growing like the giant beanstalk

Sunlight and lots of love  make a child grow. Tough love does the trick too. Balancing the brain, body, heart and soul is a holistic approach to raising a spiritual and authentic child.

And yes, they need a strong family affinity but one that does not suffocate and inhibit a sense of self. 

Ors

There are many "ors" in life.  In fact it is a good thing that we don't only have "ands".
"To be or not to be" is one famous line of choice.
Mommy or Daddy would be a very common choice a child has to be faced with in a custody battle.

There are happy "ors" too.
Coffee or tea?
Eat or sleep?
France or Italy?

However, in Frogglerocks, there is this choice my grandchildren will not have to make:
Ima or Ors?
Ima is famous for her stories while Ors is The toy provider.
Ors will carry four little ones like an asparagus bunch.
Ima will introduce them to her I-Pad games!
Ors is in demand because he will do anything for his grandchildren!
Ors worked hard to be in demand... he lives to love them all!
He is one and only and he gets the embraces, kisses, smiles, coos, drools and many more.
There is just one "Ors" in Frogglerocks!

No contest!

Ors is a happy man.  His life is complete!
Amen!

the first 10 minutes

eyes newly opened
my name being called
a request and some questions
roosters crowing
first ray of sunlight
pitter patter of little feet
cheek to cheek with Jacob
Jose smiling...
Justo with Ana
thoughts drifting to Sophia and Ziva
sunlight in 8 Mile
hedcen...

without trying

I tried to hold his foot as I put him to sleep tonight and it measured to the full size of my palm.  He is growing fast and his mind is expanding and so are his heart and soul.

Tonight his little brother bit him in his arm pretending he was a T-rex and  the teeth dug into his flesh!  He grimaced in pain but did not retaliate, just asked - "why did he bite me?"

the apple of his brother

He asked his Mommy if he will be a Daddy, asked her if he will have a son on another occasion.
He asked "who will be my wife" and asked his mommy if she can be his wife.  He asked why people die when they are old.  He asked me not to and declared that his Ors (Lolo) will be "old strong" and will "stay forever and ever!"

very affectionate but can be very blunt when he says that his mommy is bad at times he is not allowed to sleep with Ima

He is content to be in the background, when he used to dominate the show!  His brother, being in his cutest stage, steals the limelight most of the time.

Tonight, Chewey got his Kuya's space on the bed that 4 of us share- Ors, Ima, Chewey and Jacob...
He gave it up because he knew it would be trouble if he insisted.


He has his bad times, especially in the mornings when he does not want to go to school.  He does not see the point, but obliges.

It seems that he can almost self-learn as he picks up things rather quickly and retains information almost instantly and accurately.  He analyzes things that he observes and makes wise appraisal most of the time.  He has a beautiful voice when he talks and when he sings. Of course, I am the grandma "talking".

His art is spectacular!  He is good looking even without trying.

Jacob singing in the car

a photo he took of Yaya Jen 

his rocket

there is always his brother's name whenever he writes his

a hot air balloon

In a few weeks or maybe in days, he will be a "kuya" to another baby boy.  He is taking on the role like a pro now.  He even enjoys that fact that eyes are on Chewey and not him.  He is secure that he has always his own Jacob  place in our hearts. After all, he introduced us to JOY!

-remembering the future

A HEDCen Story: Sometimes, the sky is pink

...or orange or lilac but not always blue, and ladies and gentlemen, we are all under that one big sky!!  

One foreigner may not like the concept of "destereotyping" colors.  He hated the pink polo that his son had to wear on Mondays and Wednesdays.  He  could not contain his displeasure and disgust as he wrote about it in his blog.

We have different opinions, contrasting in fact.   He insists on enrollment.  We said that it is unhealthy.   

Jacob in his pink uniform

His child's school is his second home.  It is not wise to bring him to a place where the values and beliefs at home do not meet.

We really want him to consider other schools but if this is a way to open him up to see that colors do not choose who will wear them -  and that commercialism and consumerism brought this limited and illogical prejudices and stereotyping of colors, then maybe it is worth giving it a second chance. 


We remain to continue to raise plump, juicy, bright and happy children regardless - whether it is snowing or not. 

Guava Interrupted: HS # 8

happy to be back twice the size

It took this guava tree 3 years to recover from a manifestation of one pregnant human being of intense desire for its fruit!

The tree was vigorously "frisked" for fruits when it no longer had at the time my daughter was  in her most acute period of "paglilihi".

This "senorita" guava tree was petite but prolific before the "eye of Sauron" found it, then went to a 3-year period of dormancy, pretending it was lifeless.

It took the humans a lot of empathy for the tree before we were given back the joy of its fruits.

Yes, we learned our lesson.

love thoughts for mommy

Jacob wanted to make a special card for his Mommy.  I brought out my markers and my set of gel crayons for him to use.  I love the twister markers of Crayola because I do not have to worry about caps rolling under the bed or ending up in Golda's mouth.  Lyra Gel Kreiden or gel crayons are so easy to use.  It spreads very well on paper and gives instant gratification to young artists like Jacob. 

His projects or drawings revolve around just one thing these days - earthworms!!  I forgot to take photos of the first stage of drawings.  There was a blue earthworm where the black portion is now.

When I asked him where the earthworm was, he said, "covered with soil".  There is a green flower and several suns where he mixed red and white because he wanted pink.  Then he experimented with more mixes of primary colors: red and blue, blue and green, red and black while predicting the outcome accurately. 

He wrote the word Mommz and a heart beside it.  He colored "o" red and drew a string for a red balloon.  Below the page is his signature.

Here is all his love for his mom poured on paper.