Changing nannies again

The other day, our little household went on a little restructuring. Though we've known this for quite some time now (the nanny was kind enough to let us know beforehand that she intends to leave), it was still full of uncertainty. Sadly, something that's unavoidable.

The nanny told us that she wanted to go home. She didn't provide a reason, we didn't demand. Boredom, probably. Boredom is cruel when it eats you up, and you have nowhere to go to avoid it. Being eighteen is difficult, how much more being eighteen and staying in one place for the longest time. Who knows, really?

As for me not stopping her from going, I have reasons I prefer to keep. As soon as she said she wanna quit, I hastily looked for replacement. My Mama was always there to help me out with helper issues. By about a week, I have a replacement ready. I told her she can go home anytime she wants now. And added that I'm not hurrying her up, that she can finish the next 15 days to have her salary intact. She did stay until the 15th... and beyond. We were actually wondering if she ever intends to leave, which drove me to start worrying. Hell, I can't have three helpers in such a tiny household!

She finally went home the other day. I am here hoping that Xofi learns to have fun with her Ate Ai-Ai and forget her Ate Lanie, fast.

Househelps, you can never really tell what's going on in their minds. And you can only be so good to them that you'll never know where you went wrong that made them wanna go. Well, at least that one lasted for over 1 and a half years.

Need help in Math?

I didn't know why I took up Psychology in college. All I remember thinking was I wanted to do something fun, and Psychology looks like an interesting subject to immerse yourself with for four years. I did not remember taking into consideration how I hated (and still do) math. But looking at it in hindsight, I'm pretty sure math had so much to do with that decision.

Oh yes, I memorized the multiplication table. Memorizing was easy. Then the teacher told us to not just memorize them, but also to understand how the numbers work. I mean, really?! I know numbers may fascinate some, but their mere presence on a sheet of paper or on screen makes me cringe. I am beyond thankful that cellphones right now have built-in calculators.

Then I get to tutor 2 grade 6 students. I had to re-learn what I already purged into oblivion. Online math help was a big help to reacquainting myself with numbers.

If you're in K12, or planning to go back to school, or just plainly need help in college math, go see what Math help has in store for you. Their offers are very affordable, and they also have Free math help for those who want to try the service first.

TutorVista.com, the company behind Online math help, promises an unlimited tutoring which is available to students 24x7, anytime and whenever they need it.

If you're in the crossroads of a possible life-altering decision, don't let math stop you from getting what you want. I know I shouldn't have.

No. 2 finished in the chair

One week after we started potty training, Xofi pooped in her chair! Yay! But not quite ;) she actually started in her nappy, then she shouted "poo-poop!" Her nanny then hurriedly ushered her to the chair, and she completed the "job" there. Good enough for me, really. I'd like to see it as a mini-milestone. There is such a thing, right?

Then today nothing happened. She sits at the chair and that's about it. On some days, she won't even sit! I had to bribe her with a sticker just so she'd sit. Oh yes, my sticker supply is fast dwindling down.

Xofi is not one that's hard to learn stuff, actually. She pretty much knows our nighttime routine and that when the small hand of the clock points to 9, off to bed she goes. Before we had this established, there was a lot of screaming and crying because she still wants to play with Mommy. Now when I say "na-nyte time," she kisses everybody goodnight and goes upstairs without fuss.

At 1 year and 6 months, she was already counting up to ten, and learning to read her alphabets and numbers. To date, she has mastered all letters, big and small, aced her shapes and even know a hexagon from an octagon. She knows her colors well but sometimes gets confused between yellow and green (Well, I still get confused between green and blue myself!). She also talks in a fairly understandable toddler-talk, memorized her favorite rhymes and some Pussycat Dolls favorites. At about 15 months, she uttered her first sentence: Catch the ball!

C'mon, I carried her for 9-mostly-ugly months, labored for 24 hours, I am entitled to these bragging rights :P

I just wished she'd learn potty training as fast as she did her alphabets and stuff.

But the main concern really is the nappy cost. My goodness, the price of those pull-ups!! I can't wait for the day when she no longer needs them. Booo overpriced nappies!

Thinking of going back to school

Most of the best times I've experienced in this life I experienced while in school. High school was great and fun and college was so much more. By and by I’d reminisce and wish I was still in school today. Well of course, I should also be younger :P

It was amazing, how, my whole life, I've never been to a private school. My parents sure saved up on me. I went to a state college in high school, pretty much no tuition fee and another state university in college with just a bit of a tuition fee. School fees were never a problem for me. The government pretty much had that covered.

Remembering how I came to choose my major, the decision-making process I had to go through – made me realize I pretty much did not put as much thought on it as I should have. I chose my major because it was fun, period. In hindsight, I should’ve gotten an engineering degree. Oh believe me, I could’ve made so much more with it :P :P (Wait, they have lots of Math subjects). OK, maybe went into the Culinary Arts. Hah!

In any case, and if I’m really serious about going back to school, nothing can stop me. No sir, not even the crisis. I just have to be aware of the available Student Loans that offer the best deals.

And then there’s another hurdle. I’m a mother and a wife, I can’t afford to be away that much. Plus I need to earn while doing all these lest I’d be hurting the family income. More diggings, and what do you know, reputable Online Education abound. Even if an online degree won’t get me anywhere in my current career, it’ll prove to be useful in some areas. I love accumulating skills and improving what I know. It’s a never ending process. I just have to carefully select from the list of Accredited Online College Degrees and I’m off my way. My merry, merry way.

Now, how did Xofi do in her potty training again?

I forgot to pay?!?!

I feel so utterly, utterly helpless.

I was confused beyond reason why my card was declined for the last week I used it. Good thing I always carry cash specifically for times like these.

I thought maybe the card is damaged in some way. I sometimes knowingly put the card and cellphone together in one pouch, that's why.

And because I know no other way why my card is declined when I am still way way below my credit limit, I called Customer Service.

Me: Miss, kindly check what's wrong with my card? It got declined twice already.
CS: Ma'am, your card is temporarily blocked because you haven't paid your previous bill yet.
Me: How can that be? I did not receive my bill at all!
CS: But it was sent successfully in your email, Ma'am.
Me: Can you send me again my bill?
CS: No Ma'am, we're not allowed. You have to dig back in your email if it's there, or I can start the request now which will take 2-3 working days.
Me: Oh, never mind. That will be all.

After hours of pondering and killing myself for the mishap, I still can't reconcile it. Imagine that! Me, as OC as I am, FORGOT TO PAY A BILL!

My records show that I did receive the bill and all entries checked out. Which the anal me would then print it, prepare the money, and hand both to the husband for payment.

Apparently, as records show, I only came to the part where I checked the entries out and not really sure if I printed the bill or not. Sadly, my calendar shows nothing to reassure my damaged psyche.

It's simply irreconcilable!

I called Customer Service back and asked if I really have to pay the Finance Charge. Yes, I have to pay because it’s a legitimate charge. Don’t they give chances to first time mishaps? (I know, pathetic!) She wishes she could, but she’s sorry. If I threaten to cut my credit with them, will they now forgo the charge?

Of course I did not say that last line. I figured my mishap, I’m owning it up, and I’m paying it up!

Wait till I get home and check my records.

Save up and camp

Routine bores me. That is something I need to work on. Unlike the husband who feels secured on routine, I'd go crazy if I can't do something different in a week. We usually pepper our routine with travels just to appease me. Sometimes I'd vehemently demand it. "Please for my sanity," is my usual speech to the husband.

With the rising cost, we have to watch our expenses. And this includes cutting on travels. Travels take a huge share in our income pie, you see. Which also prompts me to look for alternatives. I'm thinking we don't have to give up travel altogether, we just have to know where to cut costs.

I also happen to love the outdoors even if I'm a well-known mosquito food. Mosquitoes seem to prefer me as their main course but I don't care less. I could go on trekking a river for hours and feel completely happy and contented. There is something in communing with nature that speaks to me.

I was actually thinking of that 15-minute drive Mountain Resort and camp. We happen to live where everything's near and accessible. If the savings account is truly hurting, I guess we could just go home to my mother's and pitch a tent at the backyard.

Now, that is just an idea I hope you'll find useful. But before everything else, everything has to be planned and mapped out. I hate routine, but I'm also kindov anal. :P

Potty training miserably failed at week 1

Last week Monday, we started potty training. It was a morning filled with howls and screams and clinging on to Mommy. The whole day, Xofia didn't poop. I wondered if it was the introduction of the potty chair that made her not want to poop.

Now, Xofia, when constipating is not a site you'd want to see. She'd double over, recoil while crying "mommy, daddy, boo-booooo!" I know her, she doesn't cry for just any ordinary boo-boo. For her to cry like that, sweating and flushing, it's got to be really painful. So what's a mother to do? Insert glycerin suppository, ASAP.

That basically made up our first day of potty training. I had to literally force the poop out of her. Sigh.

I am now feeling utterly incompetent at being a mother. And now there's a fact that I had to go work, that I had to be away, that I won't be there to supervise the whole potty training thing. Companies should give mothers Potty-Training leave! I think it's equally as important.

One week after, there was really no progress. Thanks to my absence and my baby-sitter's i-don't-care-less attitude, the week has gone to waste.

I just have to remember that potty training is way way easier than sex education. Yes, worse things are yet to come.