#MommaDiaries | HE ISN'T FINISHED WITH ME YET

Sharing with you snippets from my Notes app on the phone. I tend to type down my thoughts when I don't have enough time to blog. RL had exams the past week, and this Momma's hands have been tied with a ton of things to do. And there are tough days, as most of you would know. But then, there are also good ones. This was from one of those bad turned good days. Yesterday, I was once again reminded that God is in charge regardless of our circumstances. Whenever there are days He seems absent and quiet, I have learned that trying times exist because He wants to show you He is God. So be thankful for the bumps, He's got you covered.



AUGUST 4

So this morning, yaya told me A had lost her wallet. The wallet had P3,000+ as she was supposed to pay her club fees last week (but couldn't because of time constraints and the long queue).

My initial reaction was true to yaya's threat to A right before she left for school: "Nako, hanapin mo yan, magagalit mommy mo!"

I was angry, and frustrated. I actually typed angry words as I started composing a message to A on Messenger. Then I stopped. Caught myself and prayed. I have been praying for a change in my relationship with A (we've hit snags through the years, and aren't exactly friendliest of friends - teenagers!). This morning, God reminded me of His unconditional love and never-ending grace. So I took back my words, and instead typed "...I pray God helps you find your wallet intact. I love you."

That was at 11 AM, and A replied to let me know she has searched everywhere to no avail.

Money can be replaced, but a child lost to anger is a child lost forever. I struggled to hold my tongue, as I prayed for God to lead me so my words come out right.

This evening, as I walked in the house, A tells me she found her wallet at the Lost and Found over lunch (even though she had gone to check all Lost and Found nooks earlier this morning). "But when I messaged you, you said you already checked!", I quipped.

She did. But after lunch, for some reason, she decided to check again. And there it was.

So yes, I know this was a Mommy lesson, in as much as it was a responsibility reminder for A. I know that the Lord is fixing my heart, and I am thankful He isn't done with me. Because, man, I know I have so much more to learn.

Makes you realize that we also have to be thankful when problems come our way. Our initial reactions are human reactions. I pray I learn to turn to God first when trials come. I pray I will always react with grace at first instance.


PS. Dear cheekeegirl, sorry! Had to redo this post as something wasn't right. Didn't realize your comment didn't go through as it was on the previous one. So, publishing it here nalang. ;)

"OMG! I am touched with this experience you had. It's like me. That I need to watch my words and actions on certain situations. Thank you for sharing." - cheekeegirl

#MommaDiaries | RL AND ELECTIONS

We were in the car, on our way to the office last week, when RL noticed the streamers and buntings that lined our street. We live near the barangay and there was an LP campaign stop the day before. Today, another candidate was coming to campaign.

RL: "Mom, are these people enemies?"
K: "What makes you think that?"
RL: "Well, because they are putting the new posters of another man today. It's a different color. So are they friends? Are they going to fight each other? I saw _____ (he mentions a presidential candidate) talking on TV, he was saying bad things about _____ (mentions a rival candidate). Why are they destroying each other? If they are, then they are not friends. Because they are not saying nice things."

So I thought for a minute and I thought hard. How does one explain this to a 7-year-old? I proceeded to explain in the simplest way possible - an explanation I am sure he will understand.

K: "See, it is just like your friends in school. You are friends, but when, say, there is a competition, you have to compete against each other. And sometimes, you say things you don't really mean to say... just because you want to win."
RL: "Things like, 'Nee-ner-nee-ner-nee-ner, who is the loser??!"
K: "Well, yea, I suppose. Or like you know how you guys attend a party, and you are in a game. You guys play to win, and even if you guys try to outsmart each other to win the prize, after the game, you're all still friends."
RL: "But are they really friends? And are they going to remain friends after the elections? Because if they want a nicer Philippines, it is better to work together. Fighting is a waste of time. Just like in a game, it is more fun if everyone wins."

For the Philippines, I hope so. I sure hope so.

#MommaDiaries | Celebrating 14 Years @ Miao Cat Cafe!

My not-so-little teddy bear is no longer a baby. She is now 14 - imagine that! To celebrate, she decided she wanted a small get-together at a cat cafe. So she did the planning, and we took her cat-loving friends plus RL to Miao Cat Cafe on Congressional.

We've been wanting to visit Miao since it first opened. This is actually our second visit, since we went to check it out in March. The hard part in inviting a small group is you need to carefully weed out your list. A hopes her other friends would understand that Momma's budget is limited, and she wanted her guests to enjoy the cats (not everyone loves cats. KY hates them so she did not go).

I had BentoMomma Moneigh call up the owner (they used to be officemates) so at least they knew the kids were coming. Miao Cat Cafe is a cozy little cafe hidden on top of Cake 2 Go on Congressional Avenue in Quezon City. They renovated last year, so it is now bigger than when they first opened.

This is my favorite nook at the cafe. So cozy!

The beautiful thing about Miao Cat Cafe is that it is home to a lot of cat breeds. They even have a Sphinx and a beautiful Maine Coon!

Meet Aubrey, the resident Maine Coon cat. 

Aside from all these purebred cats, Miao also fosters rescued Puspins (Pusang Pinoy or Pusang Kalye).

A and her fave puspin, Tiger.

Together they make such a happy place for cat lovers like my A and RL.

Meet Elfiya, the Scottishfold. 

Yes, we love boxes! And crates! And baskets! And all sorts of hiding places. 

We packed a cat-themed pouch with kitty goodies (we forgot the candies!). I had our baker make cat-themed sugar cookies, too!

Meowwwww... everything kitty cat.

The kids spent a good two hours (one shift) at the cafe. The entrance for each child is P150 per shift. I chose to pay the adult fee of P300 so they can order food and drinks as the entrance for adults comes with it.  The child fee only includes a drink.

A said the other kids were thrilled to be with the cats. Meanwhile, my daughter played host so well, she was too busy to take photos even though she had my camera.

RL with Cotton, the alpha male. 

If you're visiting Miao, do wear socks as you will be required to leave your shoes at the foyer and change to disinfected slippers. They also have a number of rules you will need to follow, plus a waiver to sign.

Happy 14th to my teddy bear, my panda, my A! We love you!  

Miao Cat Cafe is located at 2F, #7 Congressional Avenue (on top of Cake2Go), Quezon City. Please take note of their shifts throughout the day.

Shifts at Miao Cat Cafe.

Thank you, Miao Cat Cafe, for allowing my daughter and her friends to celebrate her special day with your cats. She really loves your place. We will be back!

| facebook.com/MiaoCatCafe
| instagram.com/miaocatcafe 


Happy Birthday, A!

#MommaDiaries | SHOO, ALLERGIES!

We just finished another round of antibiotics - the potent KLAZ. My little boy was once again diagnosed with a sinus infection (it runs on both sides). At the ENT Clinic, Dr. Flor had to suction his nose out, and I was told RL had so much, it took a while to clear his sinus. Sigh. It is allergy season, and my little boy has been sneezing non-stop.

And it doesn't end there. He is also prone to sore throats. Every time he'd eat chips or a choco bar without chewing it properly and chugging down a full glass of water right after, he'd automatically get a sore throat. This of course translates to a bad cough, then colds. And he'd be on the nebulizer for a week, fosho!

Sigh, poor baby.

Dr. Flor recommended a humidifier so RL can breathe easier at night. Luckily, we recently acquired a Crane Humidifier!

Mya the Monkey Humidifier from Crane, SRP P2,799.75

Humidifiers are handy as they help loosen nasal congestion. It also is known to help ease dry coughs, soothe itchy dry eyes and skin, prevent nose bleeds and helps relieve cold and flu symptoms. Yep, a humidifier is exactly what RL needs!

She matches my bedroom fixtures! 

I've always been if-fy about humidifiers - as much as I need a product to help with allergies, eczema, etc., I really, really dislike those bulky and noisy humidifiers that are difficult to use and clean. But what convinced me most about the Crane brand is that it is very easy to use AND clean. The Crane Ultrasonic Humidifier does not require a filter, and is easy to fill, wash out and refill. It has a one gallon tank that runs up to 24 hours! Plus it has a safety feature that automatically shuts the humidifier off when the tank is running empty. I love it!

Watery eyes early this week.

We've been using our little monkey (RL's nickname for our monkey-design humidifier) for a few weeks now, and so far, no more nosebleeds for A, and RL hasn't been sneezing in the mornings. We stopped using it for a while (A needed to use the table for a shoot, and the nanny moved the humidifier from its spot), and earlier this week, RL's allergies became so bad, he had watery eyes. It was so bad, his right eye was shut, and we initially thought it was a case of conjunctivitis! Alas, after two nights with the humidifier, his eyes are now okay.

Other styles from Crane.
The black one in the center is a Digital Warm & Cool Mist Humidifier with ionizer!

My friend Didi has this Train Humidifier! So cool!

I also love the fact that the humidifier keeps my eczema controlled. It keeps the skin moisturized such that there is less itching at night. Did I mention already that I love this product?

The Crane Humidifier retails from P2,799.75 to P3,499.75. Check out S&R as they regularly have Crane Humidifiers on sale.

Some Crane Humidifiers on sale at S&R this month!

Aside from the regular-sized cute Humidifiers, Crane also has a handy Travel Humidifier that makes lugging this handy. The Travel Ultrasonic Cool Mist Humidifier is great for offices, dorms, hotel rooms during staycations and travel and other small spaces. Aside from its wall plug attachment, it works with a USB, too!

The Travel Humidifier retails for P1,899.75.

Crane products are exclusively distributed locally by Keywest Internationale, and are available in S&R, Rustan's, Toys R Us, Babyland, Lazada and direct from keywestinternationale.com.

Thanks to our Crane Humidifier, we can finally say goodbye to allergies! Shoo!

#MommaDiaries | WWJD?

RL has been learning about Jesus in his Christian Living class in school. The past two weeks, we've been reading his lessons over and over again. The kids are learning about how Jesus is God's greatest gift to us, and how we can be children of God by following Jesus' example. Today, RL got to apply this lesson. Momma ended up learning from it, too.

I took RL to the office because he was going to get picked up by his bus there today. A had a doctor's appointment so I didn't have time to drop RL off properly, as we were rushing to make it to the clinic on time. What I didn't know was that in the office, Lola B (who has been working for the family business for the past 30 or so years) saw RL and gave him a 500-Peso bill. She loves showering the grandchildren and great grandchildren with gifts, so this wasn't something unexpected. However, because I wasn't in the office, and neither was my dad, RL thought it would be wise to keep the money in his pant pocket.

RL has always been very careful about money.
He was really disappointed today.

Earlier this evening, when he got home from school, he was crying because he lost the money. He was saying he placed it in his bag, and when he got to class, it was no longer there. He couldn't have lost it, because he says he placed it in a small pocket inside a bigger zipped pocket where it would be impossible for it to accidentally fall out. Plus anyone who opens that pocket wouldn't see the bill. Besides, he never opens that part of his bag, because it isn't big enough to hold anything (well, except for a 500-Peso bill). I couldn't console him at first - he was feeling really bad about losing a gift. So I told him that it was just money, and that the person who took it probably needed it. Went on to explain that even if someone stole it, he needed to forgive whoever took the money. And that we should follow Jesus' example on being forgiving - even when people did things to hurt Him. Then we prayed. We asked the Lord to bless whoever took the money, but at the same time convict that person. And we asked God to take care of RL's loss, but also asked Him to teach RL to forgive. God knew exactly what happened and we don't. We didn't really see who took it, but He did. So we asked God to handle it. I then asked God to send his comfort and peace to overwhelm RL (so he'd stop crying).

After he calmed down, we assessed what had happened and how it happened. RL told us that when he was in the school bus, about halfway to school, he took out his handkerchief, and the bill fell to the floor. The bus lady saw him pick the money up from the floor and when he was about to put it back in his pant pocket, she goes "Put it in your bag! Put it in your bag!" And so he did. For all to see. There were only two other people in the bus - another first grader and his nanny. RL says his bag stayed next to him the whole time and no one else touched it. Except when the bus lady took it out of the bus when they got to school. It took a while for RL to get off since he sits inside and the other student and his nanny sit closer to the door. So when he got off, the bus lady handed him his bag, and he pulls it to the waiting area (a classroom) where he sits and waits for class. Bag stays next to him the whole time. Bag also stays next to him the whole time in the classroom. Again, no one touched it. After Music, which is the second subject for Tuesday, he decides to take a peek and finds the bill gone! He searches through his whole bag, but it is no longer there.

When I heard his retelling, I wanted to call the bus operator (a co-parent, who also happens to be a lawyer), and tell him about the incident. I also wanted to text the bus lady, but I decided to call KY first. After discussing the whole situation with her, and hearing my own advice to RL and our prayer in that retelling, I couldn't believe I reacted that way. We agreed that I should pray about it first, and that I shouldn't do anything just yet. Besides, we don't really know who took the money.

As I went back to tutoring RL, he tells me that he now feels better, because we had prayed for comfort.

RL: "Mom, why do we have to pray for those who hurt us? For the bad people?"
K: "Because they probably don't know that what they did was wrong."
RL: "But why?"
K: "I don't know..." 

I pause to think a bit, and my thoughts bring me to R and how much he has hurt us, and yet we choose to pray for him. Still.

K: "Because we can't do anything about it, and we can't control them, so we pray for them."
RL: "You know why, Mom? Because that's what Jesus would do. He prayed for those that hurt him. He loves them even if they sin."

Ok, so I learned something from the little boy.

Today, RL learned a good lesson on following Jesus' example. Momma learned that parenting actually is also about teaching yourself as much as it is about making sure your kids grow up to be good people.


"Train children to live the right way, and when they are old, they will not stray from it." Proverbs 22:6 (NCV)

Thank you, Lord, for today.