Learn with Joy: Why We Do What We Do

"If there is one thing we can give you all, our children, that'll be education." Those were the words I heard from my parents when my siblings and I were just littles. We are not wealthy but our parents made it a point to send us to school, good schools for that matter. So, I grew up  valuing education and its benefits. I told myself at the time, "When I have my own kids, I'll make sure to send them to the best schools in the country." After completing one college degree, I even pursued a Certificate in Professional Education and took a licensure exam to become a licensed educator. Fast track to today, I am now married with a precocious daughter in tow. However, my idea about education has changed a lot. It is no longer about being accepted to big and "best" schools. It is more about the quality of education that we (my husband and I) would like our daughter to attain.

My husband and I decided to homeschool our only daughter (yeah, only daughter and to be homeschooled, quite a recipe for "socialisation problem" huh?) the moment we had her. We want to give her the best and like every first time parents we want to give her the "world". I started asking family friends about homeschooling and although not all the ones we asked are familiar (and agreeing) with homeschooling, there is a missionary couple who gave us an idea on how they did it. The more I seek, the more I got interested and the more I learned about it. Thankfully, a lot of parents nowadays are opting to homeschool their children. There are also hundreds of blogs about homeschooling that are indeed helpful and useful.

After much prayer and contemplation, "against all odds", we took the less traveled road. To be honest, it's not always a walk in the park. Just like what other homeschooling parents say, (hashtag) "the struggle is real". It really takes a lot of strength and grace from the One who made it clear to us that this is the path we're going to take; it takes commitment and dedication on our part. But why still do what we do?

We Acknowledge that we are God's stewards.

My husband and I have always said that "we are owners of nothing but stewards of everything", and that includes our daughter. Being entrusted with a precious gift, we must prove ourselves faithful to Him. As stewards, we want to make sure that we are giving our daughter what we ought to give her, not holding back what is due her. Homeschooling her is accepting that we have been given a responsibility and taking care of what the Lord has charged to our care.

We want to give the "Best" to our daughter.

Every set of parents will agree, I know, that our (yours and ours) offsprings deserve the very best. As I have mentioned above, as parents, it's like we want to give the "world" to our children. Not that I could literally give the world to my daughter but it's the desire for her to receive the good things in life. The best may not always be the most expensive. It could be something that comes from the heart knowing that it's "all of you" offering it and using it for the well-being of someone. Homeschooling my daughter is giving all of me to her. A lot of people have asked me why I opted to stay at home, breastfeed my daughter and homeschool her when in fact I could have chosen to pursue a career and live my dreams. And when I tell them, "This is my career. I am living one of my dreams by being with my daughter," most of them would shake their heads in disbelief. I know it sounds crazy to them but to me and my husband, specially to my daughter, it says, "We love you that's why we give you our very best."

We believe that Character formation and development begins at home.

It is my belief that the heart of education is the education of the heart. A person with a knowledge-filled brain may succeed at first but won't necessarily endure. However, an individual with the right character will definitely survive in this broken world. More than loading her brain with a plethora of information, we would like our daughter's heart to be filled with experiences that will shape her heart to live for God, that is, produce a character that is approved not only in the sight of man but most importantly in the eyes of God; a character that is strong enough to stand for what is right, true and moral; not influenced by peer pressure nor agitated by unfavourable circumstances. I am not saying my husband and I are perfect enough to be able to do this. No, in fact, we're just ordinary people with perfect imperfections. However, I know that by and with the grace of God in our lives, we will accomplish it.

We desire our daughter to be a Disciple of Jesus. 

As believers and followers of Jesus, we would like our daughter to have the same relationship with our Lord Jesus Christ. I firmly believe that it's the best legacy we could leave her. When we homeschool, it's not just the facts that we share but the faith as well. The Bible says, "Start children off on the way they should go, and even when they are old they will not turn from it" (Proverbs 22:6).

We aspire to Excellence in education.

Every Filipino child deserves not just education but a quality education. That has been my "mantra" as an educator. As a homeschooling educator and parent, I know my husband and I will be able to give our daughter the quality of education we would like her to get. There will be no pressure to strive for perfection but encouragement to pursue excellence.

These are just some of the many reasons why we do what we do. If you noticed (I hope you did), I gave you our A to E reasons :). Hopefully, I'll be able to add some more sometime.

How about you? Are you a homeschooling mom/dad too? What are your motivations in doing so? I would love to hear from you! :)

Homeschooling: Learn with Joy

Hello everyone! I have finally decided (or got the courage) to tell you about our homeschooling journey through a post at least once a week. Let me just say that it's not perfect. It's a work in progress. I am a work in progress, haha! I am simply hoping that through my posts, homeschooling parents will be inspired to continue doing so, while others who are still contemplating whether to go this route or not may firmly decide and do what they believe is best for their family.

Since I know for sure I will be not able to post everyday, I am thinking of posting every Friday, that is, after one homeschool week has gone by. I will put it under the label Teaches. I will simply give the highlights of what happens in a day. There'll be pictures (of course), helpful tips and ideas and useful links.

I am so excited about this and I hope and pray that you'll join me and my little family in our homeschooling journey!

Note: Your comments, suggestions and questions are welcome anytime. Please feel free to post them in the comment box. Thank you.

Why I Am Still Breastfeeding My Preschooler

It was exactly a year ago when I wrote about the How and Why of My Breastfeeding Journey. I can't believe that until now I'm still going to write about it. It's not that I'm tired of telling my story about it, it just amazes me how far I have come. I won't ever forget, it's because of God's unending grace in my life.

My Love Bug is almost 4 years old now, 47 months and 28 days to be exact. And I'm happy to tell everyone that she still loves "Mommy's milk". That's how she calls it. Sometimes I wonder if it's just out of habit that she asks for my milk, but as I look at her every time she tells me she wants to "dede" (Filipino word for "nurse"), I can tell that she still likes it. There are times when people around us, specially family members would tease and discourage her from getting this liquid gold but she couldn't be dissuaded. She would always get assurance from me that it's just fine to "drink Mommy's milk".

My Love Bug at 47 months. She nurses when she takes a nap and at bedtime.

"She's older now; a preschooler. Why do you still breastfeed your daughter?" you may ask. I may only have a few reasons why I still do it, but I believe these are enough to continue doing it.

It's just the natural thing to do. From day 1 until today, I believe that feeding one's offspring is a natural thing to do, isn't it? Although there are lower forms of animals that do not care for their young (because they are not given the ability and the wisdom to do so), female mammals (including human moms) are gifted not only with the ability to care for their young but also with this precious milk to nourish them. My daughter would always say, "Mommy, it's okay for me to 'dede', di ba (isn't it)?" And I would assure her, "Yes, it is." :)

I remember that time when I gave birth, I was so afraid I would not be able to breastfeed my daughter. We (my husband, the nurses and I) did everything we could possibly do. Because not even a drop of milk was coming out from my breasts (I have inverted nipples), the nurses got an electric pump and start pumping my breasts. Nothing happened. Then they used a syringe so my nipple would "come out". Still nothing happened. I was petrified. But prayers with faith and persistence really do work. I was determined to breastfeed. So even without seeing that liquid gold I let my baby latched onto me (which I believe is a natural thing to do). And then the "natural thing" happened. The milk just flowed out! Until this day, my preschooler is enjoying and loving it!

The bonding moment is priceless. If I may say this, it's not just my daughter who is emotionally benefitting from breastfeeding her. I am too. I can't describe how I feel every time my daughter nurses. I'm overjoyed! And I can feel how happy she is too. It's like our "date", a special moment between us that even though we don't say a word, she knows she is loved and I am too.

It is a gift that you receive and give as well. I feel so blessed to be given this precious gift. I have learned from a medical practitioner that generally, women have the ability to breastfeed their children and there's only about 1% who wouldn't be able to do so. I am humbled to be part of the 99%. This is the kind of gift that you wouldn't want to keep for yourself. This is the gift that doesn't bless you alone (Benefits of Breastfeeding for Mom) but the recipient (your children) as well. Who wouldn't want that kind of gift? :)

Are you a breastfeeding mom too? What are your reasons for doing so? Please feel free to share your thoughts on the comments below. I would love to hear from you.

Happy Breastfeeding Week to all the breastfeeding moms out there! We are blessed so let's be a blessing! :)

Grace and Gratitude

Grace is such an amazing and encompassing word.

It always gives, overflows and overwhelms.

It's like the evening sun in the coolness of spring; warm and comforting.

I'm one of the many undeserving recipients of God's grace. My heart-cup is filled up to the brim. It is not because of who I am but because of who He is. My soul rejoices. It is saturated with thanksgiving.

Grace from the Giver. Gratitude from me.

And The Liebster Award Goes To...

Me! Hahaha! Imagine my surprise and excitement when a dear friend of mine informed me that she nominated me for the The Liebster Award. I was like, "What is it?" But I was (and still am) so grateful and ecstatic. Haha! The Liebster Awards turns out to be a cool and awesome way to promote and discover new blogs and the bloggers behind them. So, how does this work? A friend (or virtual friend) who is also a blogger nominates you and gives you some fun personal questions and you answer them through your blog. Then you pick or nominate other newbie bloggers to do the same. Of course, don't forget to thank the one who nominated you and link back to her so others can read her blog as well! ;)

My heartfelt gratitude goes to Ivy of Loving A Simple Life for remembering me and giving me a chance to be a part of, well, this "prestigious" award! Hahaha! Thanks, Ives! Now, I'll be answering her 10 questions. Here we go!

1. What is your vision for your blog?
     I would like my blog to be a source of inspiration to all women regardless of age, color, size, race 
     and religious affiliation; that it will serve as a "nesting place" for every tired and weary woman or 
     maybe a safe haven where she can just be herself.

2. What are your reasons for blogging? 
     I'm blogging because, first and foremost, I would like to glorify God through my blog. Another 
     reason is because I would like to help and inspire other moms like me. Still another is because I 
     really love to write. :)

3. What are your plans in the next five years for your blog?
     Well, I'm hoping that I'll have my own domain; my blog will be an avenue to my other pursuits.

4. How many children do you want to have? Why?
    I would like to have three kids - one girl and 2 boys. I just thought it would be fun to have three 
    kids. The Lord has blessed me and my husband, however, with one precocious girl and we are very 
    much thankful for her. We are already content. ;)

5. Where do you want to retire?
     Here in my native land, Philippines my Philippines!

6. Where is your dream vacation place?
     Paris!

7. What are your plans to grow financial life?
    Pray! Save! Get informed! Save!

8. What is the best decision you ever did as an individual, wife or mother?
     I believe the best decision I have done in my life is to know Jesus and accept Him as my personal 
     Lord and Saviour. Next to that is to marry God's best for me. As a mother, I believe, staying at 
     home so I can be a full-time and hands-on mom and wife and breastfeed my daughter is one of the 
     best decisions I have ever made.

9. Do you prefer your child/ren to be homeschooled or to attend the regular school? Why?
    My husband and I prefer to homeschool our daughter. Here are our reasons why.

10. What makes you happy and sad?
     A lot of things make me happy, really. It's not difficult to make me smile or laugh. What makes me 
    sad? Sad movies (haha!), injustice, loss (family, friend or pet) and sickness.

There you have it! Now it's my turn. You are hereby invited/nominated:

Gracie Maulion of the FabMama

and

Dani Vita of StarfishJourney

Please answer the questions below and... Enjoy! :)

1. If you were given a chance to change something in your life, what would it be?

2. Give the top 5 persons/things that matter to you the most (I know it's not in question form but you still have to answer it, haha!)

3. What's the best compliment you have ever heard from a child?

4. What will make you a "child" again?

5. In your own little way, how can you change the world? :)

6. What is your pet peeve?

7. How do you manage stress?

8. Which do you prefer, coffee or tea? Why?

9. Who is your favourite cartoon character? Why?

10. If I were to give you a gift,  what would you like it to be?

Signing on... Again.

Oh... It's been two months. I have been wondering (and wandering places where I had only dreamed of going to) where time has gone. Changes... changes... changes... Why does that surprise me? After all, there's one thing in this world that is always constant and I know, you guessed it right. Yeah, change. A lot of changes had happened and continue to happen.

But, here I am again. After being disconnected from the blogosphere (not that I have totally shut my eyes and ears from it), I'm coming back and signing on again. Grateful indeed...

Welcome back, my beloved readers! :)

My Journal 2015

I have always been a stationery/paper/planner/journal addict. Ever since I was in grade school, I had been on the lookout for cute papers/stationery. My love for these cutesy and eye candies didn't die down but just flourished all the more growing up. I remember when I was still single, there was a year that I bought 2 or 3 planners because they were all so cute and "functional" but sadly I didn't get to use all of them because I was not really a businesswoman nor a busy-woman. Then the sticker card from a famous coffee shop was introduced in the Philippines. And because my husband and I are coffee lovers, we would frequent this store not just for the caffeine kick but also for me to get a planner (Note: This promo starts in November and ends in January of the next year). If my memory still serves me right, I think I was able to get 5 planners for 5 consecutive years. Now, that we're in the US, I missed that sort of "tradition", hahaha!

So last November while at a mall, I started looking for the "perfect" planner for me. Much to my dismay I wasn't able to find store where "my planner" might be hanging around. Until one day, on January 5th, I found "the one", and boy am I so grateful! It was so pretty I could not afford to leave it there. It was as if it was talking to me and begging me to get it. My husband actually saw it first then asked me, "You want to look for another one in another store? I'm sure we can find more in other stores." "No, thank you," I said. Hahaha!

My Journal 2015

Got it from Michaels' Store

It is not a planner with dates and tabs; it is more of a journal and I'm really dying to use it. I'm not obliging myself to write something every day though, I'm thinking of just putting into words memories that really matter to me. Also, I want to make it as my art journal or journal where I can write down the things that I'm grateful for.

It was "love at first sight."

This journal has different colorful pages. Most of them are unlined so you really have the freedom to do whatever you want to do with it. It is a 3-ring binder so you can refill if you run out of pages. You may stick your photos, souvenirs and other mementos you may have chosen to remember in a day.

Fantastic indeed! Using my Sharpie and Faber Castell pens to doodle and write down my thoughts

Can also be a travel journal

This is really love! :)

Are you a planner/journal addict too? Do you already have your planner/journal for this year? What do you love about it? I would love to hear your thoughts. :)