Property rentals and teaching kids how to code

Crazy genius ctto

Property for lease
For almost half a year now, one source of conflict between boss husband and I is my inability to finish off a possible money-making rental business. He wants me to prioritize this while I argue that my other money-making projects keep me busy to work on what he wants. Hopefully, as soon as I find time and will power to follow boss husband's call, I could use this start-up website which marries AirBnB, Lamudi and OLX: http://www.zipmatch.com/

Kid coders
My husband boss is a software architect. He knows several friends whom he considers superior in skill when it comes to bending codes. Just the same, he is the MKO (Vygotsky speak, more knowledgeable other) for all things technology.

That is why at home, we are open to our kids using technology. Kids are only limited by two things: inappropriate content and wifi cut-off. Websites that are R-13 and beyond are totally inaccessible. Plus kids are not allowed to use gadgets alone in a locked room. Boss husband has also fixed the connections so that weekdays, wifi for them gets cut by 7PM and 8PM for weekends.

As much as possible, we expose them to what we do. Boss husband talks about his projects. I show them my portfolio and sends them snaps of my client meetings. So far, none of them are into coding or web development yet. That's fine and dandy.

When they finally develop the interest, will let them tinker with:

• https://scratch.mit.edu/about/ - MIT's Scratch project
• http://www.alice.org/index.php - Alice by Carnegie Mellon and other brand partners
• https://hourofcode.com/us - Latest and most popular so far supported by several IT giant companies

Pakialamera is a noun that describes a woman who meddles, which I think best describes me as I pursue the polymath within me. Yeah, long shot! Hehe!

Open-ended questions, smart kids, traffic sensors, dream perspectives, PETA

Thanks Tito Danny! You will be missed.

Open-ended questions
Interviews encourage open-ended questions. They have the power to elicit deeper thinking and meaningful conversations. Parents are encouraged to ask open-ended questions to start family bonding.

One way we do this is through our daily roses and thorns. I found out about this from Pastor Herald Cruz who talked about parenting in my kids' school. He shared the Obama's roses and thorns which lets the kids share the best and worst part of their day. Every night, before we do our story time--we are in Book 10 of Lemony Snicket's Series of Unfortunate Events--kids have to share what was their most and least favorite parts of their days. Then we pray and give thanks for them.

My 8-year old boy never fails to give the answer: I am thankful for the computer. Day in and day out, believe me!

Our beloved pets: Sunny and Myeh!

Smart kids

We noticed that our 8-year old's best friends are the smartest kids in his class. We asked him and this was his answer:

I only befriend the smart kids at school because they are the only ones who understands.

Traffic sensors

Passing through an intersection, our 8-year old suggested to his dad that there should be traffic lights with sensors. So that when there are no cars on the other side, the green light for those with heavy traffic can still go on and drive.

Throwback photo of us fit girls trying to get slimmer

Dream perspectives

Our two kids were discussing their dreams last night. Couldn't hep but laugh when I overheard our 8-year old asking this:

Was your dream in 1st person or 3rd person?

Kids reaction to my blog
I told my kids that I keep a blog to house my journal of our experiences. I have been very forgetful, and the blog will remind us what those past years have been. I read to them several posts I found very funny. While I was already cracking up reading the first few lines, they were cringing.

Lenny Kravits 
One of the early video games we let the kids play is Guitar/Music Hero. Most of the songs were rock classics, and not the usual pop songs the kids know. One of the songs included was Lenny Kravits' Are You Gonna Go My Way. So imagine our amusement when recently, we caught our 8-year old humming to that song.

A very sloppy picture without much thought about composition

Peta Theater's Art Zone
My friend and I recently attended a PETA parenting seminar. It was my first time to be at PETA Theater's building. They are located at the back of Quezon City Sports Club, near St. Lukes. Their building was impressive. I know that was a product of much labor and sacrifice. It felt chilling being within a structure build by the country's geniuses of theater and music. Yes, I was able to spy several theater greats like Kuya Bodjie Pascua, Direk Soxy Topacio, musician Noel Cabangon among others. It was great that there's a place like that where enthusiasts can hang out and be in the company of these wonderful, talented and accommodating stars.

PETA or Philippine Educational Theater Association started as a Martial Law protest group, if I remember it right. So imagine my surprise, finding about their other programs which include theater acting for kids, writing as well as storytelling. They have regular weekly offerings. How come I didn't know about this when we were still QC-based?

8-year old questions

About iOS 10's ability to delete some pre-installed apps
If they will let users delete the App Store, how can we get new apps?

*Of course, the App Store cannot be deleted and Apple clarified that these native apps will only be hidden from the user but will still eat up the device's memory.

About movie villains who want to destroy the world
Where will they live once the earth has been destroyed?

Ninoy Aquino Terminal 3 Cebu Pacific

More of a note to myself for future air travels, here are some details to remember when flying via Cebu Pacific Air local flights at NAIA Terminal 3:

1. Boarding pass is at P200/head - no senior discounts given :) Bring cash pocket money
2. On the spot check-in baggage is P448 for 15kg - just in case there are a lot of liquid stuff you don't want confiscated before going to the departure gates
3. 7kg maximum carry on baggage per person
4. 100ml liquid allowed per person (not strictly implemented, risk being confiscated)

In-flight entertainment from Cebu Pacific
One of the unique experiences Cebu Pacific Air affords its passengers is the chance to bring home premium items - bags, shades, tumblers, etc. during the pop quiz given at the middle of the flight.

During my most recent trip with them, the questions are in the 3 category type. Flight attendant will give a category, first one to give three correct answers get the prize.

I was the first one to raise my hand to give three colors that start with the letter P. My answers were: pink, purple and PULA. :D Of course Pula wasn't accepted. Funny part was that my sister kept on shouting to me, from the opposite row - puchsia, puchsia!

Have a safe and fun travel!

Duck, duck, goose

Lois Maya with Nursery 2 Lion classmates - Blessed Micah, Sam Arabell and K

This is a game which Lois introduced to us casually. After dinner, we asked Lois what she learned at school and she started explaining the game. Teacher would touch each student's head assigning which is the duck or the goose. The one named goose will chase any student tagged as duck.

What was hilarious was the fact that Lois was acting as the teacher. She would insist that she touches our heads, and since we were standing, we really had to bend over to be tagged as duck or goose. And when it was Carlos' turn to tag, he would always assign duck to everyone, leaving no one as goose. We really had a fun time playing - err, learning the game.


Carlos' bias for Danielle
Carlos has displayed the earliest notion of opposite gender preference. Among their playmates, special favor goes to Danielle. She's 6 months younger than him and is one of the meekest. I first discovered his bias when he offered Danielle a glass of pink juice from his coveted plastic cup. They just finished afternoon snacks when the neighborhood kids passed by our door. Of all the ones there, it was only with Danielle that he did this. I clearly overhead him asking his Ate Beng to pour some pink juice for Danielle. I think Danielle didn't mind him.

To put my suspicion to the test, several days after that, while Carlos was throwing a tantrum, I asked if he would like to play games at the house of Danielle. I told him I would ask his nanny to bring him there to play. Magically, he sobered up and mumbled on about playing with Danielle. I, of course told Daddy Paul about this and warned me to never capitalize on this fact.


Carlos Boy, I am tickled by the fact that you admire someone already. I hope you would always look up to your Daddy's ways on how to respectfully treat girls, and to use their inspiration to move you forward to achieve loftier goals for others.