of contemplation and confusion then just plain gladness...

i haven't been in the mood to blog lately (but i still managed to religiously read mom blogs and fashion blogs during those days) because my husband and i have been contemplating on moving to a new home... after several days of careful thinking, we decided to just stay where we are for a while and maybe just give the move a go by next year..anyway, the only problem that we have with our current place is the parking area, other than that, we're in a homey, comfortable nook..

i was really feeling gloomy until mommy Neel of beingzaraandzidan.blogspot.com gave me this award! It really cheered me up..a big heartfelt thank you again to you mommy Neel..being a mom becomes an extra wonderful role when you get to share the experience to other moms in the whole-wide world! =)



another thing that lifted my spirit up was when my cousin posted our childhood pic (circa 1982-1983) in facebook..i must say i had my fair share of tears and laughters during my younger years but i generally had a happy childhood! i'm the girl in the middle..the only boy in the photo is my younger brother.. =)



i know for sure that things will get better in the coming days....

good morning!

kids have the wildest imaginations..

as Henry David Thoreau puts it,
"It's not what you look at that matters, it's what you see."

so here's what transpired this morning while the kids were eating breakfast..

it's a bowl of cereal, right?

can you actually see the camel? lol...

yes, it's a tiled floor...

but wait, where's smiley?


let kids imagine..for one day, their creativity will lead them somewhere!
now, let me imagine about that! =)

(advanced post) you are loved...

edit: i totally lost track of time, lol..

to the man

who always looks after his family's needs first before his...

HAPPY FATHER'S DAY!!!

..and here's proof of how great-a-dad you are =)

WE LOVE YOU!!!

real trips: DRESS OVERLOAD

when it comes to clothes, i'd choose a dress over a pair of jeans any time. but it was only recently that i learned about the basic dress cuts, seriously. While watching a re-run of Rachel Ray, one of the segments caught my attention and dragged me to get my handy-dandy (read: humongous) notebook and pen.

in my own little way, let me present to you 5 different types of dress cuts we can choose from depending on our body types..

note: in as much as i would love to rummage my clothes to give examples, i don't have enough dresses with me right now as the bulk of them were left in the Philippines . so i just opted to search the web for images. here they are...


A-LINE - fitted top, flared bottom to ignore the waist and hips

for the pear-shaped or bottom-heavy, this is a good choice 'cause it accentuates the trunk. (plus, A-line dresses always make me feel like a real lady - or a princess to an extent (no, make that queen! haha)

photo from omg.yahoo.com


Ruy Sanchez-Blanco (www.glamour.com)

SHEATH - close fitting dress to suggest the form and curve of a woman's body

if one's athletic or muscular, then this is the perfect dress cut. (I can wear it to cocktail parties but i'm not really into form-fitting clothes - make me feel very uncomfortable)

photo by Todd Selby (www.glamour.com)


stylebible.ph

SHIRT DRESS - now labeled as a universal outfit due to its versatility (can be worn with jeans, leggings, with or without belt) and can suit almost all figures

this dress makes one feel relaxed. it can be casual and chic at the same time..it can be worn in the office, while running errands, day at the beach, etc, etc.. (my personal favorite!)

shine.yahoo.com


from stylebible.ph

TRAPEZE - triangle-shaped dress, not fitted, no waist (but can also be worn with a belt)

for those not comfortable showing bulges in the stomach area then this is the dress for you. it gives attention to the arms and legs so it makes one feel sexy even if it's a loose dress. (i also like this style - sexy yet conservative)

alternativeoutfitters.com


photo from totallyher.com

WRAP DRESS - a "girl's suit". it has got to be the most timeless dress style in a woman's wardrobe

it acentuates curves and gives a slimming image thus it's great for curvy women.



wrap dress photos from dealrocker.blogspot.com


that's me on the left(standing) wearing a trapeze dress. that was back in the Philippines last February when i attended my co-teacher and close friend's daughter's (center, standing) 18th birthday party..

we are family: homeschool

In 2008, when I first came to Riyadh, my two older kids were left behind in the Philippines (they were under the loving care of their grandmother and great grandparents) since they were still enrolled in a regular school. I would stay in here for 6 months then go back to the Philippines and be there for the next six months..that went on for 2 years. During those times we were really planning carefully what we want the set-up to be. We miss our 2 boys most of the time and there are times when the 3 us (my husband, me and our youngest)would only look at pictures of all of us together to compensate for our sadness..in as much as we would want to be complete in a distant place from home, we are hesitant to bring the 2 boys over since we know for a fact that schools here in Riyadh are pretty expensive..the thought of working here would enter my mind every now and then but there will be other things to consider like who would look after them while i'm still at work, etc. etc..

as fate would have it, I came across a website promoting homeschooling. I've had ideas about it before but didn't really bother searching into it since i was already working as a teacher and my two boys were enrolled in the same school where i was teaching. i looked into it and searched for other articles and write-ups about it. I presented it to my husband but he was unsure about it at first. but it seems as if God has already planned something for us..while i was in the Philippines (about to enroll the kids for the upcoming school year) i discovered that one of our close neighbor's daughter is working in a school which is tied up to a homeschooling system. They oriented me about the program and answered all my questions and apprehensions..in less than a month, my kids were already enrolled in the homeshcooling system..

homeschooling has lots of benefits, i tell you. i get to practice being a teacher plus i don't have to worry about my kids since i can always look after them 24/7. by the way, the kids' materials are called PACES - every area of learning is divided into 12 paces (booklets) so it's easy for the child to accomplish and understand every subject. plus, the child gets to pratice discipline since they really need to read before they can answer..and the best part of it is we have all the time in the world!!! =)

i think i'll have another post for the pros and cons of homeschooling =)


these are the kids' desks and bins that we got from IKEA. the stools we bought from Al Swalim supermarket for 8riyals (2 dollars) each =)


the eldest's materials..he has 8 subjects (areas of learning) now.


the second one's paces..he's got 7 subjects.


these are my youngest's materials (he calls them PACES, too)..he's not yet enrolled so i just bought the workbooks from a bookstore back in the Philippines.


hubby brought this home one day (he printed it out from his office computer)so that we can motivate the kids to eat more vegetables and to try out the gross-looking ones, lol..we placed it right in front of their study desks.

emotera: am i turning into a manic-depressive freak?

there are days when i just feel stuck here (and these episodes usualy happen when the kids are still all asleep)..just earlier today i was on the verge of crying..good thing the phone rang and it was my husband. somehow that heavy feeling subsided a little bit..just a little bit.

in as much as i value facebook, blogs and all other networking sites (since they are the only social association i have) there are times when they depress me..i see faces of people, places others have been to and recent get-togethers which i/we don't normally experience..

i feel like there are so many things going on in the outside world and here i am, facing a wall and tomorrow it will be like this all over again. =(

outfit post: I BET NOT!

before my husband went and worked here in riyadh, he worked as a college instructor in a state university for a year. during their school's annual foundation celebration he was given a freebie shirt. and that freebie shirt became one of my favorite shirts of all time.. i don't know..but there's just something about it that makes me feel like a "mowdel" everytime i put it on, hehehe..sort of like "blusang itim" lol...

i wore it when we went grocery shopping yesterday..leggings and oversized shirts/tops are my comfort clothes when i don't feel like dressing up..

now if only the prints on the shirt would read 'MODELS, INC.' then everything will be perfect, hahaha...it's free to dream anyway! =)