4 November 16 - All Saints Week

Amidst the noise of the election, we have Ylize who remains to be sweet and smart (at least from the perspective of a dad).  This morning, she woke up without a fuzz. I think its because she slept early and was well fed.

What is fascinating about her today was her calmness and "seriousness" when it comes to school matters.

The boys are ok today. Zach, who always struggle to be consistent with his grades came clean today when he said, "we all have a low grade" in Science. I need to do a good job of monitoring his study habits. Thirty minutes a day per subject could be a good strategy.

Xandrei on the other hand, though excels in his classes, seemed not contented. He is our over achiever kid. A good trait, I supposed.

Mom works today, she is moving to a new unit, still at St. Luke's. I hope this change will not tire her a lot.

We voted yesterday. Jaz obviously was a democrat. Me? Can't tell you. I voted for a candidate, who, even if he/she will not win, yet I know will make a difference.

We have Quiz Bowl tomorrow. Yes I have to give up my Saturday. Even if I would like to rest because last Saturday was a killer. I guess, I don't have any choice. I have to help

Hey, I can't believe it. I am blogging again? I hope it will last

Ciao!

FLORIDA 2016 (DeFuniak Spring)

The reason we travel at the end of July is for us to celebrate Jaz's birthday. It has become a tradition to celebrate her birthday in another city or state.  This year, we chose Florida.

The plan to leave at 3 was moved to 4 then 4:30. I needed to make sure the house is safe, the insecticide is sprayed and the chicken has feeds. Off we  went. After 40 minutes of driving the tire light came of. Dismissing it as "normal" for Sienna, we drove for more than 30 minutes more until I finally relented to my conscience to have the tire air check at Bucess!

Defuniak was our first stop over. We were surprised to see a gift from the staff  for our "anniversary." Unknown to me, they told my wife that my comment in their website showed that we are celebrating our anniversary. I don't remember making any mention of the anniversary. Nevertheless, how can you refuse a bottle of wine from the local winery, a set of goblets, candies and a note. To return the favor of their great hospitality, aside from paying $168.00, I have to give them a good review in Yelp and in their site (which I have not done as of this writing). The only downside was the gas. It costs us $2.35 per gallon which to our dismay was way too high when we found a $1.91 per gallon 4 miles from DeFuniak Springs.

Thanks Holiday Inn of DeFuniak Springs 

Why DeFuniak Springs ? Because it is the closest city of Seaside. Ms. Cordes mentioned to me how beautiful is its beach, how quaint is its town center and how unique is the city. Hence, we chose Defuniak. True to her word, the beach park is indeed captivating. The sand is white, powdery and comparable to Boracay (except that it is cleaner). I let my feet play with the sand and enjoy the respite it brought me. Definitely I will be coming back here, I told myself. Who will not? That was the first time for me to see and feel the inviting calmness of a beach. So pristine and untouched. I promised myself not to go back to Galveston and Surfside anymore.

 

The town by night was enchanting. Although parking is hard to find and speed is below ten (because of the people crossing and biking) it did not take us long to find a spot...and a place to dine. There are food trucks to choose from ranging from the usual american staple to the exotic concoction. We played safe and picked St. Louis style barbeque. It did not disappoint us. The spices and sauce were just about perfect.  Even Ylize stamped her approval.

We strolled around, took some pictures, ventured into their local post office, "sampled" their gelato.  We went home filled and full. Defuniak is definitely a future destination next summer.

GOOD GRADES = GOOD LIFE!

It’s not easy being a father. And more so being a Filipino father. Yesterday, or should I say last Sunday, was a typical example.

Hoping that Zach was aware of his church attire, we went to church for his altar serving. But when he put on his cassock, I found out that what he was wearing was inappropriate. I was furiously mad. To me that was a waste of time and gas. We came to church for nothing. The situation aggravated the following day when we found out that he got a C in Math and an F in Social Studies. The afternoon was not easy for him when he got home. Jaz and I simply confronted him and reminded him of his responsibility and “job” as a student. To which he was in denial and combative.

It is frustrating sometimes because you are expecting that everything is fine and yet you are blindsided with bad news. Much as you would like to be calm and reasonable, yet sometimes emotion, I mean bad emotion, takes over. You will only regret afterwards.

Today though was different. After a heart to heart talk and pleading, it seemed Zach realized that we are serious about his studies. I think I was able to say that “if before we are OK with B, now we want you to get all A’s.” Reflecting about this scenario, I guess it is better to set the bar of expectation to the highest level than by just asking for B’s.

To me academics are still the priorities. Games, clubs and piano are for kids skills development. At the end of the day, good grades, great school and stable job are the ones that can lead him to a good life. A life far from what we have gone through.

Good grades equals good life. Nothing can beat that.