Chinese New Year

BEFORE NEW YEAR's EVE
The celebration actually starts on New Year's Eve with the reunion dinner. By New Year’s Eve, you should have done the following:
Clean the entire home to get rid of all the things that are associated with the old year.
Put away all brooms and brushes.
Pay all your debts.
Resolve differences with family members, friends, neighbors and business associates.
Buy the following:
- red money envelopes
- oranges and/or tangerines
- circular candy tray
- flowers (especially plum blossom, peach blossom, water lily)
- a new set of clothes and shoes for children, preferably something red or orange.
Get new dollar bills from the bank. Insert the new dollar bills into the red envelopes. Now the red envelope is called a lee see or lucky money envelope.
(note: Very few modern families follow all the "cleaning" traditions.)
ON NEW YEAR’s EVE:
Get together with close family members (not including married daughters and their families) for the "reunion" dinner.
Pay respect to ancestors and household gods. Acknowledge the presence of ancestors because they are responsible for the fortunes of future generations.
Open every door and window in your home at midnight to let go of the old year.

ON NEW YEAR’s DAY:
Decorate your home with symbols of good fortune. Here are some suggestions:
- Colors: Bright red (happiness); gold/orange (wealth & happiness).
- Fruits: Oranges and tangerines (good health & long life); tangerines with leaves intact (long lasting relationships; fruitful and multiply as in having children); persimmons (happiness and wealth).
- Circular candy tray (candy for sweet and circular for togetherness).
- Flowers: If flowers bloom on New Year’s Day, it will be a prosperous year.
- Red banners or couplets with New Year wishes and symbols of good fortune in gold.
Here are some suggestions for food:
- Jai - a combination of food that represents good fortune. Jai comprises of ginkgo nut, black moss, dried bean curd, bamboo shoots, vermicelli and scallion.
- Fish and chicken represent prosperity. Always present the fish and chicken as a whole. Do not cut them in pieces. The head, tail and feet (for chicken) must be presented to symbolize completeness.
- Noodles represent longevity. Again, they should not be cut.
- Desserts include oranges, Chinese New Year cake (ni gao) and prosperous cakes (they look like golden nuggets).

DO’s & DON'Ts on NEW YEAR’s DAY:
- Greet others with "Gung Hey Fat Choy" which means "Wishing You Prosperity and Wealth".
- Give two lee see’s to each child. Because happiness comes in two’s, do not just give one. This is your way of passing good luck to the next generation. Business owners also give lee see’s to employees and associates.
- Wear brand new clothes - preferably in red. Children should wear new clothes and new shoes.
- Don’t wash your hair.
- Don’t sweep the floor.
- Don’t greet people who are in mourning.
- Don’t drop your chopsticks.
- Don’t say the number ‘four’ (Chinese homonym for death) or mention death.
- Don’t borrow or lend money.
As you prepare for this important holiday, think of the changes you want to make in your life ... perhaps spend more time with your family, reduce your credit card debts or pursue a new interest. Gung Hey Fat Choy ... and Happy New Year!

http://www.familyculture.com/astrology/rat.htm

It takes a loose rein to keep a marriage tight. ~John Stevenson

honestly, it's really hard to maintain a good and harmonious relationship with your hubby...with all the temptation around...but let's bear in mind that the more we hold our husbands in their necks the more they would want to break free...so just loosen the reins girls and enjoy life...we have so much to do, so much to explore and nice kids to nurture. Let's keep ourself busy so we wont be thinking of any bad thoughts....

http://www.quotegarden.com/marriage.html

shoot shoot shoot

shoot shoot shoot

my friends during my nursing days

I am also a graduate of BSN, graduated last october 2006 from Dr. Carlos Lanting College, I miss my nursing days, the endless exams, tiring duties and the very looonnnggg lectures, i also miss my friends who were always there eventhough we would skip lunch just to go home early...hehehhe, halos lahat sila nag rereduce! ano na saang bansa na ba ang nasakop nyo? We are still here in the Philippines, I am still working as a dentist and a full time mom and wife....

im lucky

Your Luck Quotient: 76%

You have a high luck quotient. More often than not, you've felt very lucky in your life. You may be randomly lucky, but it's probably more than that. Optimistic and open minded, you take advantage of all the luck that comes your way.

How Lucky Are You?

how weird am I

You Are 50% Weird

Normal enough to know that you're weird... But too damn weird to do anything about it!

How Weird Are You?

time

Time is too slow for those who wait,

too swift for those who fear,

too long for those who grieve,

too short for those who rejoice,

but for those who love,

time is eternity.

~Henry Van Dyke~

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Happy Anniversary Papa and Mama

Feeling better

Thank God, athen is feeling better. No more vomitting today, i brought her out to have a bathe of sunlight. She is livelier and her giggles are back. Love you my sweety pie.

St. Therese Novena

I would like to share to all of you this powerful novena of St. Therese...

Prayer to St. Therese
St. Therese, the Little Flower, please pick me a rose from the heavenly garden and send it to me with a message of love. Ask God to grant me the favor I thee implore and tell Him I will love Him each day, more and more. St. Therese of the Holy Face of Jesus, pray for us.
Novena to St. Therese of the Child Jesus and the Holy Face
The Twenty-Four “Glory Be to the Father’s” is said particularly from the 9th - 17th of the month. Pray 24 Glory Be’s and between each say “St. Therese of the Child Jesus, pray for us.”

face painting

hi! one of my hobbies is face painting...once i helped the face painters at my sons school...it's a lot of fun. you can visit http://www.snazaroo.com/ for the kind of paints and for their catalogues, here are some of my works...

*Start Copy Here*

You do not have to be tagged to play along. This game is simple and so are the rules.Copy from *Start Copy Here* through *End Copy Here*Add your site(s) to the list. Just be sure to post at each site you add.Tag or don’t tag, your choice, however, the more tags you create the bigger the list will grow.Let me know your blog’s name and url by leaving me a comment HERE. I will add you to the master list. (If you would like the scroll box code, leave me your email address and I will email it to you.)Come back and copy the master list back to your site, often. This process will allow late-comers to get as much link benefit as the first ones in.1-Attitude, the Ultimate Power 2-Juliana's Site 3-Rusin Roundup 4-Grow Rich Along With Me 5-Comedy Plus 6-lynda's loft 7-Amel's Realm 8-MAX 9-Speedcat Hollydale 10-Mariuca 11-Complain Complain Complain 12-Mariuca's Perfume Gallery 13-Life Is A Roller Coaster 14-Sugar Queen's Dream 15-First Time Dad 16-Life 17-My Life 18-The Painted Veil 19-My Thoughts 20-DatCurious.com 21-Little Aussie Cynic 22-A Nice Place in the Sun 23-DatMoney.com 24-moms..... check nyo 25-wifespeak 26-sweet and complex living 27-

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almost everyone is suffering from flu

almost everyone is hit by the flu...maybe because of the bad weather that we are having...i hope we will have a better weather tom.,even my son kenneth is sneezing, my mama is also stricken with it, even nathan who is at dubai...Get well soon everyone...so we should not forget to take our vitamins and drink lots of water... health is wealth!

still sick

i'm really bothered with the flu that athena has...i wasn't able to sleep last night and the whole day she was still vomitting...her throat is very irritated, i'm giving her antibiotics every 8 hrs round the clock. i hope she gets well soon! Love you baby. I will not be tired watching over you.


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PHARYNGITIS

My 8 month old baby is suffering now from pharyngitis, i thought she was teething because she had the classic signs and bec she is 8 mos i really thought she has aanother teeth commng out, but because she was vomitting and having a rough voice. we decided to visit our pediatrician...and when she was checked...there she has pharyngitis

Definition
Pharyngitis is an inflammation of the pharynx. It frequently results in a sore throat. Pharyngitis may be caused by a variety of microorganisms.

Causes
Pharyngitis is caused by a variety of microorganisms. Most cases are caused by a virus, including the the common cold virus, flu (influenza) virus, adenovirus, mononucleosis .Bacterial causes of pharyngitis include Group A streptococcus, which causes strep throat in about 15% of cases. Strep throat is a serious cause of pharyngitis. Other but less common bacteria found in sore throats include Corynebacterium, Arcanobacterium, Neisseria gonorrhoeae, and Chlamydia pneumoniae. In some cases, no organism is identified.

Most cases of pharyngitis occur during the colder months. It often spreads among family members.

Symptoms
Sore throat
Strep throat may be accompanied by fever, headache, and swollen lymph nodes in the neck
Viral pharyngitis may be associated with runny nose and postnasal drip
Severe cases may be accompanied by difficulty swallowing and, rarely, difficulty breathing
Additional symptoms are dependent on the microorganisms causing the infection

Treatment
The treatment depends on the underlying cause. Viral infections are managed with warm salt water gargles, pain relievers, and fluids. Antibiotics are needed if strep throat is diagnosed.

Outlook (prognosis)
Most cases of pharyngitis go away on their own, without complications.
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Super powers...

Your Superpower Should Be Mind Reading

You are brilliant, insightful, and intuitive. You understand people better than they would like to be understood. Highly sensitive, you are good at putting together seemingly irrelevant details. You figure out what's going on before anyone knows that anything is going on! Why you would be a good superhero: You don't care what people think, and you'd do whatever needed to be done Your biggest problem as a superhero: Feeling even more isolated than you do now

What Should Your Superpower Be?

joanne nathalie means

What Joanne Nathalie Means

You are fair, honest, and logical. You are a natural leader, and people respect you. You never give up, and you will succeed... even if it takes you a hundred tries. You are rational enough to see every part of a problem. You are great at giving other people advice. You are well rounded, with a complete perspective on life. You are solid and dependable. You are loyal, and people can count on you. At times, you can be a bit too serious. You tend to put too much pressure on yourself. You are usually the best at everything ... you strive for perfection. You are confident, authoritative, and aggressive. You have the classic "Type A" personality. You are very intuitive and wise. You understand the world better than most people. You also have a very active imagination. You often get carried away with your thoughts. You are prone to a little paranoia and jealousy. You sometimes go overboard in interpreting signals. You are friendly, charming, and warm. You get along with almost everyone. You work hard not to rock the boat. Your easy going attitude brings people together. At times, you can be a little flaky and irresponsible. But for the important things, you pull it together. You are a seeker. You often find yourself restless - and you have a lot of questions about life. You tend to travel often, to fairly random locations. You're most comfortable when you're far away from home. You are quite passionate and easily tempted. Your impulses sometimes get you into trouble. You are truly an original person. You have amazing ideas, and the power to carry them out. Success comes rather easily for you... especially in business and academia. Some people find you to be selfish and a bit overbearing. You're a strong person. You are relaxed, chill, and very likely to go with the flow. You are light hearted and accepting. You don't get worked up easily. Well adjusted and incredibly happy, many people wonder what your secret to life is. You tend to be pretty tightly wound. It's easy to get you excited... which can be a good or bad thing. You have a lot of enthusiasm, but it fades rather quickly. You don't stick with any one thing for very long. You have the drive to accomplish a lot in a short amount of time. Your biggest problem is making sure you finish the projects you start.

What's Your Name's Hidden Meaning?

Thank you!

Last Jan. 24, 2008, doc gselle and doc annabelle dropped by our clinic...they were my previous dentists...thank you for coming and for being part of the clinic, for being a great dentist, and for being a friend, and for loving my kids.

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teething

Teething Symptoms
In addition to drooling, other teething symptoms can include:
a decreased appetite for solid foods
biting
ear rubbing
gum rubbing
irritability
a rash on your child's face
sucking
waking up at night
And these symptoms occur about 4 days before and up to 3 days after your baby's tooth comes in, although the more bothersome symptoms, including decreased appetite, not sleeping, rash, and ear rubbing are most common on the day the tooth actually erupted or a day or 2 beforehand. That means that teething is not going to last for weeks or months, as some parents believe, unless your child has one tooth after another coming in.
Treatments for Teething
Perhaps more important than deciding what treatments to give your teething child is making sure he is actually teething. If you are using drooling as your only teething symptom, then your baby will likely be teething for a long time. Instead, review the other teething symptoms above and only consider a treatment for teething if your child is uncomfortable. Remember that teething can be easy and painless for many children.
If your child is uncomfortable, typical treatments include:

a teething aid, such as a wet washcloth, teething rings, etc.
teething biscuits
massaging or rubbing your baby's gums
a pain reliever, such as acetaminophen or ibuprofen (if your infant is over six months old)
teething gels, such as Baby Orajel Nighttime Formula, Little Teethers Oral Pain Relief Gel, Baby Orajel Fast Teething Pain Relief, Baby Anbesol Oral Anesthetic Gel
teething tablets
Keep in mind that teething gels and teething tablets are not recommended by many pediatrician and are often overused because parents confuse 'teething symptoms' with other problems such as viral infections, sleeping problems, and ear infections.
If you are frequently using any medication to comfort your child who you think is teething, double check with your pediatrician to make sure that there isn't another cause for his symptoms.

my dwarf

St. Paul Academy is now celebrating their fair...they had a service award program and Kenneth was one of the seven dwarfs...they just assisted the awardees to their seat...hehehhe...we just made his costume shoes and hat...every little thing we do for our kids let do it with passion and enjoy every moment of it...love you kenneth!

unconditional love

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because of my kids i learned to love unconditionally... how to be patient...how to deep breathe...how to lay back...how to run...how to shout...how to keep my mouth shut...how to glare...how to listen...when to punish...when to give rewards...how to motivate...when to push...when to pull the reins...when to strike...when to ask...and i learned that we should give them space to grow...they are very witty and wild...not like us when we were small we easily listen to our parents and to our elders...now they are always testing waters...very smart and feel they are grown up...let us just cherish this stage of their development for they will grow up sooner than can we imagine. i like jotting my thoughts so that when my kids are already grown up they would be able to read this...and know that they are different from what we grew up with...

ice cream

Let us give time for the kids to enjoy a cone of ice cream...

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my eight mos old athena

my 3rd baby now 8 mos old...she cannow stand pulling herself up...trying to balance herself without holding...she is now eating mashed potatoes, squash, soup, cerelac and trying soft biscuits...she loves to play with her ate bianca and kuya kenneth, she loves lolo emin to carry her...likes lolo nilo to drive her...afraid of mommy driving, she loves loly ninangs carry and bring her outside to watch the busy street of sampaloc...she loves the soup of loly amy...she loves the cuddle of daddy eventhough he is very tired and from the hospital. she loves to bite my fingers and hear me shout...she loves to smile at people and at the camera...she doesnt like the word mataba...she'll give you a frown...she loves to b dressed up...she loves me!

miss you!

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i miss the times that we are just staying at home with my kids enjoying the junkfood that i keep at the back of the cabinets...that everytime we do the grocery i hide it from sef...i miss the times that we endlessly eat chocolate and dont develope sorethroat...i miss the times that we eat calamansi with salt at samaploc with monette and mem...i miss the arguments wuth eugene...hehhehe...i miss wrestling with monette when we were kids...i miss jamming with mem with some sticks...i miss shanine toting around me in school when i was in college...i miss singing and dancing with her when she was just a yr old hahahah....i miss mama and papa fighting over simple things that would stun us children and say para silang bata!!!...i miss my small room where i usually do my oil paintings...i miss candle making...i miss sewing...i miss so many things...life is so busy to accomodate all my cravings...i miss walking with sef in the rain...

a hug a day keeps bad thoughts away

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I am so grateful that i have three kids no matter how hard it is to take care of them...having different needs, different character, different moods. But the common thing about them is that we parents should hug them, they need it so much specially for the numerous chores that we do...a simple hug can make their day.