Digi-scrap IT! ~ Digi-scrap Your Precious Moments!

Joshua's School Life!

2013-03-01T02:27:00.004-08:00

Source: touchn2btouched.tumblr.com via Jewell on Pinterest

Welcome back to my blog J I haven’t updated my digi-scrap blog in almost two years. We have moved to a new place, had another baby and had our young man start school for the first time earlier this year. Whew! There are lots of things to talk about and a lot of scrap book pages to make, but I barely have the time to do it, so I think, I’ll limit this post to the recent exciting event in our family ~ “Having our little boy start school for the first time”. Although I have been posting photos and updates on Facebook from time to time, I think it would still be nice to document some of the exciting highlights of our life here in Australia.

Source: ohdeedoh.com via Khristina on Pinterest

Joshua's first day of school!

Isabella missing Joshua already!

Joshua was really excited to go to school and learn new things. He enjoyed participating in swimming carnival and was very eager to learn, very competitive though.

We were quite amused to read his interview which was featured in a weekly school newsletter!

Flat Stanley Visit the Knights in Tara

2010-11-30T00:17:00.000-08:00

We were all happy to welcome Flat Stanley to Tara. Tara is a small country town in the Western Downs. It has a vibrant and friendly rural atmosphere and is known for cattle and sheep grazing area. The people are very friendly, so Flat Stanley’s stay with us was definitely great. He was tagging along with us wherever we went. As soon as Flat Stanley arrived in our house in Tara, we introduced him to all the members of the family. The kids loved him as soon as they saw him. Joshua and Isabella want to take him wherever they go. Flat Stanley just tagged along with us wherever we went. On Saturday we went to the Bunya Mountains for a picnic with some friends and we did a 4-km trek. The place was so beautiful. It shelters the world’s largest stand of ancient bunya pines and is a home to some forest animals like frogs, wallabies, shrub turkeys, among others. Birdlife is also abundant, with brightly-coloured parrots being popular visitors to picnic areas. We enjoyed feeding the birds and Flat Stanley did too. We all had a great time with our nature adventure at the Bunyas. The picnic was all the more enjoyable since we spent it with some friends from Toowoomba.

On Sunday we took him to a friend’s birthday party. We all had fun and I think Flat Stanley did too. There were lots of people and lots of food. They even had a “pig on the spit.” We love food and we love Flat Stanley. He is like no other friend and is unique in his own kind of way, the kind of friend who can fit in your pocket. And so he did.

On Monday, we just stayed at home. I was busy doing the chores while Joshua and Isabella enjoyed playing with the toys and watched Thomas the Tank engine on TV. Flat Stanley joined in every activity. He was happy to help me in the kitchen for a while, then gladly joined the kids for a play. He did enjoy dancing to some songs on TV while Isabella held Flat Stanley’s feet and swayed her body to the music as well (see picture below).

When I took Joshua and Isabella outside to play with balls and bikes, Flat Stanley sneaks in and playfully teased the kids by getting into every place. He jumped in on top of the pole, then lied himself on Joshua’s tennis racket (see picture below).

They all giggled and really had fun playing. The day ended with a warm bath and a nice dinner. Flat Stanley also enjoyed the storytime with Joshua before bedtime.

The following day was Flat Stanley’s last day with us, we took him for a walk. We showed him around town. We took him to a nearby shop, showed him the school which is only about a 5-minute walk from home. He was so happy seeing the swimming pool as well. It was a bit cold so we didn’t go for a swim, but I think Flat Stanley would be happy to jump in the pool for a bit of a swim. I guess we can take him next time he visits us again in the future. Flat Stanley was amazed at the sight of the birds in our verandah and was so curious about the sound that he often heard at night. I can’t seem to figure out what it was but I told him that it will remain a mystery, a mystery that can only be unraveled when he comes back, he smiled and said, I will definitely come back.

A Taste of Europe in Cabarlah and Highfields?

2010-10-21T16:30:00.000-07:00

I haven't been to Europe but I have been dreaming of visiting the place someday. My knowledge of it was only based on second hand information, hmmm... made me wonder how it feels like to see and be in the place. Well, check this one out, do you really think you can have a bit of taste of Europe when you go to Highfields and Cabarlah? Well, you may not agree with me, but one thing is for sure. I really enjoyed visiting these places. A quaint and lovely place with a few but really exciting shops to explore. Had a chance to visit these two places one rainy Spring time, I think it was back in 2010.

Here's Paul, Joshua and Isabella in front of Black Forest Hill in Cabarlah. Lovely shop. You can get the best Cuckoo Clock you are looking for.

Here's also a collection of our photos when we were there. See for yourself and if you've been to Europe, let me know if you can find similar places like this :)

Free picture slideshow generated with Smilebox

http://www.highfieldsvillage.com.au/pioneer_village

Source: ytravelblog.com via Falon on Pinterest

Camping and Fishing

2010-10-20T22:10:00.000-07:00

Happy Birthday Lolo!

2010-10-20T21:45:00.000-07:00

It is a family tradition to send birthday greeting and presents. I can't think of the easiest and the quickest birthday present for Tatay (my Dad), so I've thought of making this short video clip of his grandchildren, Joshua and Isabella and send it to him as a birthday present. Happy birthday Lolo! We love you :)

Create a free photo slideshow

Storytime: Dinosaurs!

2010-08-22T18:38:00.000-07:00

I was really glad to be given the opportunity to work on the Dinosaur theme of the storytime at the public library. With the help of my friends, Prima and Cheryl, the kids really had an exciting experience of going back in time. Fun time at the Dino-land.

Joshua's Playtime

2010-07-17T06:29:00.000-07:00

All work and no play makes Joshua a dull boy. Here's a glimpse of Joshua's playtime at the playgroup, storytime and at the Playschool concert. He is such a blessed little man to be able to experience a diverse type of learning and development through activities at the playgroup, craft and storytime at the public library and a once-off experience of a live Playschool concert. The joy on his face shows it all "I'm having a lot of fun Mum" !

This free digital scrapbook created with Smilebox

Family Fun

2010-07-17T06:23:00.000-07:00

FUN is just being together! A collection of our family fun scrapbook, the first I've digi-scrap using smilebox so far. Find it really easy to have a user-friendly assistant to play with colours and designs. Isn't it good to just look back and recall your fun moments with family? I feel obligated to do this for my kids and my future grandchildren.

"We do not remember days; we remember moments." ~Cesare Pavese

Make your own scrapbooking design

Don't Steal the Sheets

2008-03-26T20:56:00.000-07:00

For the last 10 years she was used to living by herself. Sleeping in the comfort of her bed with all the pillows and the sheet she enjoys the most. Then her husband came along and she had to learn to share.

Sharing with others and letting someone into her life that was a complete stranger was so different from any experience before. Sharing her personal space 24 hours a day 7 days a week with someone who is her best friend and ultimate soul mate was a totally new experience.
It is different than sharing a bed with a sister or staying over with friends. They are someone she knew intimately since birth and accepted from the first meeting. Mostly of the same sex it seems so much more easier and they always understand.
That is until someone who is almost completely different and opposite in so many ways came along and demanded that she make the sheets for two.

A fight for the white things ensued. He suffered many cold feet.
She tried to make them for one again and again, but he knew how to fight.

“I was asleep,” she offered in defense, as he pulled the pillow back again.
The pillow it was easy, something not difficult to regain. The sheet however a much harder thing, for it was wrapped around her. There is much more to this tale, all be it much the same.

Except for one thing that solved everything and he won the sheet back again.

What is it? What did he do? It wasn’t so difficult. Everytime he got in, he tucked the sheet in.
Not into the bed, not into the mattress. No, no his only defense was to take it in his hand. It took all his strength, even when asleep. He put it also under himself, so she couldn’t get it out.
Now he has had plenty of sleep, and she has no excuse. For now if she is to steal the sheet and take it from him, she must first take it off herself.

A Cat Stuck in the Can

2008-03-13T15:55:00.000-07:00

There was always a cat that rummaged through our rubbish bin. One day it got stuck in a small can and couldn’t get out. I tried to pull its head out of the can but I hated to see him cringe in pain. I couldn’t just leave him there, I had to save his life. I felt a little helpless because he was suffering and I couldn’t get him out. Evil thoughts came into my head. I was thinking about whether or not I should just let her die in the can? One of my friends was quietly praying and encouraging me to never give up on him saying repeatedly to hold him tightly and use all my might to pull him out of the can. We were scared that we would break his neck if we pulled too hard. I continued with a slight hesitation. Seeing him gradually losing his breath triggered me to continue trying to remove the can from his head. Unmindful of the consequences, I used both my hands and pleaded with God for help. Amazingly, I was able to do it. It was really a relief, I wondered how doctors feel whenever they are trying to save a life. I was so nervous and worried that I wouldn’t be able to save his life, but a very simple prayer did work. Somehow, I felt like I was a hero. Ahhhh, the power of prayers and I thank God for it. I saved a life, I saved the life of a stray cat.

It started at the Graveyard

2008-03-11T18:15:00.000-07:00

The graveyard date marks the beginning of a romantic encounter. The lonely souls in the graveyard witnessed two people’s disclosure of the unexplained emotions of fondness and admiration. As he uttered these words “Your eyes are shining like stars” she just can’t understand why all of a sudden it seemed that the world stopped … and as words of adoration sings with the wind, his eyes glowed as the light slowly fades in darkness. Who would ever thought that they liked each other then, when that time she was only thinking of him as a cute guy who seem to be fun to hang around with. They were perhaps both longing for a friend or a companion maybe, and they found each other. Don’t you think the timing was just right? Oh well, no need for confirmation of it now, and the rest is history ….

Just like any story in a movie or a soap opera, the excitement of a romantic encounter wanes and there as some reality that bites. They dealt with the waning of the emotional highs and re-energized the emotional lows. They continue to learn from each other as they both struggle to understand their differences. Despite the debates and the passionate discussions on many topics, and some conflicts that seem overwhelming they’ve always managed to get back together and reconciled their differences. They both accepted their imperfections.

They were perhaps both in love. Yeah maybe because a few days after Christmas of 2005 as they both trekked the hill of his parents’s farm, they both know that they will be trekking a new path. With the fear of the snakes and inconveniences of walking through tall grasses, she managed to be not whiny about the inconveniences. It was all worth it when at the top of the hill she felt like singing the Carpenter song “Top of the World”… as he bend his knees and said “If I don’t do this now, I think I would regret it for the rest of my life, Will you marry me?” … She was speechless, and as she uttered “I don’t know what to say” tears started to roll down her cheeks and she said YES. She don’t exactly know how to describe the feeling, but it was so spontaneous, she never had the chance to think. Perhaps, God has His way of crafting beautifully one perfect moment, and she don’t want to miss it.

Photographs and Memories

2008-03-10T23:11:00.000-07:00

Its been almost five years and as she recalled her first meeting with her husband in 2003, she never thought that about two years later their paths would cross again and would eventually traverse toward a different level of friendship. As she was browsing through old photos of a cultural event that they attended the first time they met, she wrote this poem. It was written from her memory while she was recalling the bits and pieces of their fond memories together at Japan Tent. http://www.japantent.com/

“Memories of Japan Tent”

White is the color of the shirt you wear on the first day I saw you, at Japan Tent, talking to strangers, your smile transcends beauty in the wind. Your golden hair shines like light, your pale color revealed your race.

An American maybe? Oh an Aussie and so I see… Where are you from, you asked? I replied with a smile, a brief conversation, a brief encounter, not sure if our paths will cross again.
Summer is the season, the heat echoes with warmth and joy, I saw you again, in the mix of cultures, in the mix of race familiarizing the culture of the land of the rising sun.

A few days passed, brief encounters again in places new to me, doing cultural activities some fun and as boring as can be. A frog in a blender, weird stories I cant recall, in the bus you tried to amuse me…

With host families gathered full of generosity, delightful and free, again you smiled to me and whisper, “I think the Japanese girl likes me”, astonished, I laughed quietly, a conceited lad maybe … the statement seems vivid to me, cool and free, I sigh with glee.

Brief encounters, brief conversations, brief smile, little glances, little touches … will I ever see you again ? the thought lingers …

Culturally Insensitive Me

2008-03-09T17:02:00.000-07:00

I see her everyday. She would water her plants before noon and spend 15 minutes to meditate and pray. One morning as I look out our kitchen window, she was looking up in the east with her eyes closed pouring out a slimy thing from her hands. I wonder what she was up to. I observed her from a distance. I guess she was meditating or maybe praying and I was right. She does it everyday in front of her herbal garden. She is Indian and she is a practicing Hindu.

This kind young woman and her husband have been living in Australia for almost two years now. I usually have a brief chat with her whenever I see her. She would offer to give me a hand with my baby boy whether it be helping me with the pram or just giving my little boy a nurse. I think she is sometimes lonely, so I asked her to come for afternoon tea to have a little chat, but she never did. I was wondering why she never accepted my invitation. I thought maybe she was just shy, so I made a traditional Filipino food and gave it to her, thought she can share it with her husband. She shyly accepted it, said thank you and also apologized that she can't have it because she is vegetarian. "Oh no! you wouldn't be able to try my dish" was my quiet response. Quite embarassed, I apologized and said I would share a vegetarian food next time. She smiled and said I should not worry because her husband can eat the food I gave.

That started our friendship. She would sometimes give us Indian Curry or some Indian food. I would occassionally share with them a cake that I made or some fruits that we have at home. She started to openly share with me her experiences and her adjustments of living in a new culture like Australia. We usually have very interesting conversations as I myself have interesting similar experiences.

Her herbal garden caught my attention one day. Seeing her herbs grow beautifully, I commented about it. Politely she said, if I need some of it I shouldn't hesitate to ask. So one afternoon, I asked her if I can have some basil leaves from her garden. She was silent for a while and gave me a blank face. After a while she said "what will you use it for? Confused, I responded shyly that I am thinking of making a pasta dish and I would be needing some basil. "Are you using meat with it?" She asked politely. I said "yes". There was a moment of silence, and voila! I immediately realized that she is vegetarian so I told her that only if it is alright with her. She said that I can get anything I want from her garden except the basil. Apparently "basil" for them is a sacred plant and you can only use it for vegetarian food. She was so embarrased and very apologetic. I left apologizing badly and told myself that I will always remember to be culturally sensitive. I ended up planting my own basil. Here's a picture of my thriving basil plant.