Organizing my Expected Chaos

GFrom what I have heard from many moms, being orderly and tidy are the most they struggle with. So when I became one, I have already expected it. Little did I know that it would be really difficult to keep up with everything I need to accomplish inside the house.

The Christmas season was no exception. On Christmas day itself, I struggled with preparing our little Raphael before going to mass. Since he already started crawling around and is now attempting to walk, it has become a chore to change his clothes and diapers. Not to mention that we were expecting snow to come that day. To make matters worse, the house was a mess since we just opened our gifts that morning plus the fact that I needed to cook breakfast. All in all, it was overwhelming and at the same time frustrating.

I needed to think of ways on how to resolve my problem. Here are the things I've thought of.

The Best of Both Worlds

Ever heard of the idiomatic expression "Do not put all your eggs in one basket"?  It simply means not to focus all your resources on one hope, possibility or avenue of success.  I have thought of this concept after having an educated heated conversation with one of my friends with regards to our plans for our son in the future.  The argument was about whether it's better to send our child to the Philippines if we would not be able to send him to a good college in America. 

Merry Christmas or Happy Holidays

Growing up from a country which is known for having the longest and most celebrated Christmas in the world, it is just but natural for me to be joyous when the season is here. This is my favorite time of the year. For three years now, I've been celebrating my Christmas in the United States and struggling whether I should use Merry Christmas or Happy Holidays.

Bilingual Child

Before we even had Raphael, Ryan and I had a conversation that we would raise him as bilingual. Not just because we are both Filipinos but because we know that it is going to benefit him in the long run.

Based from the different studies I've read, teaching a child a second language is quite easy. Children as young as my son do not get confused by both languages contrary to popular belief. Their brains are able to compartmentalize and know the difference between the languages.

Music and Baby

Music is a moral law.
It gives soul to the universe,
wings to the mind,
flight to the imagination,
a charm to sadness,
gaiety and life to everything.
It is the essence of order and
leads to all that is good and just and beautiful. PLATO

The first toy I got for my baby is the Munchkin Mozart Magic Cube. It has six sides on it. Five sides have musical instruments in it and one side is the orchestra option. I first saw this toy during my nanny days and I used to put it on the baby's feet so he would kick on it and make music. I did the same to my baby as early as one month old so he could be acquainted with the sound of classical music even if he couldn't move yet.

My Mommy Essentials

We are a very outgoing family. We attend many social gatherings and that means we need to pack all the time. As a new mom, I had several trial and errors in packing my little one's overflowing stuff. At last, I have come up with the solution which worked well for me. (See Below)

Daddy fun time with the little one

Growing up with my father who is a mariner, I never really got to spend most of my childhood years with him. There were times that I and my siblings were not able to spend many special occasions with him. Although that was the case, we never really felt his absence. We never felt unloved. We have completely understood the situation through the guidance of our mother. So whenever Daddy was around, it was always a fun time.

A Fulltime Life Commitment

One day, I updated my Facebook status to " I miss working and living a career-oriented life but everytime I see Raphael, I thank the Lord that I am able to spend quality time and see him grow everyday. " When I said that I missed working, I really meant it but then I realized that I have something that a lot of people are wishing for. TIME.

We are Parents!

It's been 6 mos since we gave birth to our son Raphael and since then; a lot of things has changed. The house that was prepared before he came is now a baby cave. His toys are all over the place. The kitchen is