MioFightsCancer.com

Celebrity Living Feb. 2012

2012-01-31T22:05:00.000-08:00

It's out now and you should grab a copy because it's packed and we're featured in it :) hehe

Solving Problems

2012-01-29T15:57:00.000-08:00

Manic Mondays.

For most people, it's the start of yet another hectic work week and the beginning of waking up too early to get out of REM stage for those off to school.

To a household of a grade schooler, this is normal. In fact, as I recall my own grade school days, I had to open to gates of our school (literally!) since we were up at 4am and off to school at 5 just to beat the awful traffic of Commonwealth Avenue. Now, a stone-throw away from Mio's school means we buy us an hour and a half.

That's just one problem we managed to solve through time. Everyday though, adult problems haunt us like the plague and when kids act like their problems are bigger than ours, there's a penchant of remorse on our part.

Once, Mio cried over his Math homework three times! To be fair, it was a ridiculously difficult word problem involving 5 animals, hens and horses, all of which had 12 legs together. He had to find out how many hens and how many horses were there...... yes. There was just 1 horse and 4 hens. How did we come up with that answer? As adults we think it was common sense but to a seven year old, it was a century's worth of solving the freakin' math problem! Lo and behold we find out from the teacher weeks laters that homeworks aren't graded (now don't tell him that because we're teaching him to do his homework on his own... which is also the result of realizing that we should allow him to make his own mistakes. In his homework at least).

That afternoon I fondly recall as the Mystery of the Math Problem, I managed to ponder on these things:

1. It's ok if he makes a mistake. Of course it was daunting on Mio that for the first time in his elementary life we were telling him to let it go and leave the problem unanswered if he really couldn't solve it on his own. I tell you, we tried to explain how to get to that answer but given that they were doing Singapore Math which was alien to our drills and old vertical arithmetic, who knew if we were teaching what was logical correctly? So we told him that it should be alright for as long as he did his best.

2. Crying makes us upset. That whole crying wasn't entirely about not solving the math problem (makes me remember the day my Dad told me not to cry IF I don't win the elocution contest because there was not point crying over spilled milk. It was my first exposure to a classic cliche which I hold dear to my heart up to this day). We were getting frustrated too because that was a homework over a weekend which we were excited to spend NOT arguing. So I had to explain that the high-pitched voices and repetitive explanation wasn't because he couldn't answer it. It was purely because he was crying over something that should be simple and non-meritorious.

3. Guessing is not equal to solving. If it involved having to guess the answer, then that wouldn't be problem solving assignment, would it? That was just plain multiple choice. So I had to tell Mio that his teaches wouldn't give him a problem he wasn't equipped to solve. We were certain that they discussed a new school of thought or problem solving skill before being assigned that homework to supposedly practice on. In fact, when he gets too frustrated over things like this, I annoyingly remind him that he's dealing with cancer which was more than what most adults can handle and he's crying over Math?! Geez.

My point is, upon realizing these 3 bullet points, I was slightly embarrassed because I found myself learning from these points. Don't they apply to our daily household, work and relationship problems?

It's apparently all Elementary and another cliche reminds us that everything we needed to learn in life we knew in pre-school, right? Patience goes along with solving problems and I think that our generation had it harder for good reason. We read books page by page and wrote drills on the blackboard with yucky chalk not just to suffer but to value the process of learning. So in spite of the rise of the many video games, I encourage Mio to play with toys that he can touch and feel-- read books that he can flip and ear-tab, expose him to old games like chinese garter, jackstones and do crafts like origami and puzzles.

origami frogs made by Mio & Tita Clems

that's Mio with his Tito Mac playing origami cars after flying paper planes out our window!

cute origami hearts Mio surprised me with after an out of town trip for work last Friday

Today is Puzzle Day according to education.com so I'm sharing with you some PUZZLE IDEAS!

1. If you're missing puzzle pieces, don't throw out your old puzzle. You can use them to teach your child how to form letters! Find out how here.

2. If you're tired of the puzzles that don't make sense, use a drawing (the old ones that your child makes for you which the pack-rat in you tries hard to keep! Haha) and cut it up so you can test your child if he knows how to put it back together. Check out detailed instructions here.

3. Or find time to make your own puzzle! Found these blank puzzles in Muji. A great (but pricier) craft afternoon activity.

Try solving a puzzle or Sudoku once a day. You'll find comfort and find that life shouldn't be that hard. Happy Puzzle Day (everyday) everybody!

Art & Articles

2012-01-27T04:54:00.000-08:00

Sometimes I get schitzo with this parenting thing.

One day I'm ecstatic and get 100+ likes on a Facebook status proclaiming Mio's outstanding grades and then the next is my frustration about his incessant crying over nonsensical things (like my new haircut).

It's partly hormonal as it's that time of the month so I'm sure most Moms out there can relate to this never-ending internal conflict.

I turn to co-parents for advise and a breather and I'm confident enough to say that it's hard. Parenting is hard. And our kids-- no matter how much we love them-- will drive us insane without a balanced parenting style.

Sometimes, I turn to the "experts" in the guise of published articles and they're great help (whether you agree or just find your parenting method challenged with what they have to say).

THIS one in particular is a good read which I applied when Mio exuberantly announced that he got the awards in Best in Language, Reading, Math, Art, Penmanship and Filipino along with a 1st Honor Award for the 3rd quarter. Instead of pointing out that he's a smart boy, I said thank you and that I was proud of him because he got those grades from working hard in school, listening to teacher, studying on his own and diligently doing his homework.

To cap off this post on the universal perills of motherhood, please hope on over to the International Museum of Women's website where you'll find Rebie Ramoso's interpretation of a portrait Teresa Barrozo took of me and Mio when he was 5 years old :) We're happy that we get to be part of this since the artwork will be used for their materials to move their cause (of supporting women around the world) forward.

My Love is Steadfast graphic artwork by Rebie Ramoso

based on Teresa Barrozo's photo

of Jasmine & Mio Mendiola

Single Moms Listen Up!

2012-01-11T19:04:00.000-08:00

My parenting trend for 2012 is going as planned (so far!) and teaching RESPONSIBILITY is a tough act. Even tougher for single moms if you imagine.

Thankfully, single moms are not alone. They are not one and the same (sing parenting and being alone)! And that's exactly what this month's Working Mom magazine talks about. Get a copy and you'll find photoshopped meeee :D hehe (konti lng naman!)

I am excited to share this with you because I'm happy to give insight on taking care of kids (with or without cancer) because parenting in itself is already tough. So I hope that inasmuch as you are helping Mio, in this little way, we help you back :)

Help is abound and I was lucky enough to witness the creation of a masterpiece called the Happy Even After Solo Mom's Journal at the Viviamo! headquarters. I think single moms are a rare breed and we have to save them! So I wanna know how many we are out there who Ana Santos, the author can help! I'm giving away a Happy Even After Journal and this month's Working Mom January 2012 issue to 2 lucky single moms! Here's how:

1) Like this post (leave your contact details in a comment below);
2) Join/ subscribe to www.miofightscancer.com; and
3) Like the Mio Fights Cancer Facebook Fan Page.

Winners will be draw on January 31, 2012 and will be notified via email and SMS. Hope to see lots of likes!

Parenting Trend for 2012

2012-01-01T22:09:00.000-08:00

In my book at least.

Every year is different and quite distinct when raising an only child in an ever-changing household. There's the cuddly first year, the terrible twos, the tantrum threes and so on and so forth. The fourth year I would say was value-integration where I had to teach him the difference and the power of the words YES and NO. His fifth showed me HIS strength and his character more than anything else-- it was the time we discovered he had cancer. His sixth year was building his character. He went to big school, made friends and thrust his sheltered life onto a competitive setting. It was the year that I decided that he wouldn't be the big fish in a small pond anymore.

Last year, his 7th, was all about independence. Doing things on his own, deciding what was best in different situations, going with his friends or cousins with little (but still with!) supervision. In the Philippines, we're very much attached to relatives and extended families are very common-- cousins living in one compound, grandchildren growing up with grandparents, etc.Since I had Mio, I had resolved to absorbing the most that I can from advice and help from other people. His condition adds to that because so many people obviously care about his well-being. But you know how the saying goes, "too much of anything is not good" so balancing opinions and giving options is really a tough thing to do.

In 2012, my parenting trend will be about RESPONSIBILITY. I used to say that I'd get him a dog when he turns 7 but I have to put that on hold. Responsibility is a big thing. At my mature age of 29, I still get accused of being irresponsible when in the middle of a heated (rather emotional) argument with my own family. My personal snide comments about the most responsible man on earth may soon change if our 3-year pre-trial case improves but where I have control, I will do what I can with the best of my abilities.

So being in-charge of his things when we go out, doing his homework, FINISHING HIS FOOD! and teaching him to budget his "allowance" (aka the money he got over the holidays not meant for donations but as gifts) are the few things that I would like to address. For me though, I intend to limit my responsibilities to the things that are immediate and within my own household (is using our yoga ball considered one?). That's a start.

With that, I greet you all a Happy New Year and Mio's photos from today so far (yes, grounded from not finishing his food and short of a play date with his loving cousin Sophie which causes me much distress and heartache -- but still reaps satisfaction and lessons anyway)!

Mio Christmas

2011-12-28T22:12:00.001-08:00

Before we end the year with a bang, let me share with you Mio's vacation highlights. How did your kid spend the holidays? :)

We don't spend much on decorations but we really spend time putting up the tree :)

This is how our annual Christmas day is like -- a clan reunion with my paternal side,

the Mendiola-Gabriel clan!

and after Christmas, I had to go up to Baguio to do makeup and host a beautiful wedding so Mio and his Tita Clems got to do all the turista things in Baguio now that he's old enough to appreciate it. :)

Christmas & Children

2011-12-23T22:39:00.000-08:00

Nevermind the hustle and bustle of the adult reunions left and right. Christmas is for kids and it's all that matters!

When we told Mio the big secet about the man behind Christmas, he wasn't devastated at all. It happened last year when his only Christmas wish was an insanely expensive wii. I had to tell him that once upon a time, a man named St. Nick wanted to remind kids about the true meaning of Christmas so he went around and gave prents to children. (luckily, a nice Fil-Aussie lady played Santa last year).

God gave his son to us on a beautiful Christmas morn. And we have our children to remind us of our wonderful childhood too. It's a great way to bring family and frends together and no tragedy or flood can dampen the spirits of those who believe in the spirit of the holidays.

Mio hand-picked his Sendong donations and when we said another boy wanted a Lightning McQueen toy from the first movie, it was his idea to also include one of his.

When I was younger, The only times I could buy a new dress was during my birthday and Christmas and I always had an outfit planned in my head! No child wouldn't want to stand out so Kids of Bayo's Holiday 2011 Collection of quirky color-blocked pieces should definitely be on your wish list for your kids or part of one of their reunion presentation ensembles! (case in point, today's reunion assigns ladies in floral outfits and the boys in plaid!)

POPS OF COLOR
Break the yuletide monotone (of jewel tones or black, red, green or white) with these shades of fun!

Jaycee blazer, Php795

Diane shorts, Php645

Casey top, Php645 & Remy shorts, Php695/ Php725

Mardi jacket, P825/ Php875 & Tiani dress, P825/ Php 875

BLURRING THE LINES

Mix 'em or curve 'em -- these lines are far from just going in one boring direction.

Lorin dress, P895

Naila dress, P875

Breigh jacket, P1,095 and Atarah t-shirt, P545

Dhara t-shirt & Jam jacket, P895

PLEATS PLEASE

Even if you'd have them play and run around, I'd let the girls be girls. It's Christmas after all! (put the boys in something extra special too like collared shirts or fancier jackets to change it up)

Mya blouse, P875 & Rexanne shorts, P745

Nadja dress, P895

Cyrin blouse, P645 & Oni skirt, P645

Martinique romper, P895

Merry Christmas everyone! :D

Mio Alphabet is EVERYWHERE!

2011-12-15T03:26:00.000-08:00

Please hover over these links and find that our cutsie things are featured and well loved on print and online! Love lots!

Kate Alvarez's Blog Kate Was Here

Mabuhay Magazine, December 2011 Issue

Wanderrgirl herself, Arianne Serafico's definition of a meaningful Christmas

Future Entrepreneurs

2011-12-15T03:14:00.000-08:00

The other week was a fun rainy weekend when we participated at the Kiddopreneur Bazaar at the Rockwell Club. It was a learning experience both for the kids and us parents! Here are a few fun quirks to note:

1. Keep the kids entertained.

We had a coloring station ready just in case the kids got tired and wanted to sit down. I guess that reinforced the "art" in the items Mio made and Mio's "rest" was drawing too so that worked to our 24/7 advantage (at least for the 6 hours we were stationed there). That's Mio with Gabriel and Luis.

2. Delegate and rehearse!

Luis was splendid distributing the flyers but later on, maybe after hearing the rest of his friends saying, "stickers for sale! cards for sale!" he started screaming too and we heard him say "flyers for sale!" Hilarious!

3. Like any other staff member, don't let your sellers go hungry!

Amare's Oreas saved the day! We had to start at noon so some of the kids haven't eaten and took turns taking breaks. Phew!

2. Even if they're all over the place, kids take their work seriously.

Rocky, the rowdiest of the group cracked us up when he said, "hey guys! Hey guys! Listen up! We're not here to play, we're here to work!"

That's Rocky by the rack and Xavier "chatting" with Mio. Haha

It was a great experience pooling together Mio's cousins and friends that afternoon. To all those who helped and bought, THANK YOU SO MUCH! :D

We'll be at the Greenmeadows Bazaar this weekend, Dec. 17 & 18 for our LAST BAZAAR for 2011! Hope you can include our greeting cards, notepads, stickers, magnets, mirrors, tags and gift wrappers in your Christmas lists!

Feeling the Love

2011-12-13T02:33:00.000-08:00

Our Mio cards are featured as one of the Top 10 Things They're Loving Now over at spot.ph!

If you love it too, we hope to see you this weekend, December 17 & 18 at the Greenmeadows Bazaar from 9am to 7pm :) Thanks!

Santa is Coming to Town!

2011-12-02T17:52:00.000-08:00

In case you can't drop by tomorrow at the Kiddo-preneur Bazaar, Mio Fights Cancer will also have a booth for the next two weekends at the most anticipated neighborhood bazaars during the holidays!

Come and shop at the biggest bazaar in QC! WITH OVER 180 VENDORS!!!

SANTA'S XMAS BAZAAR @ LA VISTA

DECEMBER 10 & 11 (9AM-7PM)

LA VISTA CLUBHOUSE

FREE entrance!!!

WIN hourly raffles!!!

WIN Power Plant movie passes & an overnight stay at Rockwell Makati's Premiere Lofts!!!

FREE dance class and scuba diving lessons!!!

LIVE Santa + Free loot bags for the kids!!!

LIVE Christmas Carolers all day long!!!

DON'T FORGET - On Sunday, Santa will be celebrating his birthday so bring your kids over from 2pm-5pm for games, free loot bags, and a special visit from Santa Claus himself! This is a great photo opportunity since we have one of the best Santa's in town! (Free photo prints for all visitors.) And if that's not enough, we also have a great selection of food to eat and enjoy at our al fresco dining area.

See you there!!!

*INVITE friends on Facebook by clicking on this link: http://www.facebook.com/events/208125779263250/

*FOLLOW @ChaDaoTeaPlace for event updates, promos & twitter blasts

Chemo Medicines Available

2011-11-28T15:13:00.000-08:00

KIDS Foundation turned over some medicines to us some time ago in the hopes that we can use them. We found no need for some so we're hoping to be able to donate it to anyone who might need the following:

- Cisplatin Cytosplat
- Docetaxel Daxotel

If you know anyone who might need them, kindly email address to miofightscancer@gmail.com

We're on Chicify.com!

2011-11-28T06:58:00.000-08:00

Our products are available now on the chicest online store! Please support and place us in your carts ;) So excited! Look! It's all there! Follow this LINK :)

Kiddo-preneur Bazaar

2011-11-27T16:29:00.000-08:00

Mio Fights Cancer will be at the Kiddopreneur Bazaar this Sunday, December 4 from 12:00 NN to 6:00 PM at the Rockwell Club, Palm Grove :)

Mio's friends and cousins will be manning the booth for a change along with other kiddie booths. We hope that you can drop by and indulge our little sellers :) here are some of the cuties who'll be manning our booth:

Andi & Luke Blanco

Gabe Lariosa

Rocky & Chelsea Ledonio

Xavier & Zib Largo

Mio with his cousins Sophie & Meg, and Meg's cousin Ate Sam

See you there!

Cancer Networks and Their Benefit

2011-11-26T01:11:00.001-08:00

I would like you to welcome our first ever guest Blogger, Mr. David Haas :) For all our readers around the globe, family or friend of someone struck with cancer, I hope that this post will help you in one way or another.

Going through cancer treatments takes a serious toll on people's health. They suffer devastating physical effects, such as losing their hair and losing weight. They may become anemic, fatigued, and incapacitated from living their normal lives. Many patients become discouraged as they fight this condition. To boost their morale and to give them others to speak with as they battle cancer, including mesothelioma, many doctors recommend that patients join cancer survivor networks.

These networks are filled with people who have fought and won this battle against this illness. Some people in the network may still be dealing with the condition. Groups can be found online and at local medical facilities. Many hospitals host such groups, both in person and virtually. If a patient is not capable of leaving his or her home because of the treatments' effects, that individual can take part in discussion and activities online.

Being surrounded by others who have experienced the same physical and emotional effects as the cancer patient helps that person face the fears that are often involved in dealing with cancer. According to the American Cancer Society, a person can voice a particular concern and get feedback from other members of the network. Survivors can offer advice, sympathy, and prayers for other members who are still suffering from cancer. The survivors' successes give hope to those patients who are undergoing treatments.

Visual proof may come in the form of writing. Many networks encourage members to keep diary entries or to write short narrations of their cancer ordeal. They can voice the frustrations, fears, confusion, anger, and even joy that come with dealing with cancer. They can describe their feelings as they deal with setbacks and successes. Putting one's thoughts into writing lets people vent their inner emotions that might otherwise cause mental strain. Their narrations also give insight to others who may not know what to expect from their own treatments ahead of them.

Many doctors realize the importance of patients' building a support network when they fight this deadly condition. Rather than shutting themselves up in their homes, away from friends and family, patients can join cancer survivor networks and gain insight, advice, and empathy in their own cancer journey. Being supported by others plays a vital role in defeating this devastating illness.

Handy Mio

2011-11-23T16:03:00.001-08:00

Mio has a fascination with mechanical things, even my mechanical pencil. I’m guessing this is a guy thing. I’m not complaining. It will probably save us a few bucks when he grows up if he can put this fascination to good use and be our very own repairman.

I think this started because of the cartoon “Handy Manny” on Disney Junior. I remember telling him it was one of my favourite cartoons to watch with him. He got a toolset last Christmas I think, and it came with fake wood (Styrofoam) and you can build things with it. He got so excited and started building his toolbox right away. He was cutting and hammering away with such a big smile on his face.

I was thinking about getting him one of those hobby sets, the airplanes/tanks that you build from scratch. But projects like that usually need adult supervision, and I’m really not an expert in piecing things together, much less things that need a lot of precision like that. So it got me thinking, how do I encourage his love for assembling things? Do I buy him pipes, wrenches, and ball bearings and see what he comes up with? I gave him building blocks before, like Lego, but he quickly got bored with them. I’m open to any suggestions here if you have any

For now, the most I can hope for is that he doesn’t take apart our TV. That might be his last attempt at “fixing” things.

Christmas Wish List

2011-11-23T16:00:00.001-08:00

This year, we thought of something different to do for Mio’s Christmas Wish List. We have a rule at home, when his toys don’t fit his toy chest anymore, it means he has to give some away already. With some hesitation, he obliges. So when I asked him what he wanted to receive as gifts this Christmas, he thought about it for a while. This was my opportunity to introduce a new concept to him, so I said, “How about this year, instead of asking for toys, since you already have a lot of those, we make a book registry for you in Fullybooked. You’ll get to pick out all the books and items you like, then when people are thinking about what to get for you for Christmas, they can just choose from the ones you listed down, and you’ll be sure to love what they get you because you picked those out. How does that sound?” I waited with abated breathe, and then he said “Ok!”

Since December is right around the corner, we’re aiming to get his list done by the end of November. He’s so excited to start making his book registry. I can’t deny that I’m also very excited for him because I’ve been trying to hone his love for reading. To be honest, when I was his age, it wasn’t my strong point either, but now that I’m older, I realize the value of it and I’m slowly picking up the pace. So as early as now, I want him to get into the habit of reading more. With all the technology surrounding kids these days, the idea of picking up a book seems more and more alien to them and I would hate for him to miss out on the opportunity to enjoy flipping through pages and discovering new things for himself, the old fashioned way.

So for the Santas out there thinking about a little something for the little guy, we would really appreciate if you could check out the list of “personalized gifts for him” in any Fullybooked stores once we get the list out.

Man with a Plan

2011-11-23T14:30:00.000-08:00

“Dada’s going to be my school bus next year!”

My son cheerily exclaims to me matter-of-factly. My dad is gearing up for retirement, and he did mention before that he wanted to do the school bus routine. I didn’t pay much attention to it, thinking it’s still far down the line. So when Mio brought this up, my first instinct was “As long as he brings you home to me, ha.”

Grandparents are notorious for spoiling their apos, and my parents are no different. In the cycle of life, parents are bad cop, while they play good cop, ALL the TIME. It’s a fact, and the sooner you give in to this, the simpler things will be. Believe me. Mio grew up with his grandparents very much present. As a single mom, I also wanted them to be as involved as they can be, especially since I had to work long hours. As with any given situation, there are upsides and downsides to this setup. Of course the main pro is that they get to spend a lot of time with their grandson, and Mio never feels he is missing out on family. I want him to know that even though our family is not conventional, it’s filled with people who love one another, and as long as there is that, it should be enough to consider family.

So going back to my son’s cheery statement about his Dada bringing him to and from school, I know better than to stop my dad from this fulfilment. Of course, as long as he takes him home to me, there won’t be any problem. I guess if I allow him to do this for his grandson, and for me too, that would mean I won’t have to buy him any gift for retirement party he might have when next year comes.

A Gentle Reminder

2011-11-23T14:23:00.001-08:00

I recently visited an old office of mine. As soon as I stepped inside, a flurry of friendly faces were abound, asking me how I’ve been doing, what I’ve been up to, and how Mio is now. I willingly obliged, happily answering their inquiries especially when it comes to Mio. I was there for a good 2 hours or so, and upon leaving the place, I was handed a paper bag with a lot of stuff in it like nursing scrubs from Marcus, cloth masks, pajama sets ( with a Spongebob design, one of his favourite characters) and other trinkets. My friend told me that there were people who heard about Mio and our situation, and they wanted to give him a little something. I was so touched by this gesture. It was still surprising to be reminded of how many people really have us in their thoughts, how many lives we’ve touched, and how far we’ve reached.

Sometimes when Mio misbehaves, like any kid his age does, I remind him that he’s special, that a lot of people are watching him grow up, guiding him, praying for him, and it should make him see that there are more reasons to be thankful rather than to complain about. This does the trick. He gives himself time to absorb this and lets his anger go. I really commend him for being able to understand abstract concepts such as this because most adults still find it difficult. God only knows I’m still learning too, from and for my son.

Unconditional Love

2011-11-22T19:51:00.001-08:00

Stretch marks could very well be part of the top five things a woman does not want to see on her body. Believe me, I know. When I was pregnant with Mio, I did NOT have a mark on me. I used only a few products like lotion and organic shea butter, but none really of the products that were specifically to fend off those horrid stretch marks.

Now, I have to work really hard at keeping unsightly marks at bay. I guess this is what aging can do. Luckily, I seem to have a penchant for the right skin regimen that minimizes the effects of the inevitable yearly addition to my age. But as far as my little man is concerned, I’m not old. He reminds me constantly that I’m pretty (even on days that I probably look a little under the weather or off the radar, he still manages to say I’m “a little pretty”), and that no matter how old I am, his Dada and Anmom (my parents) are the old ones. Haha. Not really comforting, but the fact that he offers me what he believes to be a compliment, is.

I often wonder if his thoughtfulness is something that he’ll carry on with him until he has children of his own. I smile at the thought that he would have the innate charm to make his future wife blush with random compliments here and there as he does to me now at the age of 7, that he would have the right temperament to sooth a scraped knee while reminding his child about the perils of running. Mio will be a great husband and father, I’m sure of it. But not too soon I hope

The Epic Battle Between Mio and His Food

2011-11-22T19:45:00.001-08:00

I’m almost sure that every parent has had their own run in with the mystery of why it’s so hard for their kids to swallow food. In the middle of watching Mio fight a losing battle with his breakfast, my mind began to probe into what could be the cause for this odd phenomenon in kids. I dissect the meal in my head—rice is soft enough to not chew so much and swallow easily, and the same goes with scrambled eggs, which brings us to the sausages, could they be the culprit in the delay? I ask Mio to open his mouth so I could check what the problem could be. Lo and behold, it’s the rice I see. This brings me to the conclusion that it’s probably not the ingredients of the meal. The kettle whistles on the stove and I snap out of my Sherlockian state of mind.

The doctor has advised, nay, urged Mio to eat more so as to gain more weight and be able to ward off infections lurking about, but for some reason, he really doesn’t gain a lot of body mass, no matter what. What a problem huh? Here adults are, struggling to go back to their ideal weight—resorting to surgery, weightloss pills and whatnot, then here this boy is, needing to inflate himself by eating heartily, and failing miserably. Oh, the irony.

As for me, I just want my baby boy to develop a steady, healthy eating habit that would help him greatly in the larger battle in his life. We’ll need all the soldiers we can get to fight the big C, and the sooner he makes his peace with his spoon and fork in hand, the better our chances are of overthrowing the enemy.

Reality Check

2011-11-22T19:00:00.001-08:00

Ever since that fateful day in 2009 when I learned of Mio’s condition, it slowly dawned on me that my hopes and dreams have changed substantially. Because I’m around weddings a lot, I of course secretly imagined a day of my own. A cascade of waves hitting the shore as I walk along it, approaching my forever—the blinding visions of white and flowers, wedding bands, a blur of people surrounding me, wishing me a great adventure ahead. But as I later on realized, dreams do change, not because you’ve given up on them, but because something greater has come along and made even bigger dreams possible.

My desires are more practical, and my dreams more meaningful. I happily long for vacations on the beach, holding my loved ones’ hands as we walk along the shore together, building sandcastles with Mio, and gazing at the sunset as they mark the end of our beautiful day. Hope began to take on a different meaning, as we fervently pray every day for the continued recovery of Mio. Gratitude enters my heart every second for all of the dreams that have come true with all the love and support that friends and strangers alike have given us. It never ceases to amaze me how little acts of kindness can sustain the feeling of fullness, completeness that seemed to evade me in all the years of hoping for different things.

Now that I’ve chanced upon this massive gold mine of simple joys and treasures, I hope my little one will take from it what he can. Because of this new vision of a life lived fully, I’m certain that Mio will grow up a good man, not having anything to be resentful about, and will have the confidence to succeed in everything that he dreams to become. That, by far, is my ultimate wish for myself and for him

Rated PG- Parental Guidance is advised

2011-11-17T04:19:00.001-08:00

I’ve been thinking a lot lately about when Mio grows up. Right now, at 7, he urges me to go with him to his classmates’ parties, to arrange play dates for him, to do stuff with him. And sometimes, I admit, I take it for granted, especially when I’m busy at work or tired from it. It makes me think about the things he needs me for, and the things he WANTS me to actually be part of, and right now, there’s no clear distinction. I can’t help but wonder, as he’s growing into his own person, at what point will he stop asking me to put him to bed, to pray with him, to eat with him and whatnot?

There are times when the needing gets to be too much. Like when I’ve already put him to bed and he keeps calling me back, or when I’m on a deadline and he keeps calling out from his room for little bouts of attention that I can’t afford to give at the moment. Those times test my patience as a parent, and admittedly sometimes I fall short. But knowing that there’s a looming deadline for his unwavering desire to be around me, or to be more accurate, to have me around, I get torn when faced with these seemingly small details of the day. I know it’s inevitable that he would slowly pull away as he grows up. Heck, he’s already told me not to kiss him in public. The thought both frightens me and makes me proud.

I think one secret to being a good parent is to never lose sight of how you were when you were your child’s age. It’s scary to think about it in those terms because then you’d have to trust that your child makes the right decisions, with your hindsight serving only as guidance and not an answer key. For this reason, I have dug up stages of my life that make me smile, cringe, and send shivers down my spine. I’ve plucked out the milestones—first day of school (check), first milk tooth falling (check), the first heartbreak (playground “friendship-overs”, check), first academic award (check)—then I thought about the bigger stuff like Confirmation, grade school graduation, and the high school prom! This last one stumps me for a longer while. What do boys do when the prom season is abound? Surely it’s not about finding the perfect prom dresses like we girls worried about back then. Then it began to unnerve me, all the movies about prom nights and all the pressure that goes with it. I can only hope that Mio will let me sleep soundly when the time comes.

After high school comes the road test for your life ahead. The first defining crossroads—college. Right now, Mio is dead-set on becoming a basketball player; a feat well within his reach as far as his basketball training is concerned. He’s already been asking what college is about, and I tell him not to worry about it yet because it’s still far ahead. But every time he asks me about that part of the future, I can’t help but think, “Is it really that far from today?”

Every day, he grows smarter, stronger, and healthier. Every day, he’s a step closer to becoming the man I’m raising him to be—kind, compassionate, and God-fearing. Like the cliché suggests, nothing is permanent, and we’re constantly changing. But one thing’s for sure, he’s still my baby, more today than tomorrow, but my baby nonetheless, and that makes all the future worries fade away into the horizon.

Nov. 16, 201: ABS-CBN Bazaar

2011-11-15T00:30:00.001-08:00

One day only! Mio Fights Cancer will be selling these lovely items at the ABS-CBN Bazaar at the ELJ Bldg.

Hope to see you there!

Christmas designed Greeting Cards (box of 10 cards with 10 envelopes for P350) and gift tags (box of 100 pieces of business card sized cards for P300/ P50 for 10 pieces at bazaars only)

Santa Claus and Snowman design available too!

gift tags (box of 100 pieces of business card sized cards for P300/ P50 for 10 pieces at bazaars only)

assorted gift wrapper designs

(100 pieces of 12x18 inch for P2,000/ P250 for 10 pieces at bazaars only)

The Mio Alphabet (Greeting Cards, Notepads for P100 and Monogram stickers for P50)

Shoot!

2011-11-08T16:56:00.000-08:00

The word possesses so many meanings in my household.

For me, it connotes work as I'm often at photo "shoots". I've also been filtering the words that come out of my mouth especially now that Mio's been very observant. "That's a bad word, Mom..." when I accidentally drop something and blurt out a four-letter word out of sheer panic.

"shoot" for Mio though is the equivalent of his latest achievements. Yes, Mio's been bitten by the basketball bug.

For awhile now, he's been hooked to it mostly due to the UAAP and Ateneo's strong school spirit (kung hindi lng ako Atenista myself, I'd probably cringe at the idea too but it comes with the great educational benefits so the instilling Magis at the tender age of 7-- I can take). I was surprised too that he noted specific names aside from Jimmy Alapag (who gave him his first Nintendo DS in 2009) among his favorite basketball players from the PBA. O ha! I didn't even know he was THAT into it. He told Audrey when she visited him that among all the basketball teams, he liked Talk n' Text the most, then Petron next.

His greatest fascination though is with the Lakers and Kobe so it's really a sad time that its seems like there won't be an NBA Season this year after all :( He got a wonderful gift from Kobe though when he visited the Philippines through the generous efforts of Ogilvy and Nike :)

I'm narrating this because Mio recently had his first real basketball encounter :) you see, Mio wasn't a playful child and I can only guess that it was due to his joint paints that signalled us of his illness. He was more inclined to table activities and I'd often really hear him say, "I want to be an artist" which is why we have all these art activities lined up for him.

Lately though, his statements have changed to "I want to be a basketball player." I was a performing arts kinds of girl from way back. I recall grabbing microphones to be the prayer leader, singing in front of Christmas performances, dancing ballet, playing the piano and then finally taking up Theater Arts as my major in college. So the recent changes in Mio's priorities alarm me actually. Hehe.

I'm being supportive though and I tell him that if he wanted to become a basketball player, he ought to learn how instead of just shooting hoops at my parents garage on weekends. He was hesitant at first because he said, "the other boys might already know how" which was quite defeatist of my son.

And on the day of his trial for the Basketball Clinic, although he seemed to be enjoying himself, the second time he fell on his knee, he cried like a baby (please don't tell him I told you that! He reads this on his spare time when he's done playing Car Town on his Facebook, claiming that "I checked my website Mom... why did you say...." my goodness, kids these days!). Imagine my eyes popping out of horror. My Dad, the doting grandfather rushed to carry him as if he broke his leg and said, "enough!" You see, my father is an endearing spoiler but he gets insanely upset when tears are involved, he starts cursing because according to him, if you get hurt, it's your fault. That makes a lot of sense on so many levels, don't you think?

Anyway, I told Mio, "get up and don't give up. Today is a trial so we'll know if you like it but don't quit midway. Finish this class today."

The whole time since then, I'd see him glance at my direction as if waiting for my affirmation. At some point, however, I found myself looking through his drills and feeling ashamed of what I said. Not so long ago, I tried Bikram Yoga and Barre 3. Also tried going to the gym years ago. All in the hopes of finding a way to keep me fit (tick tock tick tock) as the years I've wasted partying, drinking and smoking are all taking a toll on my body now. The operative word is "tried" and I've never gone past a first-time for any of the activities I've mentioned. So. Shame on me, right?

Lo and behold my son was shooting hoops like a pro! Save for the travelling and double dribbles :) he shot scores for his team and didn't want to leave until I said he was too pawis already. He's excited for this Saturday and my Dad got him real basketball shoes already ;) with his enthusiasm and diligence, hopefully he can at least get one of those Athletic Trainer Jobs or be the basketball player that he really wants.

I guess at this point, I need to remind myself to just keeping shooting for my goals too, don't you think? If this 7 year old can do it, we adults should too.

Mio's doctor advised that Mio can start playing ball when he's in grade 2 so the drills he's taking now are monitored and focus on basic ball handling. The only precaution is to make sure that he's always hydrated throughout the 2-hour activity, rests the rest of the day after and still wears his mask at all times. He also must rest when he feels too tired and not push his strength to the limit. So far, seems to be working well for him as his motivation seems to translate to his appetite as well :) crossing fingers.....