Luckily, everything fell into place and my crinkles are perfectly cooked. My family loved it and my husband gave praises to it. 

January 9-10, 2016

It was our first time to take Caleb with us on a long drive spent with friends. We got so busy with our lives that having a vacation wasn't really an option. Now that our kids are a bit older, we are slowly putting our traveler shoes on. We stayed in a beautiful rest house that is beside the village's park. It has a playground suited for kids and adults. 

Caleb definitely had a great time playing on the slide. It was so nice to see his genuine smile and his carefree self roaming around the grounds and just enjoying every minute of it. 

It's good that Vincent got to celebrate his birthday with his friends as well. And it was just so relaxing to be with friends in cold weather in a beautiful place. 

January 16-17, 2016

This time around I was the only one who went to this trip because we couldn't find someone to look after Yuri. So, Vincent gladly took charge and allowed me to have some 'mommy time' with my barkada. 

I'd say I have been longing for this mommy break for a long time and it was awesome to have spent it with the girls. It was so refreshing to be out and to be with myself without having to worry about the comfort of my children. It was just all about me, and it was like remembering the days when I was not yet preoccupied with all the mommy duties on the task list. 

I feel really blessed to have had this  trip because I know for a fact that it helped me feel renewed as an individual, as a wife, and as a mom. Now that I have regained myself, I am now energized to even give the best that I can in raising our little household.

Thank you, Lord for the days that you allow us the time to have fun with our friends. :)

We were lucky to be given tickets to Manila Ocean Park as a Christmas present from Caleb's Ninang, Kaye. I've been there before when I was still single, and Vincent and Caleb have also explored the place last year but Caleb was still too young then. So, I got really excited to use this pass as a mini family getaway. :)

Caleb wasn't really interested in any of the sea creatures that we saw. Not even the professional sea lion didn't catch his attention. I'd say he had more fun exploring Yexel's Toy Museum because it has Minions and Lightning McQueen in it. He was actually asking me for trucks, which is his current obsession.

I admit, it was me who had fun the most. Haha. Not because I admire the sharks and the penguins, but because I was just so happy to spend an entire day with my family. Not to mention the fact that I was out and about - away from my usual mommy-routine. It's nice to have some fresh activities from time to time.

Thank you, Lord for such a happy day! :)

Sometimes I miss having my personal space. Those days when I can just lay in bed and peacefully close my eyes; sit in a sofa and read a book; or just blankly stare for a few minutes.

Today, I am being touched by my children for the entire day. I am not against it. In fact, it melts my heart to see them longing for me. But there are days when I just feel like having the time all for myself - even for just a few minutes (15 minutes can be heaven to me). 

This is what happens every day: 

I have my eyes on both my kids all the time. Caleb's form of play is through throwing his toys everywhere - yes, even at me or worse at Yuri. So, I have to be the living shield of Yuri against all flying objects because Caleb is just unstoppable. Sometimes when I'm not looking, Caleb would push Yuri making him painfully distressed because he fell head first. There are times when I catch Yuri munching on pieces of cardboard from one of the flash cards. Caleb can be really into 'off limits' stuff like pens, pencils, papers, etc. which he somehow finds ways to reach from the table. 

You see, there are lots of things that could happen if I close my eyes for a quick nap while the kids are playing. If I did, one of them would end up hurting the other. Of course, every mom wants a tantrum-free environment so it's always best to prevent such circumstances. 

My point is, I get tired too. Others think that there's nothing so difficult about staying home and looking after a child. Whoever you are, you're wrong. Be my guest and take care of my children. Let's see if you'd even have a tangle-free hair at the end of the day. 

I get too tired that all I want is to sit and relax for just a little time - a time all for myself. But no, I sit in an inviting sofa and my toddler sits beside me. I lay down and my little one crawls over my face and body, worst part is when my toddler jumps on me. It isn't the most relaxing position for me so far. I could end up with broken bones. 

The 15-minute serenity is non-existent at least until my children graduate from toddlerhood. I have no other choice but to enjoy every clinging, carrying and body-hurting affection of my children. They say, this too shall pass and day will come when I'll miss every exhausting moments while taking care of my two boys. 

So, I raised the flag of a supermom and tried my very best to discipline Caleb. My husband and I had some attempts in doing the 'Stand in the Corner' scheme but we think that he's too young to understand. Today, I gave it another try. 

I had to spank his hand to scare him and to let him know how mad I am, and how bad the action he did. I don't want to hurt my kids but at some point it's a tool to raising disciplined and well-behaved human beings so I have to do it. 

He was crying the whole time and I successfully got him to stand in a specific corner. He tried to break the rule by sitting. Of course, I stuck to the rule of literally letting him stand in the corner. So far, he understands the situation. 

Now, it's time to explain why he was being punished and for how long he needs to stand there. Obviously, it won't make sense to him when I said 'You will stand there until Mommy says so!', so I set my phone in alarm for 3 minutes. I told him that the punishment is over once the phone alarms. Okay...so far he still understands. At the back of my mind I'm praying that this would be effective so that once and for all, I could discipline him. Yes, I'm getting tired of trying to excuse him for being too young to be disciplined. 

In all fairness to him, he obeyed. Although, I knew he was testing me (let's see how serious mom is) by trying to sit or move out of the corner. But the mama power is more powerful than his cute crying self. I was staring at him with mad eyes, really mad eyes just to let him know that 'Hey, this is serious and I'm not playing around!' 

The alarm saved him. I was silently jumping with joy because it was a successful, healthy way of punishing. 

Hopefully, it made sense to him. More importantly, i hope he remembers what happened tomorrow and the coming days. May the words STAND IN THE CORNER be the cue to his unwanted, longest and most crucial 4 minutes (or more, depending on how bad the situation is) of his toddler life. 

Scary mom wanna be on certain situations,

B.