Septem-BER means Birthday Prep!

-BER month na po...

For other parents, this would mean that Christmas 2014 is soon to be rolling in. For me however, before I jump on to that particular bandwagon, there is another significant event that is being propelled by this quarter --- the kids' birthdays!

Let me get this straight. I do not have twins. I just happen to have the fortune of having kids born almost exactly a year apart, with their particular birth dates ONLY ONE DAY apart.

When I was pregnant with my son, I would always pray that his arrival not coincide with my older kid's birthday. I wanted them to have their own unique dates arriving into the world - because my belief was, they would begin to value their own selves, and bask in their individuality, if they did not share such a special date together (the year immaterial).

And as usual, GOD answered my prayers in a very special way.

A day after celebrating my daughter's first birthday - there I was again at the hospital giving birth to our baby boy.

Almost five years later, here I am (here we are). And now it is again -BER month.

In the earlier years, this would mean preparing for two parties, and worrying about bills/expenses associated with kiddie parties times two.

Not this year.

This year - both kids will have a shared, and simple family celebration - a real toast of gratefulness for the lives that God have entrusted to us. This year, the birthday celebrants will not have a big party, but will instead celebrate life by having some bit of fun with their friends, and special bonding time with family.

It will not be much of a party, but it will be a very special celebration..

I am a Slow Learner and proud of it

Can you actually believe it? 

It is actually very ironic when I realize that I have spent practically more than a year being a stay-at-home mom, and then realize at the same time that most of the stuff that are supposed to be part of being "motherly wisdom" was formed the past months only.

Seriously. Was I wasting my time (or having a fun time of it, you might ask?)

I guess I am, what sir Francis Kong would refer to as a "slow learner" in his book (DUH?!! Why do intelligent people Develop Unhealthy Habits? How to get out of it and WIN!). When it comes to being a hands on parent, there were some aspects of being a stay at home mom that I never got to understand and appreciate until recently, after I have started my planning to be an active part of the privately employed sector once again. But just as Francis Kong said it, "...I am a slow learner because I want to internalize everything I learn. I want what I learn to become a part of me."

Now, I realize that moms really do wake up at dawn, and prepare stuff for their husbands and kids. I optimize my time and ensure that my babies' change of clothes are immediately washed after they take them off. I have stringently scheduled a bath time and set a routine for the nanny to follow so that when I am at work, I will be assured that my babies are getting cleaned the way I expect them to be cleaned.

I have even immersed my kids in a regular 5 minute reading time so that their love of reading will be nurtured as they grow older. Watching television is strictly monitored and limited and instead, I encourage them to be more active in playing and moving around, dancing and singing so that healthier and a more active lifestyle is introduced to them while they are still young.

Two days ago, my three year old daughter saw me set the table, and went to the utensils cabby and got the spoons and forks. Now when it is time for a meal, she is the one setting the utensils beside everybody's plate. And she is great at it too.

My two year old son knows when it is time to take his vitamins. He knows well enough where to get the vitamins and spoon, and he brings both over to me as he waits for me to give him and his sister their dosage for the day. My husband and I taught them the value of thinking for themselves, so that they can develop comprehension about the world early on their own.

All in all, I feel happy at all the learning - things not only my kids have and are learning, but those that me and my husband are picking up along the way. There is still much ground to cover but I am just so happy to get the chance to be able to learn this way. I am not recommending that everyone take a sabbatical like I did in order to be a better parent (which I believe I have become), but in my case, it really worked.

Finding Mentors

One great advice that I got from my constant readings is that in order to succeed in life, one must find mentors who will guide you in making your best decisions in the different aspects of your life.

Now unfortunately, getting the best mentors is an expensive business. Mentoring programs often comes with a fee -- and right now, adding more fees on my already tight budget is not an option.

But because I really want to spend more time with my kids and husband, I have to try to make things work. So here is what I did:

1. Looked around for my friends who have started their own businesses - and are successful at it
2. Went online to get snatches of wisdom from my favorite preacher (Bro Bo for one TrulyRichClub.com - Do You Want to Gain Financial Wealth and Spiritual Abundance at the Same Time?
)
3. Prayed for God to nudge me in the right direction :) :) :)
4. Pushed myself beyond the limits of my ignorance - taught myself to understand bits and pieces of earning passive income in order to understand how I can make it work for me

Right now, I'm not exactly there yet, but I am doing good and having fun trying :)