly exchanged what we have learned and how the Lord continues to mold and teach us. He was not defensive in the least, and instead shared what he had learned and openly admitted when he didn't know the answer. Oh, how it brings tears to my eyes. His humility just touched our hearts and we are oh, so grateful for his candor and gentleness.


We praise You, Lord, for such a wonderful weekend!!!! We love our nephews and nieces so much. What a blessing.

We definitely look forward to more weekends with them!

Conversations with My Little Helper

It's Monday late afternoon and C and I are folding a bunch of the kids' clothes . . .

Me: "How was church on Sunday?"

C: "Good."

Me: "Did you see any friends?"

C: "I saw a boy that I liked who didn't talk to me or anything. He was sitting waaaaaaaay, way, way on the other side of the table. I was thinking he's cute because he had glasses. I can say that because we are teammates. We were on the same team. I said, 'he's cute!' Well. Actually. I didn't say it. I thinked it in my mind."

Me: "Oh! Ok." (I say while thinking, I've never heard her talk about someone she 'liked!' This is new!) "What was his name?"

C: "I don't know. He didn't talk to me. He probly didn't see me."

Me: "He probably saw you, Sweetheart."

C: "Yeah. He probly was just shy too! Like me!"

Me: "Yes! Good point! I bet so. Thank you for helping me fold clothes."

C: "Sure! I don't want you to feel left out."

When she said this, my heart just squeezed with some pain thinking how shy she is in public, and I wonder if she feels left out some times. I don't know how she even knows that phrase. Maybe we've used it with the kids when they play? Probably.

Anyway, our interactions are so precious to me.

My Mom's Victory

Around 35 years ago, my mom tried her first cigarette. After that, she hasn't stopped. When she was pregnant with my siblings and I, she said she had no desire to smoke, so she never smoked while she was pregnant, but afterward, she always started again.

Fastforward 35 years and here we are. It's mid June and my dear mom is watching our kids while we are on our anniversary weekend getaway. She is sitting with the kids on her bed watching a movie when they start asking Mema if she had quit smoking yet (they, along with their cousins, Papa, and other family have been praying for her for years), and she said it is just so hard. She asked the kids to keep praying and to pray that God will help her want to quit. Our precious C, her very namesake, responded with, "Well, let's pray right now!" and she proceeded to pray for her Mema the way innocent and perfectly believing children can.

Something in Mema was triggered and she knew. She had promised my Dad that if her little M, then E, then C specifically asked her to stop smoking, that she would. Well, years kept going by and they did, but it is a habit far harder to quit than just with will alone.

Early July, Mom developes terrible bronchitis. She can't even go up or down the stairs. Walking to the bathroom is so hard she has to stop and try to breathe with all her might. She is using a nebulizer, Advair, anibiotics . . . I come over with the kids to spend the night at her house along with my sister and her children who are living with her before their move to Guam. Mom is in desperate straights. She, at one point, is laying over the bed struggling so hard to breathe, wheezing, coughing. She later tells us at one point she felt like someone had their hands around her neck and was choking her.

We go to the doctor and through a series of appts this is what she is diagnosed with:
Emphazema
COPD
various spots on her lungs

But, this is how wonderful the Lord is.

My mom had her last cigarette in early July when she got sick.
She got an MRI and CAT scans of her lungs and found out the spots were benign!!!!
She went to the pulmonologist and he basically told her there was a lot of mucous and but otherwise she is doing great!!!!

This was only a month or month and a half after quitting. This was such an amazing result, it was almost unbelievable. Emphazema: gone
COPD: gone
Wheezing and coughing: gone!!!!!

After all these years my mom has QUIT SMOKING!!! At one point, she went to bingo and told a friend that she is trying to quit smoking. The dear old lady told my mom, "No! you don't say that you are trying to quit smoking. You tell everyone you have quit smoking!" And that is what she says now, with confidence!

And now, she is going almost two months strong and we are all cheering her along. How proud of her we are.

I just don't know what I would do without my precious mom. She is pillar of Love for our entire family! All of her 13 grandkids just adore her. We praise the Lord so much for His helping her. My mom, for some reason, says that the moment C prayed for her right there on the spot, something powerful happened and she knew it was her time.

What a blessing and what an answer to years of prayers. Especially for my dad, who has been praying for her since the beginning of their relationship 33 years ago!!!

We love you, Mom!!!

First Day of the 2011-2012 School Year

We're off!!! I am so excited about this school year and I can't believe it's already started.

M: 4th grade
E: 1st and 2nd grade
C: Pre-K (kind of, tag-along learner mostly)
G: Our cheerleader and mascot ^.^

We started off later than hoped for, but that's OK. It was still peaceful and easy-going.

The girls and I made our way upstairs to wake up the boys, and although had excitement in my voice, they were not feelin' it. They told me that they weren't excited and didn't want to start school. I encouraged them to brighten up or else they surely wouldn't enjoy themselves. Plus, today is actually M's 9th birthday!!!! We celebrated this last weekend. I will have to post pics later.

We prayed together and had a hardy breakfast then had an online meeting with nearly 330 other people with K12.

Afterward, we said our books of the Bible, sang "Onward Christian Soldier"* and then read about Cain and Abel.

Theeeeen, it was first day picture time, and well, the results just weren't the greatest, but, I guess that's how it goes with wee ones.

Some coloring and reading, and that was our day! Very simple and not too much. I'm trying to ease into things and show the kids we can work well together. Be a team. Enjoy the process. My greatest need and prayer is for my patience. I want to have it and be an example for my kids. I don't want to expect perfection and I don't want to get down on them when they make mistakes, especially character/attitude wrongs. I want them to know that I am safe and that I love them more than anyone else could ever love them.

Well, here are some pics from today ^.^

Fun with FaceTime/FaceTime Fanatic/Fantastic FaceTime

Ok, there are few things that I am completely and utterly gung-ho, excited, unashamed and motivated to talk about:

1.) Jesus Christ. He is my Savior. I am completely lost without Him and completely deserving of hell. Hallelujah for true salvation!

2.) My soulmate, who is my husband

3.) My children

Now, beside these three, I have something else in my life that I have grown to really appreciate, enjoy, and benefit from:

Apple products!

About two years ago, MyLove surprised me with an iMac for Christmas. It was so unexpected because I didn't think we had the money, and on top of that, I had been trying to convince MyLove of the superior quality of Mac's over other pc's to no avail. I grew up with my father using Mac's back when they were called Macintoshes. My dad actually bought one of the first ever Macintoshes and saw their superior operating systems from the start.

Ok, then I got an iPhone a few months later because of my renewal and couldn't believe the seamless interaction between the two apple products.

My iMac does not crash on me. I don't get blue screens. I have had incredible updates and no worries of viruses. And, on top of that . . . we are able to do FaceTime!!!!!



We can FaceTime from my iMac to MyLove's iPhone 4, to my dad's Apple stuff (when we FT him, his iMac, iPad2, iPhone, and Macbook all ring!), and to my father-in-law who has an iPad2. And . . . we can FT with my dear sister and nephews and nieces in Guam! When they moved, we were able to sing happy birthday to my youngest nephew and even light a cake for him to see. It was so special and emotional.

It's incredible and the kids loooooove it.

We are thinking about incorporating FT into our homeschooling!!! The possibilities are truly endless. I will update on how we utilize it . . .