Tracing One's Origins

The matter of one's origins is something that is of interest to many people. And why not? I surely would want to know who my ancestors are. Now it is one thing to know who your grandparents are - even your greatgrandparents. However, it could be hard to go further back.

If you are interested in starting to trace your own genealogy, then you can do so with some resources that can be found online. You just need your last name and you can do a search to help you get started. For example, if your family name is Kennedy, then you can type kennedy family tree as a search term and you would be on your way to building your own family tree.

I am once again amazed at what technology can do!

New Niche Blog: Special Child

My sister, Hannah, started a blog about a year or so ago. She called it Special Child.

Her son, Sam, was born with a genetic disorder called Prader-Wili Syndrome. The diagnosis changed our lives and every day that we spend with Sam is something we treasure greatly. That is why we decided to give new life to this old blog.

In Special Child, we want to share Sam's life and our experiences with others. We want to get the word out about special children and various disorders that exist. More so, we want families to realize that:

Some mothers get something more. It’s always more never less and it makes our children all the more special.

I'd like to invite you to pay Special Child a visit every now and then. See you there!

Sam's Standing Up!

Paul Beleen, one of Sam's therapists, lent him some equipment which could help him. Though Paul's fees are way higher than Sam's regular therapists, his sessions are very much worth it.

This weekend, Sam paid a short visit and I could see how much he has improved. Take a look for yourself.Sam standing up with Uncle Jer's help.

I'm having fun!

Playing horsey.

I Heart Sam

We just finished watching QTV's feature on Prader-Wili Syndrome. We were as proud as only aunts and uncles can be but at the same time, I found myself tearing up. I know I am not supposed to ask why when certain things happen but I cannot help myself...

...still, I know that no matter what his condition may be, I cannot love Sam any more than I do now. He has been a blessing to our family and always will be.

Sam on QTV

On Thursday last week, Miriam Quiambao and the staff of a show (I think it's called The Beat - sorry I don't watch TV much) on QTV came over to Hannah's house to interview them. They are going to feature Sam on their show. I don't know exactly how they found out about Sam and Prader-Wili but this should be good exposure for the condition. They also interviewed Yuri - we met her at Sam's birthday party - and will be featuring her as well.

Please tune in to QTV on Monday at 10:00 pm to watch the show!

Silas and Sam @ the Beach (Tamaraw Beach, Puerto Galera)

Silas and Sam had a blast last weekend. We could hardly get them out of the water. Well, where the water and the land met. The waves were too strong and Silas didn't want to get dragged by the crashing waves as Nikki, Myla, and Mom were dragged.

Silas enjoying the water and sand.See how big those waves are?

Whee!!! Sam loving it.

I wonder how I can go into the deeper waters?With Sam and Silas

Achieving Peace of Mind with Medical Alert

This past weekend has made me realize a LOT of things. I have not spent this much time with my family for quite some time and during this weekend at the beach, I was really surprised at how old my parents have become. It used to be that both my mom and dad had boundless energy. Up till I was in high school, my dad used to stay in the water for hours - even the whole day. This weekend, though, he stayed in for only 20 minutes at a time. My mom couldn't even get in the water for fear of the strong waves. They really just lounged around and relaxed.

It got me thinking about how they are alone at the house most of the time. Though they can still move around and function independently, I am now very much aware that they are not as agile and strong as they used to be.

Now that I am (constantly) connected to the Internet again, I am already browsing for products and services that may be able to help my parents. I found a site featuring Medical Alert products that have been designed to help people aged 50 and above to continue to live independent lives and at the same time be connected to live help in case they need it. Brick House Alert has two new products - BrickHouse Alert Tele-Assist and BrickHouse Alert Mobile GPS.

These are Medical Alert that can give me the peace of mind that I need, even when I am far away from my parents. Tele-Assist features a Fall Alert, No Activity Alert, Intruder Alarm, and Live Personal Reminders. All of them would be quite useful in case something happens. Mobile GPS has a Safety Zone Alert and GPS Location Aware. I think that at this point, the Tele-Assist would be very useful for my parents. Clients can choose from 3 and 12 month packages, with a refundable deposit.

Indeed, at times like this, you can't help but appreciate what technology can do for you.

This is a paid post.

Writing at the Beach

This is the life! The resort (Tamaraw Beach) where we are staying at has no WiFi - it got busted due to the storm - but the resort next door (Sunset at Aninuan Beach) has it. We met the owner earlier and she offered her WiFi for free, can you believe that?

We're here celebrating Jer's birthday with Nikki, Han, and Mark. I just finished a bit of work and I just wanted to write a short post here.

Seriously, I could live here!

All Worked Up

Despite my sleepiness, I am all worked up. I forced myself to get up when the alarm went off and I think I did a pretty good job. Instead of the usual 1 or 2 hour delay, I was only 30 minutes behind schedule this morning!

The reason for this is below:

In a little over 24 hours, we should be seeing this view! Woohoo!!!

Busy Weekend

Just another quickie. We just got home from Laguna and we are pooped. We left for Los Banos last night around 11:30pm and got there around 1am or 2am. We then had to get up early (relatively) and then go to Irvin's birthday party. It was fun - Jer stuck to his 2 beers! Lots of fun pics, which I will post tomorrow.

Some thoughts - I miss my family (immediate and extended) and I don't realize it till we spend time together. Then again, I think the current arrangements are great because sometimes, family time is best when they come in small doses. It was great to spend time with my cousins, aunts, and grandma. I don't know if I am being *evil* for feeling thing way. Have you ever felt that way?

I can't wait till next weekend when we go to Puerto Galera. It should be fun. Now it's time for bed.

When Couples Play Wii

I am sitting here watching my sister and her husband play tennis on the Wii - and I marvel at how familiar the husband-wife dynamics is. Is it because my sister and I are so much alike?

There are the encouraging times:

Hubby: Wow, that was a nice serve!
Wife: Thanks.

And there are these times:

Hubby: Quit choking when you play with me. You don't have to impress me.
Wife: Whatever! Quit trying to distract me.

Hubby: Why don't you stand up so you can play better?
Wife: Why don't you move so you don't block the sensor?

Hubby: Usog ka dun! Wala akong space. (For the nth time.)
Wife: Lumayo ka sa akin sabi!

Hubby: It's not that fun being that smart and not being good at video games, is it?

Hubby: OUCH! (Wife accidentally hit him with the Wiimote.)

Wife: Aray. (Wife gets hit on the head due to an over enthusiastic swing.)

All the bickering and irritation melt away, though, when Sam starts screaming for attention. It's been a great weekend. :)

Seafood Craving

I don't know why but since last night I have been craving for seafood. Fish, shrimps, mussels, crabs - I don't care as long as it is seafood. There are a lot of options but I am leaning towards going to the market and buying fresh seafood and cooking it at home. I just might do that since Sam's coming over for a visit.

Giving Teenage Advice

I realized just how old I am getting this morning when my teenage cousin sent me a text message asking me how to get rid of acne. I don't think that I am the best person to ask about these things but I had to be a "good older cousin." So I told her to do two things:

1. Visit web sites that provide in-depth information on this problem.
2. Find a good dermatologist.

I think she'll be satisfied with the first as there are so many resources online that could help her. Not only will it not cost her money but it will also give her an excuse to spend more time online.

Weekend Of Indulgence

This weekend has been so busy for me (and it's not really over yet) and though it should have been one of those lean weekends, it is turning out to be one of those times of indulgence. I guess I can be excused as we celebrated Hannah's and Mom's birthdays. Then tonight we held one last "party" for Earl before he leaves on Monday.

It's 4 am and we just got home and though I am so sleepy, I feel that I cannot sleep because I am so full. We have been eating non-stop since Friday night (well, alright, I am exaggerating a bit) so I guess it is a good thing that we played the Wii a bit tonight. It was my first time to actually try it and I had LOTS of fun.

I was thinking, the Wii could substitute for exercise and diet pills! Maybe someone will get me a Wii for Christmas - an early gift, maybe? ;)

Feeling Responsible: Me and Life Insurance

I used to NOT think about insurance. I never really thought that I would have need for it. And then I grew up - at least I think I did.

I don't know if I have written about it before but I have taken out a life insurance plan that doubles as a retirement plan. It hasn't been long since I took that policy out but I think that it was a really good decision.

For the past month, I have been thinking of other types of insurance policies that I could take out - for my own sake and my family's as well. One thing that I have realized as I have been doing my research is this - you can get a wide variety of life insurance quotes so it is really important that you do a lot of research.

I feel like a "real" adult now. I feel that I am finally being responsible! ;)

Am I a Nag?

I honestly don't think I am but I have heard it said (by a certain person I am not naming) several times. I found this quiz from Miss Zoot and I thought that I'd take it and see for myself.

1. Have you told your husband that you wished he made more money?
No.

2. Do you frequently remind your husband to pick up after himself?
Yes. Wouldn't you if you found 3 shirts in the living room, 2 pairs of shorts on the bedroom floor, etc.?

3. Do you dislike your husband’s family or close friends and tell him about it?
No.

4. Do you frequently criticize your husband for his bad habits?
No. I may tell him how I feel about certain habits but I do not criticize.

5. Do you contradict your husband in front of the children or your friends?
Yes. I think it's one of my weak points - not believing others easily.

6. When you and your husband are with others, do you ever “joke” about him being less than romantic?
No.

7. Do you tell your husband that he rarely lifts a hand to help you?
Sometimes - I guess this is a yes.

8. Have you told your husband that you wish he could be more like your father or some other man you admire?
No. He is the one who thinks this way but I have never really had these kinds of thoughts.

9. Do you frequently remind your husband not to eat certain foods or to not touch food items in the refrigerator?
No.

10. If you know something is bothering your husband, do you force him to talk?
Yes. (Sometimes?)

So what is the verdict? I got answered YES to 4 of the items. Miss Zoot gave the scoring guide:

To find out whether you irritate your husband, add your “yes”
answers, then check your total against the scoring key below.

0-3 You’re an easy woman to live with and probably don’t irritate your man.

4-6 You tend to irritate your mate, but you can improve simply by taking a close look at the questions you answered with a “yes,” then changing those things.

7-10 You are a nag! You definitely irritate your husband. Even if you feel that he is the one annoying you, it’s time to take a look at your own part in the unpleasantness. You will eventually drive your man away!

There you are. I was right - I am not a nag. ;) Seriously, though, I try to be an understanding partner but sometimes, things just get to me and I can't help but voice my frustration. What is a wife supposed to do then?

Photo courtesy of http://www.bichonfrisegetaway.com/

Mythbusters (Almost) Killed MacGyver

Just like any other child who grew up in the 80s and 90s, MacGyver was part of my childhood. You have to know that we didn't have a TV set in our home while we were growing up. Our parents did not believe that we needed one to learn and to keep ourselves busy. We read instead.

However, during the summer vacation, my grandma's TV was brought to our house so that we could watch a couple of select shows. And when I say select, I mean select. Sesame Street, Batibot (the Philippine Sesame Street), and - you guessed it - MacGyver were the only shows we were allowed to watch.

Watching the show was a family affair. I still remember everyone gathering around the TV on Saturday night, 7:00pm. My dad would turn the key to switch the TV on - can you believe that, the TV had a key?!

Anyhow, you can just imagine how highly I revered (and still do!) Angus MacGyver. We looked up to him so much that we called our dad MacGyver - yup, he could solve anything. ;)

So when Jerry got ahold of the Mythbusters 100th episode: MacGvyer Myths, I was so excited. I wanted to see what they were going to do. Alas, as much as I like the guys from Mythbusters, I cringed throughout the whole show.

They busted his sodium explosive trick (MacGyver made a hole through a prison wall using 1 gram of sodium dissolved in water). They busted his bamboo airplane (MacGyver made a lighweight made of bamboo, garbage bags, and a cement mixer engine).

So are the Mythbusters like Santa-killers (people who tell their children that Santa is NOT real)? Almost.

I still believe that all that MacGyver did were based on SOUND scientific principles. He just twisted some of the details so as to keep viewers safe, so that overenthusiastic viewers would not be able to copy his tricks.

The Mythbusters rock but they can't match MacGvyer! ;)

Birthday Gift Ideas

August is a big month for my family. My mom, my sister, and my brother all celebrate their birthdays in August. As early as now, I have to look for gift ideas for the three of them.

I already have something in mind for Silas - a boxed set of The Chronicles of Narnia. I have been giving him video gaming stuff for the past year and I think it's about time that he gets books. He loves to read and I think that the video games have distracted him from this activity.

For Hannah and my mom, it's a bit trickier. Since mom loves trinkets, I have been looking into Tahitian pearls. I saw some really nice earrings made of these pearls and I think that she would love them. She's always had this penchant for pearls, I don't know why.

As for Hannah - who is the only one among the three who reads this blog - I am keeping it a secret. :p

I'm On a High

Yep, I am definitely on a high. We set out to do 4 things today.

1. Get approved for a Globe landline and Internet connection bundle.
2. Get my NBI clearance renewed.
3. Go to UP to get some things done.
   
4. Maybe get a new toy.

I got 3 out of 4 PLUS we got to visit Sam.

We weren't able to go to UP because we ran out of time. It took us several hours to get the Globe thing done, not to mention the NBI clearance. After that, we just went around Megamall looking for my new toy. Unfortunately, we didn't find any. They all had Acer Aspire One units and Asus Eee PCs.

So off we went to SM North, meaning to look around and then visit Sam. We found ONE unit of the MSI Wind at this litte store called Micro Station. They had it for 0 percent interest on my card for 6 months! Needless to say, I just had to get it.

Here's my new baby (which, by the way, I am using to write this post).

At the store

Her box
At home

I have decided to name her Koryu, this little dragon from the anime Inuyasha. It is also the Japanese word for ancient martial arts. She may look small and pretty but she can kick some serious butt.

I have been on her for about an hour now and I have not encountered a single problem yet. I have installed lots of programs and she is still running fast, without any indication of heating up. Windows XP came pre-installed so I didn't really have to do anything regarding set up of the OS and drivers. I was able to connect to my wireless connection at home without any hitches.

The best thing? I have been able to type as fast as I normally can without having to squint my eyes. I love it!

Now for the visit with Sam. He seemed a bit mellow when we first got there but after a while, he started being his usual hyper self. Look at him playing with his Uncle Jer. He was laughing so hard by the time they were done.
Now can you believe this - Jerry feeding a baby!
Nana and Sam posing.
It's been a good day.

SocialSpark and Mommies Go Together

It used to be that mommies were supposed to stay at home and take care of their children. And then, due to the changing trends in the economy, moms were expected to become part of the workforce. Today, more and more moms are going back to being stay at home moms.

Despite the continuing financial woes that many families are experiencing, moms are able to stay at home because of more opportunities for them to earn supplementary income. Blogging - actually, working online in general - is one popular means by which moms are able to earn some good money. In fact, I know some mommies who have a day job and blog on the side so that they can buy more goodies for their babies.

More than making money through blogging, though, mommies find blogging a great source of pleasure. It is one way of being able to vent, make their voices heard, and share their vast parenting knowledge. It is one way of making new friends and interacting with people from anywhere in the world. Mommies have made great connections through their blogging activities!

On the practical side, how can mommies earn money through blogging? There are a lot of ways to make money through blogging and SocialSpark is one of the easiest and funnest ways to do so. Any mom with a blog can sign up with SocialSpark and the best thing is that they are coming up with something really big for mommy bloggers pretty soon! If you are a mommy then I suggest that you sign up for their mailing list so that you can be among the first to know when this service becomes public.