Oliver: "Mom, we are not like regular families." Me: "What do you mean? What makes you say that?" Oliver: "Other families, I see that their kids go to 'normal' school and Aiden and I don't." Me: "So you think we are not like regular families because we homeschool you guys?" Oliver: "Well, not just that.... Continue Reading →
It has been a while since my last post. Over the last few months, I just haven't had the "energy" to write nor enough desire to even want to. I felt like I was putting too much pressure on myself to meet my own deadlines. I thought, maybe instead of posting twice a week, I... Continue Reading →
One my biggest challenge as a parent is disciplining. I wholeheartedly believe that discipline is an important responsibility bestowed upon us who have been gifted the role of parenthood. Our ability to effectively discipline a our children in order to instill values that will serve them well in their adulthood is very critical. But just... Continue Reading →
When it comes to parenting Autism, I often like to reference the cup-full-cup-empty analogy. Aiden's meltdowns aren't an "attack" to me. Whenever it happens and how often it happens isn't because I am not a good parent. Meltdowns happen because his sensory cup is full. And like a cup filled to the top, it won't... Continue Reading →
Most of 2020, Aiden stayed in his underwear in the house. He would be very quick to get completely and appropriately dressed at the hint of going outside. But as soon as he comes home and barely a few steps from the door, he starts leaving a trail of clothes. Shoes, socks, shirts, shorts/pants. Thank... Continue Reading →
Don’t minimize me.Don’t minimize my grief.Don’t minimize my loss.Do not underestimate my pain.Do not belittle my cause.Don’t minimize me.You don’t go through what I do.You don’t cry my tears or live my fears.Unless these feet becomes yours to walk,Don’t minimize my efforts.I do not doubt your pain.I cannot imagine your burden.But my goodness, you have... Continue Reading →
What is your best birthday memory growing up? What do you remember most on your birthdays? Mine would have to be my birthday cakes. When I was growing up, there were times when we hardly had anything and then there were times when we had almost everything. Across all those varying times and family financial... Continue Reading →
Last year, I posted "Can You Say No to an Autistic Child" where I talked about the challenges with being able to say "No" to our first-born Aiden who is on the Autism Spectrum. I also included strategies that helped us avoid triggering meltdowns whenever we had to say "No". The most important take-away from... Continue Reading →
I didn't grow up with my parents beside me all the time. My Mom and (step)Dad lived in Japan. My Papa (bio dad) lived in the North end of the province and we didn't maintain regular communication until I became a teenager. My mom called regularly and asked how things were, how school was, etc.... Continue Reading →
I remember when we first had Aiden, I constantly felt the need to protect him from every little danger. I often times struggled to feel at ease. I was always afraid that he would get hurt. When he was sound asleep, even in my arms, I would check if he was still breathing. I think... Continue Reading →
Oliver will be the first to tell you how much he LOVES messy activities. Aiden on the other hand, likes mess as much as his brother but he prefers messes that don't involve anything sticky. Interestingly though, he will eat Jell-o with his bare hands. Safe to say, in the texture department, Aiden continues to... Continue Reading →
In business, people always talk about the "cost of doing business". The value associated to the cost of doing business is mostly regarded as necessary. You cannot run a business, expect profit, and not incur cost. You just can't. Recent circumstances got me thinking that life is much like a business. We incur costs on... Continue Reading →
Hubby plays PS4 quite a bit and then around this time of the year, my carpal tunnel also tends to hurt more so he bought stress balls. Well, as soon as the kids saw them, they immediately decided, it was theirs! 🤦♀️ They were squishy and colorful so of course, they loved it. Over the... Continue Reading →
One of the recurring reminder that Oliver gets from us is not to watch so close to the TV. We have tried many different approaches - rewards and threats - and nothing sticks. He would often explain that he's just really forgetful. And so we go into this serious conversation of how it is his... Continue Reading →
Yesterday, as I walked into the living room after work, Oliver greeted me with a question. I did something I typically don't like others doing to me. I answered his question with a question. Oliver: "Mommy, can I have permission to watch FGTeeV?"Me: "Are you done with school?"Oliver: "Yes, I am!"Me: "Ok, so tell me... Continue Reading →
I have one sibling, a sister. We are 15 years apart. Because of the age gap, I have referred to her as my eldest child. We have always lived in different countries and in so many ways are very different. I want to say we are close because there's love between us. But we aren't... Continue Reading →
Do you find yourself hovering over your child? Have you ever thought of yourself or been called a "helicopter parent"? Between Hubby and I, it's actually Hubby who was more of the helicopter and overly safety-conscious parent. That's not to say that I didn't care whether my children got hurt or not. It just means,... Continue Reading →
With everything that is going on in the world today, it can be tempting to forego the joys of what the Holiday Season brings. What brings you joy? Think about it. It doesn't need to be anything grand and it may not even be stereotypically exclusive to Christmas. I'm talking about those simple joys that... Continue Reading →
Did you grow up with Christmas family traditions? I know I grew up with Christmas traditions like attending Catholic Mass on Christmas Eve, Christmas Decors and Christmas Music as early as September (yes!), Noche Buena (Christmas Eve dinner), and Christmas presents. Off/on we would host Christmas parties for families and friends. But, if you ask... Continue Reading →
I really thought I was decided. And yet, here I am agonizing again. What do I do? Which way do I go? Parenting is truly one of the hardest jobs in the world. Being in charge of another person's life because they are too young or they may not have the ability to do so... Continue Reading →
It's 2020 and with CoVID - I am happy to say that we are thriving as a family because we've always just kept to ourselves. The amenities (if that's what you want to call it) that we enjoy are simple. Grocery stores and Drive-thru chains. Yes, that's it. To some, it may be sad but... Continue Reading →
There was a recent controversy in my hometown (Cebu, Philippines). A mother of an autistic child wrote a review on Trip Advisor for one of Cebu's well-known resorts. In it she wrote how a resort employee asked her to tell her son to be quiet while swimming in the pool. She said her son was... Continue Reading →
In the last couple of weeks, I have been vacillating on whether or not to push forward with getting Aiden into ABA, Speech, and Occupational therapies. Following his formal diagnosis late October 2020, I had been looking forward to getting him these services. The thought of my child being reintroduced to these interventions after many... Continue Reading →
Someone recently described me as someone who "drives a hard bargain". It was said as a compliment to my leadership ability. I chuckled. I appreciated the compliment. And honestly, it is true. I really do drive a hard bargain. What does driving a hard bargain mean? According to Dictionary.com, it's defined as "Be severe in... Continue Reading →
I watched the Netflix movie "Hillbilly Elegy" on Thanksgiving. I didn't really have much expectation and frankly, felt there wasn't much to choose from. After reading the description, it seemed decent so I invited the Hubby to watch it with me. At first he didn't sound enthused but I noticed as the movie progressed, he... Continue Reading →
Thanksgiving is a time to celebrate the blessings of the past year. With 2021 being the year that it has been, is there room to feel grateful? Have we been blessed? Are there really things to be thankful for? YES! Absolutely. Especially during hard times, our resilience to overcome obstacles must be partnered with the... Continue Reading →
I believe that we have control over our actions, reactions, and responses. How we handle ourselves when we are met with challenging individuals or situations is our own "conscious decision". Just because someone hurts us does not give us permission to hurt others. I was raised to study very well. Good grades meant proud and... Continue Reading →
In my downtime (a.k.a. me time), I sometimes scroll through TikTok. A common theme on contents that appear on my FYP (For You Page) are about husbands and wives. And for me, it's actually funny and relatable to see couples have fun making fun of everyday married life. Hubby and I met in 2005. We... Continue Reading →
After Aiden's usual afternoon bike time outside, Hubby came in and excitedly called me. He said that he wasn't sure at first but Aiden did it a second time. He sang a song that went something like, "Walking down the street, down the street..." Hubby was ecstatic! Of course, I wouldn't dare let myself miss... Continue Reading →
I grew up wanting things to be perfect and trying to be perfect. As far back as I can remember, it was instilled in me to always act and present myself for other people's judgement. Well... it may not have been in these exact words but yes, the context is pretty much it. "What will... Continue Reading →
This afternoon, our doorbell rang. It was our next door neighbor. They said they came because they had never really introduced themselves to us. They also said that the pizza delivery guy brought them an extra box so they were wondering if we wanted an early dinner. I graciously accepted and thanked them for their... Continue Reading →
I felt so appalled the first time someone suggested that Aiden "maybe" had Autism. He was only 2 years old at that time and he was going for speech therapy because of language delay. I remember being so angry. How could she say such a thing! Hubby was equally angry. How dare her! It couldn't... Continue Reading →
Recently, as the hubby hugged me, Oliver asserted himself into the hug. He said "hug times are the best times". We agreed and joked about how the hug was just for mom and dad and he said, "but I always want to be part of it." There was something about how he said it that... Continue Reading →
Both of Aiden's past Autism diagnoses came from 2 school districts in 2 different states. There isn't really a shred of doubt in our minds (and hearts) that he truly has ASD. The only question was, where in the spectrum does he fall into? So why haven't we sought the formal diagnosis after all these... Continue Reading →
We've all heard of the phrase, "You are what you eat." While it may not have been intended for literal meaning, I do agree that what we eat directly impacts our health. So, in a manner of speaking, we really are what we eat. I remember when I was a kid I was quite literally... Continue Reading →
Hubby shared a story about how Aiden once pushed Oliver and got in so much trouble for it. Later on, he heard a loud 'thug' and assumed that Aiden pushed Oliver again. In anger, he scolded Aiden. Aiden, in the midst of tears and seemingly on the verge of either anger or deep hurt said,... Continue Reading →
It can be tempting to disregard our children's views. Perceiving that their understanding of life (and of the world) is greatly limited simply because they haven't "lived" their lives long enough sounds very typical. However, I have come to realize that staying within that perception often limits me in my ability to understand my own... Continue Reading →
We recently took the kids for their annual checks. We are growing up! WE were ALL calm! Of course, both kids still tried to hype each other up (and on their own). And we probably were still the loudest family in all of the waiting rooms. But... we stayed in the waiting room! We weren't... Continue Reading →
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