tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17432383316297452782024-03-19T11:31:45.442+07:00Our Home: Our Learning CenterMrs. Mhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18131306527174985778noreply@blogger.comBlogger29125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1743238331629745278.post-16083278828165397702012-02-19T23:03:00.003+07:002019-09-16T07:38:24.853+07:00Learning Financial Management at Early Age<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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We are reviving our Merit Store, and it's even bigger!</div>
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Our Merit Store had helped me motivate my homeschoolers in completing their daily goals. Their scores increased and they became more conscious in following rules and instructions. </div>
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When we moved houses and then had made adjustments to our homeschool set-up, the merit store was put aside. But now, we have decided to bring it back and use it not only as a motivational tool but also to teach our homeschoolers banking system and principles. It's never too early to teach our young children principles on financial management such as saving more, spending less, and keeping good credit score rating. They'll know better how to use (or not to use) credit cards, and be wise in using cash money when they grow up.<br />
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I blogged about our <a href="http://www.thelearningcenterbkk.com/2009/11/one-effective-way-to-motivate.html"><b>Merit Store</b></a> before but I will be posting more on this once our new Merit Store is open.</div>
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Mrs. Mhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18131306527174985778noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1743238331629745278.post-43634186388874704622012-01-12T22:24:00.001+07:002019-09-16T07:43:17.836+07:00Becoming Critical Thinkers Like Socrates and Plato<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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When I give away the activity sheets to my grade 2 pupils this morning, I was almost tempted to give them the step by step instructions on how to answer their papers. I just didn't want them to fail for not following instructions. But then I thought to myself, they also need to learn to figure things out by themselves. Not everything in life goes with an instruction manual. If I want my student to be successful in life, I should not spoon-fed them with knowledge but train them to become skilled thinkers.<br />
As an educator for more than 20 years now and have taught all ages in all levels including my own children, one of the achievements I really value is seeing my learners become critical thinkers. When I sent my homeschooled son to the university, I was confident that he would excel despite not being familiar with life in a big school. As I expected, he is doing great indeed. </div>
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One of the major discussions we have in my MA in Education classes at present is on how to teach our students to become critical thinkers or skilled thinkers. There go the terms higher-order of thinking and Socratic questioning or the art of asking big questions. They sound like highly technical terms but really, we parents are already applying some them to our children. When we are not ignoring the unending "why-questions" of our toddlers, we are actually encouraging them to use higher-order of thinking. "What is this for?" is a bigger question than "What is this?" When preparing a test for my students and homeschoolers, I usually avoid formulating questions answerable by yes or no or plain true or false. "They have to be moved to a higher-order of thinking." says one of my professors. And alas, it's not a hard task because there are strategies to do that.</div>
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If you are a teacher or a homeschool mom, you don't really need to take MA in Education as I did to learn more about critical thinking strategies. Critical thinking is not a new thing. It's even older than Socrates and Plato. There are excellent online resources available which one I just hopped into and is happily hooked in.</div>
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Mrs. Mhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18131306527174985778noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1743238331629745278.post-9442677238744756542011-12-05T02:19:00.009+07:002019-09-16T07:45:35.354+07:00Thailand's Religious Groups Celebrate The King's 84th Birthday<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #274e13; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: x-large;"><b><i>Today </i></b></span>is the king's birthday! We're going to the King's Park tonight to witness the annual <a href="http://foodandculturemix.blogspot.com/2011/12/fireworks-for-king-of-thailand.html">fireworks display</a>.<br />
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Yesterday, on the eve of his majesty King Bhumibol's 84th birthday, Thai people of different religious background gathered together and offered prayers and wishes for the king and for the country. We took our homeschoolers to witness the celebration. We knew it would be a good cultural and historical experience for them.<br />
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We drove past yellow banners and arrived 2 hours before the program. We're glad we got a good parking spot right across the park.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our homeschoolers, enjoying the space.</td></tr>
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Sanam Luang, where the celebration was held, is an open field and a public square for royal ceremonies and functions.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">While waiting for the program, Zoe entertained herself with her own acrobatics.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Thai monks</td></tr>
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People from all walks of life and religious backgrounds came.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Thai Buddhists offering lotus flowers.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Thai Muslims</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Thai Christians with their banners.</td></tr>
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It was a colorful and peaceful day.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Behind Zoe are Thai Muslims performing one of their daily 5 prayers.</td></tr>
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The program started with the Muslim group.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Muslims in Thailand</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Thai Catholics, Protestants, and Seventh-Day Adventists</td></tr>
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The Christians came in 3 groups but had a unified liturgical ceremony, and then followed by a praise and worship.<br />
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Some raised their voices. Some raised their hands. </div>
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Some danced and raised their flags and banners. Some prayed in silence.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9iBPobuVjkt6zgJ3AeGDK4xU6iH8HY98HmGUHNQ8Z7tWVMzrEbi3HGKHapU7gQAGXAXhjFlzFaF459nWR_XO5S0wE2dfql_Gf0qJ1jueoPkUFuuODGziaGgweqdITaiZEgh8KUGX7cOPH/s1600/SAM_5073.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9iBPobuVjkt6zgJ3AeGDK4xU6iH8HY98HmGUHNQ8Z7tWVMzrEbi3HGKHapU7gQAGXAXhjFlzFaF459nWR_XO5S0wE2dfql_Gf0qJ1jueoPkUFuuODGziaGgweqdITaiZEgh8KUGX7cOPH/s400/SAM_5073.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Zoe, sleeping soundly amid loud singing.</td></tr>
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It's been a long day for some, too.</div>
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Today, Thailand is united in prayer for the king. Regardless of religious background, Thai people, including expats like us, were singing the same song, <i>"Prajao owai pon Prathet Thai."</i> (God bless Thailand.)</div>
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Mrs. Mhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18131306527174985778noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1743238331629745278.post-931575885448833742011-11-26T13:56:00.008+07:002019-09-16T07:52:38.483+07:00How Our Community Was Spared From Flood<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #274e13; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: x-large;"><b><i>N</i></b></span>o doubt, you've heard about the great flood that troubled my host country, Thailand, these past few months. It already claimed many lives and properties. And for us here in Bangkok, it is not over yet. Many areas are still under water. We are just thankful that our community was spared. </div>
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Here are some photos to show how our community cope with the danger of flooding:</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZGPijjF12H97irnl6iekujDMdiu5ps7T4O5yQ4hnK5HjVFAib0fNmsmcrrgpy-zMknLiu4U1q6yrH-H9kvGMO4Tm6HRMme-fTlBHtYPLc6Tyo1eFJtupyMn5w25lneAOWPoGRYy5VHJSn/s1600/SAM_4437.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZGPijjF12H97irnl6iekujDMdiu5ps7T4O5yQ4hnK5HjVFAib0fNmsmcrrgpy-zMknLiu4U1q6yrH-H9kvGMO4Tm6HRMme-fTlBHtYPLc6Tyo1eFJtupyMn5w25lneAOWPoGRYy5VHJSn/s400/SAM_4437.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Let me out of here! I want to play outside!"</td></tr>
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Houses are barricaded with all kinds of construction materials. Some made temporary prevention but most residents have constructed fixed barriers.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJsvkdTlV-ncjB7FiaYnpwfIIFgdODhIslkhnHb5M-23BIQxfFpXOtGE3yaxTu1gtv4galWVVz48N3zBPuzTBaLvk7S3OFhyphenhyphenUmWOlkUdsbDg92kCMaCLtfNxm3Pqs9IRFs7rRpaDL1n7cY/s1600/SAM_4564.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJsvkdTlV-ncjB7FiaYnpwfIIFgdODhIslkhnHb5M-23BIQxfFpXOtGE3yaxTu1gtv4galWVVz48N3zBPuzTBaLvk7S3OFhyphenhyphenUmWOlkUdsbDg92kCMaCLtfNxm3Pqs9IRFs7rRpaDL1n7cY/s400/SAM_4564.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Never mind the grammar. We all understood what our Thai neighbors<br />
were trying to tell us..</td></tr>
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I've never seen our neighborhood as united as we were during the flooding days. We all contributed to buy pumps and men and women helped guard the pump and kept the floodwater low.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieGIzsLC81IfnItcRDvRdFx08DDnxqIarolE74kSWeqWnDvrLkfn0izD4WgQTzuT-KcGJ7bS4YTg_WbLGjzQk2DJcbsvJgzmYUxJl7cJhyV3rnxyoP0KBhcEKbe_J-3aq8hpbrthost8V0/s1600/SAM_4561.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieGIzsLC81IfnItcRDvRdFx08DDnxqIarolE74kSWeqWnDvrLkfn0izD4WgQTzuT-KcGJ7bS4YTg_WbLGjzQk2DJcbsvJgzmYUxJl7cJhyV3rnxyoP0KBhcEKbe_J-3aq8hpbrthost8V0/s400/SAM_4561.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Entrance to our village.</td></tr>
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I can't tell how much we spent to prepare of the flood but it's worth it. We were safe and it gave us peace of mind and good sleeps.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJ2ldM1uYKV3L2gt2_WwAAgsiPBOQeKNoQLsnYhtUqzMP6hMfZrTFCIayoRccfJaTnLP8FeycqWgP9a2JJ-kE5UbdhGsTJeOR0Gv8pSEHhMjfqxxN2EK-cdDEUEr0EN3sDLke7lyEpOly2/s1600/SAM_4557.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJ2ldM1uYKV3L2gt2_WwAAgsiPBOQeKNoQLsnYhtUqzMP6hMfZrTFCIayoRccfJaTnLP8FeycqWgP9a2JJ-kE5UbdhGsTJeOR0Gv8pSEHhMjfqxxN2EK-cdDEUEr0EN3sDLke7lyEpOly2/s400/SAM_4557.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A boy sleeping while "watching" over his sandbags for sale <br />
at the corner of our street. <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> </span></td></tr>
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For sure, Bangkok will never be the same again after this great flood. I've heard that there's now a talk on moving the capital city to a higher ground because Bangkok is sinking every year. Whether true or not, Bangkok needs to reevaluate its infrastructure and sewage system. Definitely there will be more <a href="http://careers.gm.com/usa/gm.jsp?p=manu_eng">electronic engineering jobs</a> available for those who lost their jobs during the flood as as many businesses and industrial sites were inundated and were permanently closed.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgE328dv5BXJFfQApvZlmUnsEncGfgzP3IV5kchyphenhyphenOCGGXod7ZYYf7ciLAWULEFBXvN6RYUKX9f8sgxzqp-ePMLqdnaMoFcZKLYcJmsv49A-Y7YTdRL-nWyK_QOQ_XgZrATnMunR-mzT2lLq/s1600/SAM_4562.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgE328dv5BXJFfQApvZlmUnsEncGfgzP3IV5kchyphenhyphenOCGGXod7ZYYf7ciLAWULEFBXvN6RYUKX9f8sgxzqp-ePMLqdnaMoFcZKLYcJmsv49A-Y7YTdRL-nWyK_QOQ_XgZrATnMunR-mzT2lLq/s400/SAM_4562.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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As for our village, though they helped, we cannot rely on these portable pumps the next time it floods again. A permanent and reliable solution must be done.<br />
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Mrs. Mhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18131306527174985778noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1743238331629745278.post-49308949294760940012011-11-22T22:59:00.002+07:002019-09-16T08:03:23.937+07:00Favorite Photos At the Park<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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I've taken tons of photos when we took our homeschoolers to a park for our sports day. I would like to pick few favorites to share here. I have to say that my camera isn't working well these days. I still have to find why. Anyways, the following photos are chosen not for their photographic quality but for the captured moments that I was happy to keep.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjosXyQjpRkkWSuqKwBCIZzkr4m4bMR5KC_O1Ppg-B7r81s7kXk7nu5X9Nwa7qsfqvQC2WQU2zHpeRdV0TGjamKDXnGcfuvYc7vjXqf_lB_DIIkKxt6hMYCZ482WmOmoCswozdAr7VmJD6J/s1600/SAM_4603.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjosXyQjpRkkWSuqKwBCIZzkr4m4bMR5KC_O1Ppg-B7r81s7kXk7nu5X9Nwa7qsfqvQC2WQU2zHpeRdV0TGjamKDXnGcfuvYc7vjXqf_lB_DIIkKxt6hMYCZ482WmOmoCswozdAr7VmJD6J/s640/SAM_4603.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My daughters, Naomi and Zoe, enjoying company of their friend, Ria, at the park.</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLoU6S82J9cWvPkUAAvO2sMneM9JszE5Gic9YqbU1opK9C4v6MJB62__jFene6bZ77Yxbi0A_hvp-k_780aqD3BLAah2lu744ku3kqPu8r_R-cSicDqpt4Uhmdkmsz9JX10_lEKFlRty0t/s1600/SAM_4598.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLoU6S82J9cWvPkUAAvO2sMneM9JszE5Gic9YqbU1opK9C4v6MJB62__jFene6bZ77Yxbi0A_hvp-k_780aqD3BLAah2lu744ku3kqPu8r_R-cSicDqpt4Uhmdkmsz9JX10_lEKFlRty0t/s640/SAM_4598.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My 1-year old nephew, Jacob, walking tall, with an Oreo in his hand.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6_zemLv1ZlCGFw9LdWo_X_co0529UgKKT7y9RPCzUt2PNd0NUgbK6Ga81UDJfIA5675DEdx_I2t-vmQdJRiSsCnoc9s6MSTr_ZCEyBlG_1YKYqrkDdxj5g7gkjgUZoMOW3dd6ZGQPz6cB/s1600/SAM_4614.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6_zemLv1ZlCGFw9LdWo_X_co0529UgKKT7y9RPCzUt2PNd0NUgbK6Ga81UDJfIA5675DEdx_I2t-vmQdJRiSsCnoc9s6MSTr_ZCEyBlG_1YKYqrkDdxj5g7gkjgUZoMOW3dd6ZGQPz6cB/s640/SAM_4614.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our homeschoolers enjoying the cool breeze by the lake after a long free play in the playground.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPEE82t_m4K21a9mkdVN7rYezUfrS15H3RI92N1nKHNPJZxLjfI5iLAMZPQ1D8NNADJLL5lyPkroCvErXmCU68v0flvA1oSRAJZ5fuO93hhhQYYPfkB2keJ6qL4S6eZOITjLrqrCdRLvk4/s1600/SAM_4622.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPEE82t_m4K21a9mkdVN7rYezUfrS15H3RI92N1nKHNPJZxLjfI5iLAMZPQ1D8NNADJLL5lyPkroCvErXmCU68v0flvA1oSRAJZ5fuO93hhhQYYPfkB2keJ6qL4S6eZOITjLrqrCdRLvk4/s640/SAM_4622.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The hotel by the park we went to for our sports day last Friday. Postcard perfect!</td></tr>
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Mrs. Mhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18131306527174985778noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1743238331629745278.post-80581091422417247092011-11-22T00:46:00.001+07:002019-09-16T08:04:32.002+07:00Loving Green<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnuD7Fw8XzD43_xy2BfYT294IKiGcdH6G0IG4ae79JPNF5MMhWDdKBRY9mHn7XNc1CwsE51BYyApLe2XLUPnrk9H1aJzP1IMh6sSLcY-t82lBkWzKXWaF2x__D_2tl2A3PhbpVGPRbQAj5/s1600/SAM_4451.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnuD7Fw8XzD43_xy2BfYT294IKiGcdH6G0IG4ae79JPNF5MMhWDdKBRY9mHn7XNc1CwsE51BYyApLe2XLUPnrk9H1aJzP1IMh6sSLcY-t82lBkWzKXWaF2x__D_2tl2A3PhbpVGPRbQAj5/s400/SAM_4451.JPG" width="300" /></a></div>
My Naomi, who just turned 12 on Nov. 10th, is loving her green shirt. It's a gift from a dear friend whom Naomi calls "Auntie Theresa".<br />
There is a story behind this shirt.<br />
When Auntie Theresa was shopping for "<i>pasalubong</i>" (a Filipino term for a homecoming gift), she saw this shirt and she loved the design. Actually, the original message is about loving the planet earth or something about the taking care of our environment. But Auntie Theresa had another message in mind. She thought of the Bible verse which talks about God's love for the the world. <br />
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<i>"For God so loved the world that He gave His only Son that whosoever believes in Him shall not perish but have everlasting life." -John 3:16</i><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbfqGzGeKxapR8PttTViW56QnPOPQQTUs_uydVYfe6JxRm6LBUCLAik4n5D-BjqLPxLBmXbBqLyNOqZuE2i2XZJKbJHCl0susdIaqCj-5rrTjG0uGbR5p9n_hO6Yqav6dbIXzlhOC1gtMN/s1600/SAM_4454.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbfqGzGeKxapR8PttTViW56QnPOPQQTUs_uydVYfe6JxRm6LBUCLAik4n5D-BjqLPxLBmXbBqLyNOqZuE2i2XZJKbJHCl0susdIaqCj-5rrTjG0uGbR5p9n_hO6Yqav6dbIXzlhOC1gtMN/s400/SAM_4454.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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Another reason why this shirt is special to the the birthday girl is that at the back it has her name on it. I love the white print over green but I love the name more!<br />
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Mrs. Mhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18131306527174985778noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1743238331629745278.post-71891447629883545382011-11-11T12:01:00.002+07:002019-09-16T08:06:12.784+07:00Those Beautiful Sky Lanterns In the Movie,"Tangled"<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Remember the movie "<i>Tangled</i>"?<br />
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Last night, as we celebrated <a href="http://dailydivine247.blogspot.com/2011/11/happy-birthday-dear-naomi.html">Naomi's birthday</a> at a friends' house, we heard fireworks from outside so we went out to watch the fireworks and also beautiful lanterns floating up in the sky.<br />
It was <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Loi_Krathong">Loi Krathung and Yi-Ping festival</a>. We almost forgot this 2nd most important festival in in our host country. The flood disaster in the capital city have taken much of people's concern and energy. The government warned the people the danger of floating flowers and candles on the floodwater (which covers a big area of the city) so we saw more lantern up in the sky. It was beautiful! I didn't have a good camera to capture the moment but I saw a photo from my niece's Facebook which I thought would be cool to share it here.<br />
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This morning my Zoe found one lantern in our yard!!! She was so excited to have a closer look of it!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWwTRq43Y-w8Prmpd8Ay55pssAohXRMLizo-IIcMALfLizwKGQS5tEVS6_-Zld_mrqQYSQ9S73tNzYLeE6rkRfhWwkm801gp_r-tdz6N24pVadI2f_hE5ZqRWRbsK4mffKDtjpAkTygUd2/s1600/SAM_4512.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWwTRq43Y-w8Prmpd8Ay55pssAohXRMLizo-IIcMALfLizwKGQS5tEVS6_-Zld_mrqQYSQ9S73tNzYLeE6rkRfhWwkm801gp_r-tdz6N24pVadI2f_hE5ZqRWRbsK4mffKDtjpAkTygUd2/s400/SAM_4512.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The lantern that Zoe found. It was huge!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYBpwnLvb0x9dcxwSj-yXQvdW8delCl2SKONTWarAsSyt02kMH9tCtvk4caLAZPNAKwbj3psxjOBHb2zB76WHWvLf_mII318hyphenhyphenXDSEpWZZW4tZE9OvcN7qvxpSbt8nOwfX2YQiNymbmIe9/s1600/SAM_4513.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYBpwnLvb0x9dcxwSj-yXQvdW8delCl2SKONTWarAsSyt02kMH9tCtvk4caLAZPNAKwbj3psxjOBHb2zB76WHWvLf_mII318hyphenhyphenXDSEpWZZW4tZE9OvcN7qvxpSbt8nOwfX2YQiNymbmIe9/s400/SAM_4513.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">It's made of very thin but durable paper that isn't torn easily.<br />
It is held together by a round bamboo stick.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxwfR8XLdiPNhEy2nFETt5y2D7UNxsfrtgeMVNvok9c_Fy6d7y7DLhTkX1_wMEIKiEJa44mmZoFJCt2B7Yyy9P6P-sek4Mju2lcmEVbha0gSKG_m6naPnb99EQBVz0PYBtvPcMll6oKOKI/s1600/SAM_4515.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxwfR8XLdiPNhEy2nFETt5y2D7UNxsfrtgeMVNvok9c_Fy6d7y7DLhTkX1_wMEIKiEJa44mmZoFJCt2B7Yyy9P6P-sek4Mju2lcmEVbha0gSKG_m6naPnb99EQBVz0PYBtvPcMll6oKOKI/s400/SAM_4515.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is the wire that holds the candle or fire cell.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Wow! That was an exciting discovery, wasn't it?<br />
By the way, did you notice the calendar today? It's 11-11-11. I know it's just a date but I thought it's just fun to take note of little details like this :-)<br />
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Mrs. Mhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18131306527174985778noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1743238331629745278.post-89161202594221327192011-10-29T23:37:00.002+07:002019-09-16T08:09:50.759+07:00Easy-To-Make Masks<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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The girls were a bit bored not having their lessons for many days. The flooding situation in our city has put our normal routine on hold and the girls just wanted to do some fun craft. So Zoe asked her dad if he could help her make a mask. They searched a tutorial online, went out to buy the materials needed, and were happy with the finished projects.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvSkUBRSqLKxhyphenhypheniwkOmNc-C2Ptu5egV-iAkkccm1RjjPFxJkGdU0aTOPEpV9vfziYoONrsx-aIj4D0VCE04g7jf_aga-GbxpSnPLcWUi0nG_kkeoMLtM9E_7k5TPMumFfmAVJeLY6ywxWX/s1600/SAM_4447.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvSkUBRSqLKxhyphenhypheniwkOmNc-C2Ptu5egV-iAkkccm1RjjPFxJkGdU0aTOPEpV9vfziYoONrsx-aIj4D0VCE04g7jf_aga-GbxpSnPLcWUi0nG_kkeoMLtM9E_7k5TPMumFfmAVJeLY6ywxWX/s640/SAM_4447.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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Zoe made the blue mask with whiskers which shows her fondness to her favorite pet. Naomi made use of her old wand by cutting the star and used it as an accent to her pink mask.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiX-J6l8FAtPZ9DHHNz_KDvxcnLUS_dpl9UnYW-QIUZwQlATPhC9zLiYzrtmT44rjRACcRVWhs3OcE4aDFHM5d_HrgSRDgzEhgmL3UTRAwewKIO5XPqj3cwQZgZo4tmlCyo0M449_xQSIKP/s1600/SAM_4448.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiX-J6l8FAtPZ9DHHNz_KDvxcnLUS_dpl9UnYW-QIUZwQlATPhC9zLiYzrtmT44rjRACcRVWhs3OcE4aDFHM5d_HrgSRDgzEhgmL3UTRAwewKIO5XPqj3cwQZgZo4tmlCyo0M449_xQSIKP/s640/SAM_4448.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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Our family don't celebrate the Halloween but that doesn't mean the girls can't have a little masquerade this end of October.<br />
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Check out the mask tutorial <a href="http://youtu.be/TdKlqp-aiSM"><b>here</b></a>.<br />
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Mrs. Mhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18131306527174985778noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1743238331629745278.post-66619779454940132972011-10-20T23:36:00.001+07:002019-09-16T18:15:19.795+07:00The Girls' Room<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Naomi and Zoe have been asking us to redecorate their room. But since it's a rented house, we need to be creative in whatever changes we want to do with the house.<br />
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I visited a hobby fair sometime ago and found some ideas that inspired me to apply for the girls' room. I'm sure this project needs minimal cost so the more I'm excited. I have fabrics I need, and with my sewing machine, I can do magic!<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJjD9B-Ztb4_l7VraPmA2UP2cbrtP9udiGkxMBqQlA9oDBCOD7Zd_GHZfQkg6QUtk-NprPwc19RubA6VdEJM6wNvr_G3TBk_trK2q7m-rRGU2D2a2irxh1Ahe4t4RzwISmVSBFi9IdoFbu/s1600/SAM_2986-1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJjD9B-Ztb4_l7VraPmA2UP2cbrtP9udiGkxMBqQlA9oDBCOD7Zd_GHZfQkg6QUtk-NprPwc19RubA6VdEJM6wNvr_G3TBk_trK2q7m-rRGU2D2a2irxh1Ahe4t4RzwISmVSBFi9IdoFbu/s400/SAM_2986-1.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br />
Naomi likes blue and Zoe likes pink so a blue and pink combination would make both of them happy. Most of their things are already in this color combination so coordinating colors will not be a problem.</span></td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjB7PkO-753ih78DuD0jWIoXurA5s8sjFXysu9FcFTpQmilFVE0HIUAW-67TJJPgeTCuQCLLoSSOzNtvnfMJcCleaugyKIC0to7ONwBIcmLdakwb98N_dWz2Mk3WJsVNXs5AfukKASMUQiD/s1600/SAM_2995-1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjB7PkO-753ih78DuD0jWIoXurA5s8sjFXysu9FcFTpQmilFVE0HIUAW-67TJJPgeTCuQCLLoSSOzNtvnfMJcCleaugyKIC0to7ONwBIcmLdakwb98N_dWz2Mk3WJsVNXs5AfukKASMUQiD/s400/SAM_2995-1.JPG" width="300" /></a></div>
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I love the idea of having a floral lamp in one corner. I have a little lamp in my bedroom which I can give to them. I just need to replace it with new matching fabric.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi20jZxl1HJMxZtmPvlAoThZsutcet2dsbE7QqNbVZlIv-20-a4k9myjJo6eAoUlgcCPOejG8cNjIlWmI2JTp04bIHtnlIJUfUl6VjMNMR9c2_57lXwKSXP6zbdjUGgSV_NKBbjCcXVvqEC/s1600/SAM_2988-1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="257" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi20jZxl1HJMxZtmPvlAoThZsutcet2dsbE7QqNbVZlIv-20-a4k9myjJo6eAoUlgcCPOejG8cNjIlWmI2JTp04bIHtnlIJUfUl6VjMNMR9c2_57lXwKSXP6zbdjUGgSV_NKBbjCcXVvqEC/s320/SAM_2988-1.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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A wall shelf for each of them is perfect to maximize the space of their not-so-big room. I also like the idea of the hooks under the shelf. They can hang their little purses to as decors.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgj-Lqn_TM375rvvZi00rK3DaFoRz4Lyq1TBRWqcJP7j5v8Qh02tPIn6_sy3ci0qSd0W6060_wEWjtMvBEvFXfYgdqWpeuBNmra5Z3mDTuvGOnaYQSZTd76wU-XmNqjVFJEwxx5xfC6dmoq/s1600/SAM_2989-1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgj-Lqn_TM375rvvZi00rK3DaFoRz4Lyq1TBRWqcJP7j5v8Qh02tPIn6_sy3ci0qSd0W6060_wEWjtMvBEvFXfYgdqWpeuBNmra5Z3mDTuvGOnaYQSZTd76wU-XmNqjVFJEwxx5xfC6dmoq/s320/SAM_2989-1.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
This is my most favorite idea here. This little heart organizer will keep their pens and diary/journal easy to reach!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMbbo4jYIrLQIM7cpg1bvqrOaDOlY0dUx_c7FhTeKzf5TiYvDHxEXT2EB5IFqiiC8-o2Z7Q7biIV_dTzV4V62HaE_GhMfo5PM0yoFI06uz6ONpdvfvBghyphenhyphenF5UGLkp_VonAfJRJPSRqqyf9/s1600/SAM_3700.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="230" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMbbo4jYIrLQIM7cpg1bvqrOaDOlY0dUx_c7FhTeKzf5TiYvDHxEXT2EB5IFqiiC8-o2Z7Q7biIV_dTzV4V62HaE_GhMfo5PM0yoFI06uz6ONpdvfvBghyphenhyphenF5UGLkp_VonAfJRJPSRqqyf9/s320/SAM_3700.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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I can't wait to begin the project and to behold the delight on my girls' faces. I just hope that the threat of great flooding in our area be over soon so we can put our things back in place and start our new project.<br />
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Mrs. Mhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18131306527174985778noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1743238331629745278.post-7139670457864342692011-10-14T18:31:00.002+07:002019-09-16T18:16:17.036+07:00Bracing for the Coming Flood<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJoFxT382l8zSr3IXpFrPwY-vUOjB0Bf65eNBWoJOQdqrst1FhNo8RThfWLvW_QG3FuKRZAGC-sq_hxQqKpOGtZNYexrkG5FI-ErpYiwwQSigKkxfq5BcwdoOBXJm-zfT_Rv1hC3A1yOk7/s1600/SAM_4183.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJoFxT382l8zSr3IXpFrPwY-vUOjB0Bf65eNBWoJOQdqrst1FhNo8RThfWLvW_QG3FuKRZAGC-sq_hxQqKpOGtZNYexrkG5FI-ErpYiwwQSigKkxfq5BcwdoOBXJm-zfT_Rv1hC3A1yOk7/s400/SAM_4183.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Home-made lamp using used cooking oil, salt,<br />
and cotton buds.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
You may have heard by now that many of Thailand's provinces are now submerged in flood water and major roads are impassable. Our host country is in big trouble and needing your prayers.<br />
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We live in the capital city, Bangkok, and a flash flood is expected to hit our area on Oct.16-18, 28-30. In times like this you can expect people to go panic-buying, preparing for the worst. A sandbag could almost compete with the price of rice!<br />
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Today, we went to buy more groceries and the grocery shelves were dramatically empty! Basic commodities like bottled water, noodles, canned goods and eggs are all sold-out. No more candles for sale so we made our own lamp. It is more likely that we would not have electricity.<br />
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We pray that the flood will not be as bad as in other provinces. Although the government is doing its best to save the capital city but still we were warned to prepare for the worst. So we did!<br />
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We didn't have homeschooling yesterday and today because we wanted to focus on preparing for on coming flood. We made cement barriers on doors, sealed all drains and possible water entry points, and moved things to higher ground.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisrQqpcOmLFJAkOvsQdPqub5xVjmCdzwy-GckRliZ4Mb1RYt_ZVZ4Tesq7BWxO3JmluQWHnn66jMWYxlONbXk9u0VGWyYUc8D_Gc62i_4mPJlgYVrkZtOVTt38ZHQI1jVoEYpU9u4ZIy2W/s1600/SAM_4186.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisrQqpcOmLFJAkOvsQdPqub5xVjmCdzwy-GckRliZ4Mb1RYt_ZVZ4Tesq7BWxO3JmluQWHnn66jMWYxlONbXk9u0VGWyYUc8D_Gc62i_4mPJlgYVrkZtOVTt38ZHQI1jVoEYpU9u4ZIy2W/s320/SAM_4186.JPG" width="320" /></a><br />
Naomi and Zoe were such a big help! They were eager to finish the little construction we did.<br />
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Please pray for us because, as I am writing this post, it is starting to rain again.<br />
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Mrs. Mhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18131306527174985778noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1743238331629745278.post-37031945511596081322011-10-14T18:03:00.000+07:002019-09-16T18:19:38.372+07:00The Bookmarks Mystery<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrfWJLnFVPYu2zT6ngor_seaFAH5P9nStOUrS3RQd0VvrkGjyriPtp6jKEac3gMKFLk24VN4MghpaCdTPKXKCNhAwqSiqgVbGwdjOAEFp8zBdzpECcub_1N1pgN5MJ7LM8ZaxgewJLDwbz/s1600/SAM_3891.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrfWJLnFVPYu2zT6ngor_seaFAH5P9nStOUrS3RQd0VvrkGjyriPtp6jKEac3gMKFLk24VN4MghpaCdTPKXKCNhAwqSiqgVbGwdjOAEFp8zBdzpECcub_1N1pgN5MJ7LM8ZaxgewJLDwbz/s320/SAM_3891.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
When I received the invitation to speak at a Women's Conference in Bangladesh, I, then, thought of something I could bring as a giveaway to all participants. I thought a bookmark would be a great idea because it's useful, handy, and inexpensive. It's good that I have friends who make crafts and other creative items and it would be a blessing for them if I ordered from them.<br />
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I ordered 50 bookmarks and decided not to write anything but symbols that represent the theme and topics of the conference. The participants don't speak English and I don't know their language so symbols would do great.<br />
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I arrived at the conference site with my 50 bookmarks. Then I learned that there would be 75 ladies attending! I, along with my co-speaker, pondered on how we could creatively use the bookmarks without being unfair to others. We talked to our host and he said, "Oh, you of little faith! Why didn't you believe for more than 50 participants? He's a friend and it was said in a friendly way. But he's right. I was almost tempted to pray that only 50 could make it so we have enough bookmarks for everyone! Silly me!<br />
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So it was decided that only those coming from far villages would receive bookmarks and those who live near the host's area would receive their bookmarks later. I was to order some more and mail them to our host.<br />
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Perhaps you are wondering why put such a big deal on those little bookmarks! Most of our participants were coming from very poor villages and a bookmark like this would be a treasure that they could own. So that's a big deal!<br />
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As I distributed the bookmarks, one for each, I was seriously praying in my heart, asking God to bless this little thing and that the symbols would remind them of the important lessons we would be teaching them.<br />
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Surprisingly, everyone received one and I still have more bookmarks left in my hand! I gave them to our host and they were enough for those who have not received yet. I didn't have to order for more! My co-speaker and I were puzzled. "Are you sure you brought only 50?", she asked. I didn't count the bookmarks because I trusted my friends who made them. I was curious if they made more than that I ordered.<br />
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Last night I learned that my friends made only 50 bookmarks.<br />
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Hmmm....</div>
Mrs. Mhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18131306527174985778noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1743238331629745278.post-79794458486404885552011-10-12T22:56:00.000+07:002019-09-16T18:21:30.414+07:00I'm Back From My Trip to Bangladesh<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
I love traveling and I always enjoy the thrill being in a new place and learning new things.<br />
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My recent trip to Bangladesh is, so far, the most enriching experience for me. I visited old friends and met new ones. I also learned few Bangla words and phrases, and gained a bit understanding of the Bengali's rich culture which I will be sharing more in my next posts. But for now, I just would like to say that I'm glad to be back. I'm home and that's the best place for me in this world.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0Lz5s03ZeNav1_VlvzddpsuHgIO-EKn1hQXhHV_cWZWifdr0oLEu61w6s5gpQmIhrJJFeJB9NYbFq5MnSxqpsMl6rqlyaGK65-8rHyOnfIbkLCtNMeHubK19aOXPFjFx2lY96_hLIIbkf/s1600/101PHOTO9.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0Lz5s03ZeNav1_VlvzddpsuHgIO-EKn1hQXhHV_cWZWifdr0oLEu61w6s5gpQmIhrJJFeJB9NYbFq5MnSxqpsMl6rqlyaGK65-8rHyOnfIbkLCtNMeHubK19aOXPFjFx2lY96_hLIIbkf/s400/101PHOTO9.jpg" width="285" /></a>I'm grateful to my dearest husband for letting me go to this trip, and to my daughters who warmly welcomed me with their surprises.<br />
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Zoe made me a beautiful card and inserted cash from her allowance :-)<br />
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Naomi creatively put sticky welcome note on the wooden cat on my table.<br />
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Nothing is as exciting as coming home even when being away for only few days.<br />
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I'm home and I love it!<br />
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Mrs. Mhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18131306527174985778noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1743238331629745278.post-85237060398803134552011-09-25T16:44:00.007+07:002019-09-16T18:26:21.577+07:00When life is hard...there's always a brighter side...<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Now that I have my own college student to send to school, the more I am amazed how my parents were able to send all their seven children to good schools. Ahhhh, no wonder why my mother was so thrifty at that time. She would go to the cheapest grocery shop or to the local wet market to buy the food we needed. Only the basic. No junk food or whatsoever. Then we were taught not to waste water and electricity. She would save the laundry water to clean the bathroom or water the plants. Smart mom, she was and still is! The money she could save from cutting the bills would help pay for our tuition fees. That's how she managed my father's take home pay and that's how we all got our degree.<br />
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Another thing that my mother taught us was to maintain a good credit score. Her very words were "You still sleep well even without money because you know you don't owe anybody." She said that we have to save the opportunity to loan in hard times and only when necessary.<br />
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I'm not sure how much am I like my mom to my children. Maybe I'm not as thrifty as she is. I only have 3 children and she has 7! But I surely like to learn from her example.<br />
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Mrs. Mhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18131306527174985778noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1743238331629745278.post-54612953972505836202011-09-16T15:57:00.005+07:002019-09-16T18:30:07.154+07:00Healthy Way To Get Rid of Aphids From Your Garden<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
I came home with a 5-inch twig from a mulberry tree in hand. That was last year when I visited a friend's farm. I planted that little twig in a pot in my balcony, hoping that it would grow into a bush, bear fruit and draw more birds.<br />
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It grew and bore fruit, but it didn't do well as it should. Aphids feasted on it.<br />
So, came the search for a solution. I came across a gardening site that has homemade recipe for pesticides. I couldn't find that site again so I made a concoction based on memory.<br />
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<u>Ingredients for homemade anti-aphids spray</u></blockquote>
<ul>
<li>10 chilli </li>
<li>10 cloves garlic</li>
<li>1 tsp hand-dishwashing liquid (bio-degradable)</li>
<li>1 tsp cooking oil</li>
<li>1 cup water</li>
</ul>
<ol>
<li>Crush garlic and chili together. Mix it to a cup of water. Let it sit overnight.</li>
<li>Strain the mixture. Add oil and dishwashing liquid.</li>
<li>Put mixture into a hand sprayer and spray liquid to the affected area of your plants. Spray once a week or every after the rain.</li>
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The concoction may hurt young leaves a bit but it certainly wont kill your plant. Keep spraying until there's no more sign of aphids in your plants.<br />
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You can keep the sprayer in the fridge for 4 weeks. Wow, a pesticide that you can keep in your fridge!<br />
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<b>Note:</b> I think you can experiment on your mixture depending on how strong you want your concoction would be. what is important is that you know that you can make your own pesticide that is not hazardous to the environment and is safe to keep.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgC2dNi4en8fZxHM0x-FW3QmZ5i3fM-_dP3N_QDNXqjsYneb1QYj95oM5CbTT3Yp9ORrtPL4pFiJgEzP6gWu4Ayf4-b0HUlkIKMZMTRGsU9KPTzewd-s7_5Gs-giDxvtERT0fn9oSkMxyok/s1600/mulberryaphids.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgC2dNi4en8fZxHM0x-FW3QmZ5i3fM-_dP3N_QDNXqjsYneb1QYj95oM5CbTT3Yp9ORrtPL4pFiJgEzP6gWu4Ayf4-b0HUlkIKMZMTRGsU9KPTzewd-s7_5Gs-giDxvtERT0fn9oSkMxyok/s400/mulberryaphids.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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This really works! I've been wanting to share this formula but was waiting until I proved it myself. My Rose of Sharon that was also infested is now budding for the first time!<br />
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Mrs. Mhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18131306527174985778noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1743238331629745278.post-41552075344210739752011-09-15T15:13:00.001+07:002019-09-16T18:30:47.476+07:00Fun Map of Japan<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjazhPhhc6C5ZS-hH9PeCIUzlhBpNYFqEY-KMf69rYfyQ0A3STIZJZ7M6qk3z7HKJgOhnbL4E7RWXdAyTnesohgCa8471Xc3u5mNPiVRT7i2WB1YHandCUZcgQYQQtUpMpoMQKrcR-vYmjj/s1600/SAM_3584.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjazhPhhc6C5ZS-hH9PeCIUzlhBpNYFqEY-KMf69rYfyQ0A3STIZJZ7M6qk3z7HKJgOhnbL4E7RWXdAyTnesohgCa8471Xc3u5mNPiVRT7i2WB1YHandCUZcgQYQQtUpMpoMQKrcR-vYmjj/s400/SAM_3584.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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Our friend, <a href="http://www.mylifesgallery.com/">Clarissa</a>, in Japan surprised us again with another post card for our Postcard Exchange Project.<br />
She wrote at the back that they had lots of rain the past few weeks, and a typhoon, too. So we send Clarissa and her family our prayers and blessings.<br />
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<a href="http://postcardperfect.net/postcardperfectmeme/"><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v358/fickleminded/PostCards/PP2.png" height="100" width="200" /></a></div>
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Mrs. Mhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18131306527174985778noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1743238331629745278.post-43523959291027372432011-09-13T22:41:00.114+07:002019-09-16T18:32:59.642+07:00Eating Fresh and Going Green<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<b>It's all about stewardship!</b></div>
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Eating fresh and green is one habit that our family keeps. Our children are not picky eaters. They grow up eating vegetables. In fact, my Naomi has composed a song that we teach children in our community project: <i> "Vegetables are good for you! They make you strong and they make you grow. Vegetables are good for you! </i></div>
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Fresh celery stalks, cucumber, bitter gourd and green apple. Fresh and raw straight to the juicer. My Zoe loves it in the morning before eating breakfast.</div>
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<img height="300" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-vR5AozL6J7c/Tm9xitkprII/AAAAAAAACk8/bduiBcxJ8Cg/s400/SAM_3392.JPG" width="400" /></div>
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Aside from keeping ourselves healthy, we all keep our own surrounding clean. We throw our trash the right way and we buy eco-friendly products only. </div>
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<img height="300" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-g5vbdo_Do8s/Tm9zZu51JtI/AAAAAAAAClg/i4_ExFfVYG4/s400/SAM_2939.JPG" width="400" /></div>
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We try to minimize our use of non-biodegradable products. It's not much but the little contribution we do everyday would mean a lot if every family will do the same especially these days when flooding in our city is getting worse.<br />
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In my garden, I no longer use store bought chemicals or pesticides. I just successfully made a concoction using edible products to combat aphids in my plant. I will blog about that soon so stay tuned :-)<br />
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Mrs. Mhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18131306527174985778noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1743238331629745278.post-15094584376168414112011-09-06T20:53:00.001+07:002019-09-16T18:37:43.545+07:00Our Own MVP<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimDMNGYy1_kPZsVLrCoJXiSqT7GrZfJT-MR4A6qADPgpz8LilqEG4IvhDf2c5ovOhoDLnLu-rnP1QTW3xFkgac0dzupVlO_cD34xZxtS-FLrha4bgC8DaahA9UQa7sPV9_x4T8bykxR6A0/s1600/bensports.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimDMNGYy1_kPZsVLrCoJXiSqT7GrZfJT-MR4A6qADPgpz8LilqEG4IvhDf2c5ovOhoDLnLu-rnP1QTW3xFkgac0dzupVlO_cD34xZxtS-FLrha4bgC8DaahA9UQa7sPV9_x4T8bykxR6A0/s320/bensports.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our MVP</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxsTcvDReSKUtDWvJVPGRKWFGZ-_pw0uMldGqrkl1EwiPrF23OIYNNPOkpwAaXHCuy4RvrqfY-bAZ0c8Z0bEe_v3GAxt8ftovkWxU3BoEHlmMZGTF41CMTH0ceOExY1Tcozln4FCEZh1XC/s1600/bensports2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxsTcvDReSKUtDWvJVPGRKWFGZ-_pw0uMldGqrkl1EwiPrF23OIYNNPOkpwAaXHCuy4RvrqfY-bAZ0c8Z0bEe_v3GAxt8ftovkWxU3BoEHlmMZGTF41CMTH0ceOExY1Tcozln4FCEZh1XC/s320/bensports2.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">showing off his red jersey</td></tr>
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One morning Ben sent us a message that their department head invited him to become part of their department basketball team. We're all happy because we value sports as well as academics. We thought it was a good one time chance for him to play for the sportsfest but it turned out that he's officially in, not just for one game. He was so happy to tell us that he's got his own jersey, too!<br />
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So he practiced and played... and won!<br />
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His team won second place in basketball but he also played American football and tug of war. The International Studies department which, as Ben wrote, "the weakest when it comes to athletic games" surprisingly got the golden trophy and they were declared the overall champions. He's got his gold medal, and we all cheer for him and his team!<br />
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Mrs. Mhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18131306527174985778noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1743238331629745278.post-60534681937892334682011-09-05T00:08:00.005+07:002019-09-16T18:39:07.288+07:00I'm a visual learner. How about you?<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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As a teacher, it is important to me that I know the learning style of each of my students. As a homeschooling mom, I know the learning strengths of my children and so are their weaknesses. It makes learning time more productive when you know what your children's learning styles are. </div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; color: black;">I, myself, is a visual learner. I learn best when there is something for me to see. I'm also a bit of a kinesthetic learner but definitely not an auditory learner. My daughter, Zoe, is more of a visual learner. Although she's capable of learning by just listening to my stories, explanations and lectures she understands concepts best when I show her some visual aids.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; color: black;">I have a student in my English class who doodles more on his notebook than copy what's written on the board. I thought at first that he wasn't learning well because I didn't get his attention but it turned out when I did the review of our lesson that he was understanding well and even more more than the others. I understood that then that he's an auditory learner.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; color: black;">If you want to know more about your own learning style, click here for <a href="http://www.howtolearn.com/learning-styles-quiz"><b>free online learning style test</b></a>.</span></div>
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Mrs. Mhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18131306527174985778noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1743238331629745278.post-41515762681892672332011-08-30T23:32:00.005+07:002019-09-16T18:42:56.212+07:00Adjustment From Homeschooling To College Life<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Since my son left for college, my husband and I never fail to visit his FB account everyday (<a href="http://penspaper-ben.blogspot.com/">his blog</a> is no longer updated) to see how he is. We also chat online almost everyday. With all the help of technology, we still miss him <u>very much</u>. I hope he's just a bus ride away but he's not. He's 2 flights away from home.</div>
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Last night I chatted with him and I asked him to send me a summary of his adjustment in college. He's been homeschooled until high school so it would be important for us to see how he is coping with life in a big university.<br />
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Here's an excerpt of his email which he typed while we were chatting. I'm sure homeschooling parents are eager to know as much as we do.</div>
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<i>My adjustment to the new environment here in ______ University has been quite the experience. So far, I’ve adjusted to the transportation, food, and people here. School itself is neither easy nor difficult. It’s manageable enough to get me to be one of the top students in my two different classes.</i></blockquote>
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<i> My only problem right now is the time pressure and assignments, homeworks, etc. . I’m afraid I haven’t fully adjusted to that yet. I’ve been getting less sleep and rest, even on the weekends. It’s hard work but otherwise I kind of like it, makes me alert and awake. I go home as early as I can so I can prepare for next day’s classes. Other than classes itself, I try to participate more in my class’ bigger projects like plays, portfolios, etc. . By participating more, my sleeping hours have been much more shortened, but this way, I can get the extra points to stay in the top 5 of my 2 classes. </i></blockquote>
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<i> The class itself is great. I already made friends with all of my classmates and I am glad that all of us share the same flame to do well in school. All of us are very competitive when it comes to grades except for a few others whom I am sorry to hear have just dropped out from the university. Honestly, at first I had no idea what International Studies had in store for me, but after getting introduced to the course by some of our teachers, I realized that I like it. It is a course that somewhat makes me feel comfortable as I can relate to the subjects that it offers. I’m sticking to this course until I graduate. </i></blockquote>
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<i> My </i>ex<i>penses monthly is approximately ______. That includes my food, transportation, lodging, and the rest is for school supplies. _______</i></blockquote>
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<i> So far, my transition here is challenging but manageable. I am doing better in my class, am adjusted to the new type of transportation, pretty much everything that I need to adjust to, except for time management, that is still a work in progress, but otherwise, I am doing alright. </i></blockquote>
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<i> I really am entirely grateful to God and you guys for all the support you have given me for this new phase in my life. Thanks!</i></blockquote>
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I was the proudest mom after reading this. It's just a joy to see how my little boy have grown up to be a fine young man!<br />
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Mrs. Mhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18131306527174985778noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1743238331629745278.post-85897546475924097802011-08-21T21:54:00.005+07:002019-09-16T18:45:00.978+07:00Like Mother Like Daughter<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Photography is one of my favorite hobbies, and now it's my girl's thing!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLz5XE4I8j62yG1R-zke7eqHaKqIWz5usysv36TY85d8B19ckLta-0aYasQq-dd38AluWPiVwIkn4EtOTuv5_Ux9OMQVN4YMJIbwd2Wrn_16SJx6JgUQYaWexB8VXXODES5vI2Zdorb38-/s1600/zoephoto.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLz5XE4I8j62yG1R-zke7eqHaKqIWz5usysv36TY85d8B19ckLta-0aYasQq-dd38AluWPiVwIkn4EtOTuv5_Ux9OMQVN4YMJIbwd2Wrn_16SJx6JgUQYaWexB8VXXODES5vI2Zdorb38-/s640/zoephoto.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Zoe didn't know that while she enjoyed taking photos, I was enjoying myself taking photos of her taking photos! <a href="http://zoe-myworld.blogspot.com/2011/08/my-new-hobby-is-photography.html"><b>See more of Zoe's photos here.</b></a></blockquote>
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Mrs. Mhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18131306527174985778noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1743238331629745278.post-86885167071345360272011-08-12T23:17:00.003+07:002019-09-16T18:47:33.402+07:00Kids' Sports Program<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
In our homeschool program, we are required to have at least 4-hour Physical Education every week. My husband and I have to plan out how we comply with that requirement. So far, this is what we have done in our PE program. May you find some ideas or inspiration for your own homeschool program.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxqH3gnvFOg1QEm3UvbkIPKtnsbTI11Fcv7lcPTb8_dtVXwn1A16yccHHlLMiBwH8itEkH8UT5B3Wxih4ovliwTLCuDgjtf3BIz3yy5CYGZGVwhM5hQ5eUMzmSOW7gjNpQxfSBtuooy6sM/s1600/Badminton.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxqH3gnvFOg1QEm3UvbkIPKtnsbTI11Fcv7lcPTb8_dtVXwn1A16yccHHlLMiBwH8itEkH8UT5B3Wxih4ovliwTLCuDgjtf3BIz3yy5CYGZGVwhM5hQ5eUMzmSOW7gjNpQxfSBtuooy6sM/s400/Badminton.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Badminton</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
We're blessed to live near a sports center and also we have a friend who is a professional badminton coach so our homeschoolers had badminton training for 3 months.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinhSuFZrFHhSN7hKT52PhilhlXhJrjL4ZO4tkTTQWSE6C1CCbBaBZ5vhLdYMD_lJ7pKCGwxx7BXkCRppCyg_lhroib4-CFDyzadvQf-84oGhfH-UKbcBdkn4dwVyIIS5sCUThddzm-rgHE/s1600/skating.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinhSuFZrFHhSN7hKT52PhilhlXhJrjL4ZO4tkTTQWSE6C1CCbBaBZ5vhLdYMD_lJ7pKCGwxx7BXkCRppCyg_lhroib4-CFDyzadvQf-84oGhfH-UKbcBdkn4dwVyIIS5sCUThddzm-rgHE/s400/skating.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ice Skating</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
There are times when we take the kids out for ice skating but because it's quite expensive to keep it a regular activity, we just go there on special occasions.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhH_EivWYHdcBfEg7kwvyu_V5bwwEBDzlBZa0lBPeallWz2oXXCI8a_sMi4SOJBLe2WEZngznGiQy2QmpIWPCPGrI94EDJZT21jOdw92qHMl-k5REznEU_7HHakbe0kiuADcJcdSNWNnGOx/s1600/chess.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhH_EivWYHdcBfEg7kwvyu_V5bwwEBDzlBZa0lBPeallWz2oXXCI8a_sMi4SOJBLe2WEZngznGiQy2QmpIWPCPGrI94EDJZT21jOdw92qHMl-k5REznEU_7HHakbe0kiuADcJcdSNWNnGOx/s400/chess.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Chess Tournament</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
When it's too hot to go outside, or when we feel like we have enough of outdoor activities already, we just do some indoor sports like dart or chess.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIHCpJiwOdCrRLxXsf40MCru7cRl9FHLV0BePt3UxFQi0NRa-8kc8EMolfbHiVFUNb7B7qRjXqu0sbieX_H8Fz7I0DMXfYshEvQAq_zbqN9WY-4TraEAZqqKUdMKbQ04CVR748fzFmEmt9/s1600/filipinogames.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIHCpJiwOdCrRLxXsf40MCru7cRl9FHLV0BePt3UxFQi0NRa-8kc8EMolfbHiVFUNb7B7qRjXqu0sbieX_H8Fz7I0DMXfYshEvQAq_zbqN9WY-4TraEAZqqKUdMKbQ04CVR748fzFmEmt9/s400/filipinogames.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Traditional Games</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Our homeschoolers had a blast when we introduced Filipino traditional games to them. That's when they learned how to use marbles and rubberbands in games. They also enjoyed <i>takyan, tumba lata</i>, <i>syatung</i> and many others.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTrthDNHa7-7lVUyUK4UWlPT35dywZpFGhzjLrmcqihpOfwe_myoTm9nLomsQlKPrJoqJYrzfxp3vPJ6LQh8yFyYXe-lU7jSN-CKm-oJLB14HA5apin8y2uN0W8iLNc25ogOhM31kvvEoO/s1600/swim.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTrthDNHa7-7lVUyUK4UWlPT35dywZpFGhzjLrmcqihpOfwe_myoTm9nLomsQlKPrJoqJYrzfxp3vPJ6LQh8yFyYXe-lU7jSN-CKm-oJLB14HA5apin8y2uN0W8iLNc25ogOhM31kvvEoO/s400/swim.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Swimming</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Swimming is always the easiest kind of sports we can do because we live near a public pool. Kids never get enough of it! Soon, we will be enrolling them to a proper swimming course.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5969p-cSCX63qggv08H29ZvI-4EOHqjEhGfLr40xaXS49DHyMMJg9dEAuKgBEM1mxg9QA6bUT7Y7MjQMmnq8c9OtJj9Bpi-RnGepuusiwuwnGfPWDnK0jEnKpGq8vFMlHAbF8ec839WTQ/s1600/archery.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5969p-cSCX63qggv08H29ZvI-4EOHqjEhGfLr40xaXS49DHyMMJg9dEAuKgBEM1mxg9QA6bUT7Y7MjQMmnq8c9OtJj9Bpi-RnGepuusiwuwnGfPWDnK0jEnKpGq8vFMlHAbF8ec839WTQ/s400/archery.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Archery</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Our homeschoolers had the chance to learn a bit of archery last month. We're not sure if we'll have another round of that but, for sure, it was one of the most memorable sports they had.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZY24ciNbfFWSqJnQ8mB1tY0hv9p9CzkuQoXzhVqNWKPdEdn42r9jAKvRqhi5jdSY_odh_OjulnhwQzcgq6rsq8PLdPoOdUqCsIxfLMjl21mY1bEovJm-av0Bt-4-LU9879fv5KvmQnO_X/s1600/sports.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZY24ciNbfFWSqJnQ8mB1tY0hv9p9CzkuQoXzhVqNWKPdEdn42r9jAKvRqhi5jdSY_odh_OjulnhwQzcgq6rsq8PLdPoOdUqCsIxfLMjl21mY1bEovJm-av0Bt-4-LU9879fv5KvmQnO_X/s400/sports.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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We also table tennis, kick ball, and many other games and sports. I still have to dig my picture files to share them here. But when we run out of ideas, we just take the children out for free play or biking in the park.<br />
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Mrs. Mhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18131306527174985778noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1743238331629745278.post-44387623874899396672011-08-11T22:44:00.003+07:002019-09-16T18:53:26.814+07:00Kids Using Facebook Do Worse in School<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEij7oapzOHBhp2fXwbiYkcUTKxG-SxXpbyE32G8hHfBaj1lBusajD9Pmqr2-gQL-no8IINiw_fJiUvoWlDd_mombE6sY3uojT2VIbxkNVye0Ab2VwdAtZCgmV2UoNOZjd8X9ASDA1z9anA8/s1600/facebook.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="261" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEij7oapzOHBhp2fXwbiYkcUTKxG-SxXpbyE32G8hHfBaj1lBusajD9Pmqr2-gQL-no8IINiw_fJiUvoWlDd_mombE6sY3uojT2VIbxkNVye0Ab2VwdAtZCgmV2UoNOZjd8X9ASDA1z9anA8/s400/facebook.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Image modified from Google image sharing.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Two years ago, my husband and I decided to protect our children from using Facebook. Our 2 main reasons were:<br />
1. They are under-age to qualify to open an account so having one would mean lying about their age.<br />
2. We, parents, cannot have total control on whom they meet online and what images and foul language they would see and read on the screen.<br />
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My girls, 12 and 9, are very sociable and they have friends their age who enjoy being "on line" with other friends. I sometimes feel that I want to give in and let them.... But having read the article how kids who use Facebook do worse in school, I feel justified for being a "kill-joy" mom. Well, my girls never whined about it, though. They are fine and content with their own blogs.<br />
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Here's what the article says:<br />
<blockquote>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: #e9e8e8; font-family: "georgia" , "bitstream charter" , serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;">That Facebook is hugely distracting is hardly stop-the-presses kind of news, but parents might be dismayed to learn that the social-media site can hobble learning and make kids less healthy and more depressed. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: #e9e8e8; font-family: "georgia" , "bitstream charter" , serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;"><a href="http://healthland.time.com/2011/08/08/kids-who-hang-out-on-facebook-do-worse-in-school/#ixzz1UjfHUx7L">Read more here.</a></span></blockquote>
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Mrs. Mhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18131306527174985778noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1743238331629745278.post-39705198817224621412011-05-31T17:55:00.002+07:002019-09-16T08:16:15.201+07:00Entering University Life<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjifJGj-pRyT984bqATvHWgaoeTGo_h706gfc7hMjwltCF9dWK4khQzJSZa9-genO5_-0Ta0d3Ddxljtb5EOQoo83HvalQ39mo5SvkNq84vyp32CS9YNnDN5sePKzMCM7i84yIQDz2UyqYj/s1600/SAM_0945.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjifJGj-pRyT984bqATvHWgaoeTGo_h706gfc7hMjwltCF9dWK4khQzJSZa9-genO5_-0Ta0d3Ddxljtb5EOQoo83HvalQ39mo5SvkNq84vyp32CS9YNnDN5sePKzMCM7i84yIQDz2UyqYj/s400/SAM_0945.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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He's finally there! We've been looking forward to this time after years of homeschooling. Our son finally made it to the university. He said, "The 5-hour entrance exam was surprisingly easy." Hmmm...that's the confidence of a homeschooler when it comes to big exams like that. He was asked to write 2 essays and was commended for that and was encouraged to join the writers club. Homeschool works!<br />
I've just chatted with my son online. School starts next week. We're all excited for him! I'm flying down to our home city to be with him for 3 days to help him set-up his new life there. Today, we worked together on his start-up budget. Aside from finding a room to rent, we need to buy him new shoes, school uniforms and supplies. We have been homeschooling him for many years so we never get to worry about these things before. Now, this is a new challenge for us, aside from the fact that the family will now be in 2 countries. We talked about his personal spending<a href="http://finance.yahoo.com/banking-budgeting/article/108489/4-ways-to-trim-your-spending"> </a>every month, which I believe will not be problem since he is a low-maintenance person who is always content with whatever there is for him. But this may be a big challenge for him because he needs to learn how to take care of himself. now he needs to know how to budget his monthly allowance. He may need help for that but I'm confident that this is the best time for him to learn to be more independent and I believe we've trained him for this day.</div>
Mrs. Mhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18131306527174985778noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1743238331629745278.post-56336486848366804522011-03-10T00:22:00.008+07:002019-09-16T08:11:28.329+07:00The Benefits of Puzzles<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8zBJBZuvb0guF_1koUY9d-HIC65MgXApCG-SVpld2L6FmCBv843fo58EnuAptVpW9SprCzBuzr9e9QQPJDIVNbJNclIfAesgj_NN9csA3ywPXi2tCTEtoP8IijvqgUcW3jQElDZ_zCzjF/s1600/SAM_9681.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8zBJBZuvb0guF_1koUY9d-HIC65MgXApCG-SVpld2L6FmCBv843fo58EnuAptVpW9SprCzBuzr9e9QQPJDIVNbJNclIfAesgj_NN9csA3ywPXi2tCTEtoP8IijvqgUcW3jQElDZ_zCzjF/s200/SAM_9681.JPG" width="200" /></a></div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigg7Lu1jApxoDtkt8AwJtWhi_01VZzBpFB9uvOUOwIMYUKBibXDsKKSD-3eMnIjxa55WzJ11MJHrX0hkUA3xQSXxFtOfu_W7HeBTfNRlbhfcKwtccgEZDODUGMCZLeB3vwFRZ0he0-84JB/s1600/SAM_9679.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigg7Lu1jApxoDtkt8AwJtWhi_01VZzBpFB9uvOUOwIMYUKBibXDsKKSD-3eMnIjxa55WzJ11MJHrX0hkUA3xQSXxFtOfu_W7HeBTfNRlbhfcKwtccgEZDODUGMCZLeB3vwFRZ0he0-84JB/s320/SAM_9679.JPG" width="320" /></a>My husband and I came home from our trip to Hong Kong with this box of Jigsaw Puzzle as a gift from our friend to our homeschoolers. It was a timely gift because we have been looking for a new puzzle to work on as a family. But the kids couldn't wait! They worked on those 500 pieces day and night by themselves.<br />
Big brother wanted them to put the last piece together but the girl sneaked early morning and finished the picture.<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAAhUvmSPi02OBjY_8VeZ0_vrM_BFZB2G3iK7BpgzHuZsFwRk7hTadhWpgyOnXPndbS_16wvkNYaWQBxXkX4MxXYAIsd1UligWUSzaQjdgwV-vsB8HCE_uhiQoQ-ragbmVnBE3YeWl2A0g/s1600/SAM_9682.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAAhUvmSPi02OBjY_8VeZ0_vrM_BFZB2G3iK7BpgzHuZsFwRk7hTadhWpgyOnXPndbS_16wvkNYaWQBxXkX4MxXYAIsd1UligWUSzaQjdgwV-vsB8HCE_uhiQoQ-ragbmVnBE3YeWl2A0g/s320/SAM_9682.JPG" width="240" /></a><br />
Here they are, happy as clams, working on that tiny table which is one of my office desks where I work on my laptop on my bed before and after sleep.<br />
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Our family love working on puzzles. It's not only fun and challenging but it also enhances cognitive, fine-motor, and social skills among children (adult, too). It helps develop hand-eye coordination of young children.<br />
Puzzles also improve child's problem-solving and reasoning skills. A child learns to see the relationships of isolated pieces to the big picture. I, myself, learn to be more patient working with puzzles. One thing I also like to see my children develop is the habit of finishing a task. I see it in action in their determination to see the complete picture. <br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr align="left"><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjevA3qIfW3Ym3Twvl4tHHC_1Rai8fLi8DYSqy0a2yz2TCxQ_t3ZrsywxphI3cGj5Uw_vSCqiW4j9iGImnRVYMW0HAVH84BgogS7fmRmMaxPTrzUAZcljzCgMuhjeGB9IcEjz46gIL0CLyN/s1600/Photo0184.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjevA3qIfW3Ym3Twvl4tHHC_1Rai8fLi8DYSqy0a2yz2TCxQ_t3ZrsywxphI3cGj5Uw_vSCqiW4j9iGImnRVYMW0HAVH84BgogS7fmRmMaxPTrzUAZcljzCgMuhjeGB9IcEjz46gIL0CLyN/s320/Photo0184.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">2 of our youngest students</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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We know that not all children have worked on puzzles we share ours to our students in our community learning center. <i>"I can't imagine these poor children not given the opportunity of working on puzzles."</i> A good friend once told me. <i>"They grow missing the prospect of learning how to solve life's problems." </i><br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<i><b style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span class="body">The problems of puzzles are very near the problems of life.</span> </b></i></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">- Erno Rubik</span></i></span></div>
<span class="bodybold"> </span></div>
Mrs. Mhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18131306527174985778noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1743238331629745278.post-87570051952274246462011-03-08T02:33:00.013+07:002019-09-16T08:12:00.138+07:00Postcard Exchange Week # 5: Another Postcard From The Philippines<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="http://www.thelearningcenterbkk.com/2011/01/postcard-exchange-meme-starts-tomorrow.html"><img alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAqw49uJxiZuyghQdJBzxqx0wUdtvuj4VPVi7UlUCWKxdf1B5ZU9VsHV-uhFlLXz59E4SgxrQbZAmJ8WLZOU0TTwB89tdQpeRbAmIVGyN0SRdZDf1XLzrgO_0AKKl-YeVj7we9OCYn5T5x/s360/assrt3.jpg" height="256" id="Image1_img" width="320" /></a></div>
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We received another postcard from the Philippines this week! Thanks to fellow homeschooler, <a href="http://www.mommyjourney.com/">Kyla</a> for sending us the beautiful postcard.<br />
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<blockquote>
<b>Tinikling</b> is the most popular and best known of the Philippine dances and honored as the Philippine national dance. The dance imitates the movement of the tikling birds as they walk between grass stems, run over tree branches, or dodge bamboo traps set by rice farmers. Dancers imitate the tikling bird's legendary grace and speed by skillfully maneuvering between large bamboo poles. Tinikling means "bamboo dance" in English. Read more about Tinikling <a href="http://www.giancruz.com/portfolio/imd110/city/history.html">here</a>.)</blockquote>
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