tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-49213344303944949112024-03-14T14:41:48.449+08:00Viva La Vida MamaTwo friends. One adventure. Motherhood!The Viva La Vida Mamashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09649508158679472701noreply@blogger.comBlogger385125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4921334430394494911.post-13611486185605891872012-09-29T14:38:00.000+08:002012-09-29T15:03:16.645+08:00Dr. Thomas Armstrong on the heart of learning<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-qnZfvyFINCM/UGaX7LsmQcI/AAAAAAAACkI/9tdeeeCsCtU/s1600/HeartOfLearning_15Sep12_4.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-qnZfvyFINCM/UGaX7LsmQcI/AAAAAAAACkI/9tdeeeCsCtU/s400/HeartOfLearning_15Sep12_4.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"> Dr. Thomas Armstrong visits Keys Grade School. Here he is talking to some Kindergartners.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Freshly-posted on Rappler, <a href="http://www.rappler.com/life-and-style/13266-the-heart-of-learning" target="_blank">my interview with educator, author and psychologist Dr. Thomas Armstrong</a>. If more teachers, schools and parents take his advice I think this world will be a much better place.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">As word limits are strict in the social news network I work for (stories must be readable on an iPhone screen!) and I have this tendency to be verbose, here's my chance to post parts of our chat that didn't come out on Rappler. </span></div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-SyM79TCXzLc/UGaX-azvflI/AAAAAAAACkQ/f8VGQAUsr48/s1600/HeartOfLearning_15Sep12_3.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="318" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-SyM79TCXzLc/UGaX-azvflI/AAAAAAAACkQ/f8VGQAUsr48/s400/HeartOfLearning_15Sep12_3.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">He even blogged about Keys and Explorations and <a href="http://thomasarmstrong.com/blog/2012/09/19/my-visit-to-progressive-schools-in-the-philippines/" target="_blank">cited them as Exemplar Schools</a>.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">What he says about "creating an oasis of calm within ourselves" is so wise and so true and I have lived it (and the opposite!), I just had to share:</span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Rappler: In <i>The
Best Schools</i>, you say more than teaching-to-the-test children need to learn
to love learning, to imagine, create, to think critically. You’d rather have
them involved in projects. Less pop-quizzes, more experiences. But then there
are those who say, “We want to see test results!” And by the way… “Isn’t academic
achievement a good thing?”<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b>Dr. Thomas Armstrong:</b> Yes, it is. In fact,
academic achievement is part of the development of the whole person. It’s only
when it becomes the main focus of learning that it becomes a problem. A doctor
or a pilot should have passed his tests of course, but he should have spent a
lot more time practicing his skills, hands-on-training. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Academic
achievement is important, but it must stem from a love of learning. We should
not destroy this intrinsic love of learning that children are born with. If we
create this atmosphere where the test is the most important thing, then we
starve their curiosity because they’re so busy studying for those very limited
questions to a test. We then we miss the main point of education. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Rappler: The point being, socio-emotional growth
along with intellectual growth. Cater to
their curiosity. Tend to their individual needs as learners. I’ve also heard
people say, “Schools must be stressful because life is stressful, kids should
toughen up, take those stressful tests, even… live with bullying!”<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b>Dr. Thomas Armstrong:</b> In that case, why don’t
we all just beat ourselves up every morning? If life is that hard then why
don’t we give ourselves a break? Nurturing socio-emotional development means we
create an oasis of calm within ourselves that let’s us face stress or
difficulty much better. We become kinder… to ourselves, to others. There’s this
saying, “life is hard and then you die.” I don’t agree. What kind of life is
that? <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">I always tell
parents, discover your child’s strengths, because those strengths will fortify
your child through the difficulties of life. If they don’t know who they are,
what their capabilities are, then at the first sign of difficulty out in the
world they’re going to fall apart. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">The rest of the interview can be <a href="http://www.rappler.com/life-and-style/13266-the-heart-of-learning" target="_blank">read on Rappler</a>. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Like how he thinks so far? I can vouch for one of his books: <i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/The-Best-Schools-Development-Educational/dp/141660457X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1348900332&sr=8-1&keywords=the+best+schools" target="_blank">The Best Schools: How Human Development Research Should Inform Educational Practice</a></i>. Not just for teachers, but for parents as well Written with a lot of sense, reflection and Heart.</span></div>
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<a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54488/186/FB0A32D1796A576C97CE1D20BEF54604.png" style="background: transparent; border: 0 !important;" /></a></div>
The Viva La Vida Mamashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09649508158679472701noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4921334430394494911.post-80545439944317426282012-09-23T20:48:00.003+08:002012-09-24T18:40:52.703+08:00A Reading Revolution: Students choose their books<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<i><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Posting my original, uncut version of <b><a href="http://www.rappler.com/life-and-style/12884-a-reading-revolution-students-choose-their-books" target="_blank">A Reading Revolution: Students choose their books</a>,</b> published on Rappler. </span></i></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></i></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">I know education stories can be a </span><span style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">hard sell, like this took awhile to publish, but it's finally out there and the response has been good. Geeks do abound in the Internet, yes? And it is good to give a damn about education and ideal learning environments in my book. </span></span></i></div>
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<i><span style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></i></div>
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<i><span style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">More important than my frustration, here's a tiny sounding bell for better education for all kids. </span></span></i><i><span style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">One story at a time. </span></span></i><i><span style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">If you like what you read about in <a href="http://www.rappler.com/life-and-style/12884-a-reading-revolution-students-choose-their-books" target="_blank">Teacher Joe's classroom</a> please share, like on Facebook or tweet my latest Rappler story. Thank you, blogger friend.</span></span></i><br />
<i><span style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></i>
<a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54488/186/FB0A32D1796A576C97CE1D20BEF54604.png" style="background-color: transparent; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border: 0px !important;" /></a><br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/--ip0AH8_Tmg/UF74hKvjEiI/AAAAAAAACjM/W3UwTrqlbqg/s1600/ReadingRevolution_1Sep12_1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="203" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/--ip0AH8_Tmg/UF74hKvjEiI/AAAAAAAACjM/W3UwTrqlbqg/s320/ReadingRevolution_1Sep12_1.JPG" width="320" /></a><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Seventh-grader Bella is
reading John Green’s <i>The Fault in our
Stars</i><span style="font-size: small;">. </span></span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Beside her, Gabbie is reading
</span><i style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Inkheart</i><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> by Cornelia Funke. Isabelle’s
book is </span><i style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">The Absolutely True Story of a
Part Time Indian</i><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> by Sherman Alexie. In another side of the room, there are boys
with various Rick Riordan books—from his action-packed Percy Jackson series. Two
other kids are reading </span><i style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">The Hunger Games</i><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">This is not some random
gathering of precocious bookworms. I am in Joe Sibayan’s classroom, where the
Readers Workshop approach is used in teaching literacy. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">I observe his class during
independent reading time, when students bury them selves in their chosen books
for 20 minutes. Later, they break up into groups to discuss what they have been
reading, book club style. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; text-align: justify;">Literature circles were formed today according to themes. As it turns out, Bella, Gabbie and Isabelle’s theme is Man vs. Self. In another circle, Miguel is enjoying Neil Gaiman’s </span><i style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; text-align: justify;">The Graveyard Book</i><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; text-align: justify;">. Nikos likes Gaiman too, but his choice is </span><i style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; text-align: justify;">Odd and the Frost Giants</i><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; text-align: justify;">. Circle mate Mikko is reading Michael Scott’s </span><i style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; text-align: justify;">The Alchemist</i><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; text-align: justify;">. Miguel tells me their theme is Man vs. Society.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">If the 21 students in teacher Joe’s class choose 21 different books to read for a current theme, that would be fine with him. That would in fact be the point—giving students the choice.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">A student consults with Teacher Joe.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">He explains, "part of the education of any reader is developing the ability to browse through books, determine if a book matches your reading abilities and purpose for reading, and to decide on whether or not a book is worth pursuing."</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; text-align: left;">For many of us who went to schools with a strict list of assigned books, this may seem revolutionary—and very new. But Readers Workshop was actually developed in the 1980s at Columbia University's <a href="http://tc.readingandwritingproject.com/" target="_blank">Teacher's College Reading and Writing Project (TCRWP)</a>. </span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; text-align: left;">This reading revolution was started back then by Lucy Calkins, an educator who believed schools shouldn’t be dull and learning shouldn’t be rote.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Literacy Specialist Maggie Moon had worked with Calkins as a Senior Staff Developer at TCRWP. She explains, "many [education] scholars decided it was time to teach reading and writing the way people learn best, by becoming like apprentices to 'master' readers and writers. They wanted to help children develop a life-long love of reading, instead of seeing it only as an academic subject to master."</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Their approach proved to be good for academics anyway. The State of New York eventually asked Calkins to roll her program for their school system, which was then suffering from dismal test scores. In time, the project turned things around for the city's low performing schools.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Since then, TCRWP has spread to other parts of the US and the world--including Keys Grade School in Mandaluyong, where Joe Sibayan teaches and acts as one of the Curriculum Coordinators. Maggie Moon flies in regularly to conduct seminars with him, as they both mentor the rest of the Keys teaching staff on how to implement Readers Workshop.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b>What if all a student wants to read is <i>Twilight</i>?</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">According Moon, nurturing
passionate, analytical readers entails some letting go. Children should be
exposed to many types of books, and some you may not consider quality reading.
Picking up <i>Gossip Girl</i> or <i>Jekyll and Heide</i> is what teenagers tend
to do, but that’s fine. They should find pleasure in reading. They should be
allowed to grow into their own idiosyncrasies as readers. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Moon explains, “Strong
readers have a specific sense of what they like and don't like. So I want to
see kids acting like proficient readers as soon as they can. If that involves
some <i>Twilight</i> reading, so be it.” <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Bad books can even give good
lessons on critical analysis.<i> </i>“Ideally,
those kids reading <i>Twilight</i> can form
a book club to discuss whether the writing is good, whether the characters are
believable, whether the books or movies are better, whether there are other
vampire series that deserve more attention, why or why not,” says Ms. Moon.<i><o:p></o:p></i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">At their age, it is also more
crucial to cultivate the stamina for reading and the habit of it, rather than
imposing your choice of literature. This takes time and many books—all sorts
and many levels of complexity—from R.L. Stine to Judy Blume and J.D. Salinger
to Nick Joaquin. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">What Readers Workshop does is
expand students’ reading diet so they are drawn to other genres and notable
authors. This is why in Keys Grade School, there are Classroom Libraries apart
from the School Library. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">A reminder from their reading mentor. Poster from a 4<sup>th</sup>
Grade classroom.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-B4rGtrtffv0/UF75o6Jrc6I/AAAAAAAACj4/M4AMW-tXAzc/s1600/ReadingRevolution_1Sep12_7.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-B4rGtrtffv0/UF75o6Jrc6I/AAAAAAAACj4/M4AMW-tXAzc/s400/ReadingRevolution_1Sep12_7.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Get lost in your book. A reading nook inside a 4th Grade Classroom Library.</span></div>
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<b style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">There are no textbooks here. </b></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Sibayan considers them as "</span><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">artificial collections of text and questions." In classroom libraries, children are given access to authentic published material--carrying a mix of reference books as well as fiction books that can be read for pleasure.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">"Steering children away from low quality reading material starts with making sure that the books children have access to in the classroom are all high-quality children's literature," he explains.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Readers Workshop can be implemented in various ways. Some teachers can be more liberal with choice than others. In Sibayan's classroom, students are still required to read certain books. He can pick a canon title for shared reading. Occasionally, he assigns titles or authors to be discussed for book clubs.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Letting children choose books they want to read is only one aspect of the approach. He adds, 'the emphasis is on putting books in children's hands and giving them a lot if time to actually read. Less time is spent on worksheets, written comprehension questions or art projects related to a text." </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Instead of constantly quizzing for dates and names, students are challenged to make connections and find relevance.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Sibayan, for instance, will ask them to examine a book's physical versus its psychological settings. He asks questions like, "What is the relationship of the theme to the book's setting?" </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Seventh-grader Gianinna answers in her reading journal:</span><br />
<i style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br /></i>
<i style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">The Virgin Suicides </i><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">by Jeffrey Eugenides (pages 1-2)</span></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">The setting is in the bathroom with blood on the bath
mat and razor sinking in a toilet bowl. Cecilia’s mother is screaming and the
paramedics are standing, shocked. <o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">The rest of the book takes place in the neighborhood,
a normal and ordinary neighborhood. This tells me that tragedy can happen to
even a normal place or that beauty is ephemeral when tragedy strikes.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">The normalcy of the neighborhood enhances the theme
because nobody expects a normal and quiet neighborhood to be hit by tragedy or
it shows that there is definitely more than meets the eye.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">For today’s Read-Aloud, Sibayan
is sharing passages from an assigned book—Paul Fleischman’s </span><i style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Seedfolks</i><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">. All eyes and ears are on Teacher
Joe as he reads with feeling:</span></div>
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</div>
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<i><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">“The older you are, the younger you get when you move
to the United States. They don’t teach you that equation in school. Big
Brain, Mr. Smoltz, my eighth grade math teacher, hasn’t even heard of it. It’s
not in Gateway to Algebra. It’s Garcia’s Equation. I‘m the Garcia. </span></i></div>
<i></i><br />
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<i><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><i><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Two years after my father and I moved here from Guatemala I could speak
English. I learned it on the playground and watching lots of TV. Don’t believe
what people say—cartoons make you smart.” </span></i></span></i></div>
<i><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">
<o:p></o:p></span></i>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">This elicits laughs. A
student chimes, “Yeah… TV isn’t always dumb.” <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">After Read-Aloud, Gabbie
makes what they call in Readers Workshop a “text-to-self” connection: “When I
was 10, a teacher asked me for a synonym for small. I said <i>miniscule</i>. And the teacher said, ‘Is that a word?’ I learned it
from a cartoon.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">She’s no longer in that
school. Gabbie likes it better in Keys where she can read Gaiman and Funke and Michael
Scott for homework. They are her favorite authors. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">“Schoolwork can be really hard,
but I like the challenge… it’s the kind that makes me feel good about myself
when I do well.” She likes her teachers too. “Teacher Joe is funny. And there’s
no boring grammar stuff. You have to get deeper into the books. It’s not about
memorizing. It’s about understanding.” <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Like cartoons, books make you
smart, right? I suspect Gabbie understands this more than the average
seventh-grader. </span></div>
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The Viva La Vida Mamashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09649508158679472701noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4921334430394494911.post-39546554820847884652012-06-07T10:16:00.000+08:002012-06-07T10:16:35.071+08:00The Tyranny of Tisay Beauty<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-0u-JMHGMt_I/T9AOEUUd7tI/AAAAAAAACis/AmnKyYO9geA/s1600/Patris.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-0u-JMHGMt_I/T9AOEUUd7tI/AAAAAAAACis/AmnKyYO9geA/s400/Patris.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: small;">Small and tan and young and lovely, especially <i>inside.</i></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: small;">Hello Blogger! I'm still writing, but just in other places. This crosspost is worthy because it's for my little girl. Please go visit Rappler and read <i><b><a href="http://www.rappler.com/life-and-style/6554-family-the-tyranny-of-tisay-beauty" target="_blank">The Tyranny of Tisay Beauty</a></b></i>. </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: small;">In the Philippines, people, many people, uphold this twisted form of white supremacy. White girls are prettier! Down with brown! and all that crap. I'm sick and tired of it. <a href="http://www.rappler.com/life-and-style/6554-family-the-tyranny-of-tisay-beauty" target="_blank">Here's something I propose we do</a>.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #444444; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Verdana; font-size: 13px;"><a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border-bottom-style: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-color: initial; border-left-style: none; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-style: none; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-style: none; border-top-width: 0px; color: #6325ad; font-size: 13px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: top;" target="_blank"><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54488/186/FB0A32D1796A576C97CE1D20BEF54604.png" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border-bottom-width: 0px !important; border-color: initial !important; border-color: initial; border-color: initial; border-color: initial; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px !important; border-right-width: 0px !important; border-style: initial !important; border-style: initial; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px !important; font-size: 13px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: top;" /></a></span></span></div>
</div>The Viva La Vida Mamashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09649508158679472701noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4921334430394494911.post-33497081627799491742012-04-20T07:22:00.002+08:002012-04-20T07:40:07.683+08:00Best Job<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">For many of you who can relate. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Hats off. </span><br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="300" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/NScs_qX2Okk?rel=0" width="520"></iframe></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> Happy Friday.</span><br />
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<div style="text-align: right;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/85735/crisannc/bc86bff11d330fdbc6f5b454fd7fd1e9.png" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; border-bottom-width: 0px !important; border-color: initial !important; border-left-width: 0px !important; border-right-width: 0px !important; border-style: initial !important; border-top-width: 0px !important; cursor: move;" /></a></span></div>
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<br /></div>The Viva La Vida Mamashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09649508158679472701noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4921334430394494911.post-24221270576747026022012-04-16T21:53:00.002+08:002012-04-16T21:53:43.118+08:00Sweet Dreams<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: small;">I don't have a sister so the concept of sibling rivalry is totally lost on me. Since the boys have always been as different as night and day, I naturally thought they'd have their own sets of friends and want to do totally different things. Wrong. They really dig hanging out with each other. They both still adore football. And much as I try to yak on and on that it's not about who wins, my reasoning doesn't always win. </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: small;">On many nights right before we doze off I have to deal with bedtime prayers such as this:</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: small;"><b>Mak:</b> <i>Thank you, Papa Jesus for letting me beat Tato 4-1.</i> </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: small;">And I say a little prayer myself asking the Almighty to stop me from strangling them both in their sleep. </span><br />
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</div>The Viva La Vida Mamashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09649508158679472701noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4921334430394494911.post-22813579960942457742012-04-08T16:21:00.000+08:002012-04-08T16:26:56.038+08:00Summer Reads 2012<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Just sharing some of the kids' favorite reads for this summer. Bear has just finished book one of the Harry Potter series. He enjoyed <i>Sorcerer's Stone</i>, but says he liked <i>The Mysterious Benedict Society</i> more. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: small;">I've read the Potter series. Who hasn't? But I've only read parts of <i>Benedict Society</i>. The official blurb reads... </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: small;">"Are you a gifted child looking for special opportunities? When this peculiar ad appears in the newspaper, dozens of children enroll to take a series of mysterious, mind-bending tests. But in the end just four very special children will succeed. Their challenge: to go on a secret mission that only the most intelligent and resourceful children could complete. With their newfound friendship at stake, will they be able to pass the most important test of all?" Bear attests that the book has a lot of funny, clever, exciting things in it. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: small;">So book two of Benedict Society first, before book two of Harry Potter. I'm intrigued because, wasn't Potter pretty exciting?</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: small;">Now this recommendation comes from Chicha and it is precious. Dr. Seuss's stories published in <i>Redbook</i> and other magazines in the 40s and 50s once forgotten, now found and bound into a lovely compilation. </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: small;">This isn't just memorabilia. I think the stories are literary gems that would stand against his classics. The irreverence, silliness, signature rhythm and rhyme are all there. So are the Seuss-style moral underpinnings. <i>The Bippolo Seed</i> is a wonderful allegory on the pitfalls of greed.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: small;">I will read that story again and again to that certain 8-year old boy who has this for his current wish list…!</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: small;">Back to the topic of books. Here's another fantastic one, from pictures to verse. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: small;">From the genius who brought us <i><a href="http://vivalavidamama.blogspot.com/2010/09/phantom-tollbooth.html">The Phantom Tollbooth</a></i>. Norton Juster we love you!</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: small;">It is a hot Manila Easter Sunday as I type all this, so before I go… meet Ester the Easter Tree. Bear and Chicha made her. </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: small;">I named her Ester because in one of the hanging tags Chicha wrote, Happy <i>Ester</i>. Heehee. I suppose the lame humor comes from my being in a really good mood. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: small;">Happy Easter Internet!</span></div>
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</div>The Viva La Vida Mamashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09649508158679472701noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4921334430394494911.post-71985231780409044152012-04-02T08:57:00.002+08:002012-04-02T13:30:16.586+08:00We Say the Darndest Things<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Medical crisis averted. <b><a href="http://vivalavidamama.blogspot.com/2012/03/one-red-dot.html">Tests show the boys have not been exposed</a></b>. I can breathe a little bit more.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Thank you, Nathan, for the laugh I badly needed. Artist <b><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/nripperger/sets/72157623153953686/">Nathan Ripperger</a></b> finds himself saying the most ridiculous things to his kids then turns around, <b><a href="http://www.etsy.com/shop/nripperger">designs and sells these hilarious posters</a>.</b> I'm sure you can relate. Good to know I'm not the only crazy one around here. </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Here are a few from his <b><i>Things I've Said to My Children</i></b> series:</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Mine should read: <b>STOP TRYING TO SIT ON EACH OTHER'S PENISES!</b> In </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Helvetica bold</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">, maybe?</span><br />
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</div>The Viva La Vida Mamashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09649508158679472701noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4921334430394494911.post-88845233528867055352012-03-29T21:18:00.002+08:002012-03-29T21:23:09.784+08:00One Red Dot<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: small;">A tiny red dot. Two actually. One on each child's forearm. That's what it boils down to these days. For the last day and for the next two it will be all about the dot. We pray that the tiny dots stay tiny. An odd prayer, I know. </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: small;">Our boys have, unknowingly, been in close, constant contact with someone with tuberculosis. It baffles me that we are still dealing with this disease. Statistics will tell you that in this day and age there are only twenty two countries left that have high incidences of tuberculosis in the entire planet. The Philippines is one of them. It is the 6th leading cause of death in the country today. This is the sad state of our affairs. Our health system really needs a shot in the arm.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: small;">Speaking of shot in the arm, each of the boys got one yesterday. For now we watch and wait and check if the teeny tiny injection mark changes. We've been briefed. The larger and more palpable the mark, the more exposure they have had to this disease. The next course of action will depend entirely on that. So far, so good. Thirty hours to go. For now I say my odd little prayer and wait. Patience has never been my strongest suit. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/85735/crisannc/bc86bff11d330fdbc6f5b454fd7fd1e9.png" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; border-bottom-width: 0px !important; border-color: initial !important; border-left-width: 0px !important; border-right-width: 0px !important; border-style: initial !important; border-top-width: 0px !important; cursor: move;" /></a></span></span></div>
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</div>The Viva La Vida Mamashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09649508158679472701noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4921334430394494911.post-58732429627521225372012-03-25T21:06:00.000+08:002012-03-25T21:38:25.119+08:00On the Road: Nepal<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">I wish I had time to sit down and tell you all about Nepal. About the four-hour day hikes we took, scaling hundreds of steps to witness a postcard-perfect sunset, the monasteries, the temples, the burst of colors. The insane sound of too many horns beeping in the middle of traffic one minute and the serene ringing of meditation bowls and Tibetan chants in the next. How we met Krishna - hands down best tour guide who we hired for a day but ended up keeping for five. What it feels like to walk through a Nepali village one second and then see the Himalayan range the next. Then there were the people with these crazy beautiful eyes and matching smiles and that all around positive vibe I'm seeing less and less but the world needs more and more of right now.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: small;">But I'm having <i>that </i>week when a hundred and sixty plus hours just isn't enough to get things done. </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: small;">Luckily, MacD's photos tell it all.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: small;">Namaste.</span><br />
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</div>The Viva La Vida Mamashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09649508158679472701noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4921334430394494911.post-4616210529065241852012-03-24T21:20:00.003+08:002012-03-24T21:20:32.656+08:00Sunday Run Day<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Gun start in a few hours. Wish us luck.</span><br />
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<br /></div>The Viva La Vida Mamashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09649508158679472701noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4921334430394494911.post-19535731096298406232012-03-21T09:08:00.000+08:002012-03-21T09:30:28.112+08:00Word!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Oh, the power of simplicity. Simple words. Simple two-minute
digital bites, just like this piece of awesomeness.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><a href="http://education.ted.com/">TED Ed</a> is a great place to look around for stuff you can
share with your kids. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">It makes smart sexy and cool but it’s not dumbed-down.
Imagine, a lesson on brevity plus I get to introduce the kiddos to one of
the best rock and rap collaborations ever. Ambulate this direction, or…</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Rock on, nerds! </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Love,</span></div>
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</div>The Viva La Vida Mamashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09649508158679472701noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4921334430394494911.post-73000277311518487202012-03-20T10:56:00.000+08:002012-03-20T19:17:10.389+08:00Meet My Astrophysicist Friend<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Conversations
with astrophysicists... <o:p></o:p></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">More fun when they are Filipina!</span><br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-UHg3MBY1l-Q/T2fwVjyzsJI/AAAAAAAACeM/DR0nc8xf-B8/s1600/Reina+Solo.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-UHg3MBY1l-Q/T2fwVjyzsJI/AAAAAAAACeM/DR0nc8xf-B8/s400/Reina+Solo.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">March
is Women's month, I am a woman, I have a daughter, we are Filipinas, so please
excuse me if I cross-post to this <a href="http://www.rappler.com/move-ph/2686-the-filipina-who-proved-einstein-right">Pinay-power profile</a> I did for Rappler.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Reinabelle
Reyes was the first scientist to prove Einstein's Theory of General Relativity
beyond our solar system. She did that when she was 26. Her research was
published in <i>Nature</i>, the world's premiere and most discriminating science
journal. That is <i>The Journal </i>that published Einstein's very own theories and
now look, this Filipina astrophysicist is published there too—decades later,
showing proof of concept for one of Einstein's master works. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Someone
actually paid me to have a conversation with Reina Reyes and write about her
groundbreaking research. Thank you, Universe. On top of that, we are set to
collaborate on "something digital" which is all I can say for now.
Sweet. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">So
this is Reina in a nutshell: Kavli Cosmological Institute Fellow. In the
process of figuring out the exact recipe for making a galaxy. In the forefront
of figuring out Dark Energy, which is oh, the next great leap for Science.
Could win a Nobel. Graduated summa cum laude BS Physics Ateneo. Astrophysics
PhD obtained from Princeton. Won the Chambliss Astronomy Achievement Award for
discovering a hidden quasar. She was just a student when she found the quasar.
And oh, it's the kind of discovery that requires altering and updating science
books. </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">A
little take away for us parents… Her mother and father never pressured her to
get high grades. They just encouraged her to do her best, got her books and let her use
the computer for fun and to learn stuff. No Tiger Mom behind this achiever. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">I
love that she wants to help change K12 education in the Philippines. She
believes most of our schools need major reforms. We could have gone on and on
talking about this issue alone. She herself went to Philippine Science School.
She loved it there, because "they emphasized analytical thinking over
memorizing cold facts." The thing is, more Filipino children need to be
getting that kind of hands on, experiential education… not just Pisay scholars
and kids who go to expensive private schools.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Anyway!
<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Reina will soon be
launching an infographics blog on <a href="http://www.rappler.com/move-ph/2686-the-filipina-who-proved-einstein-right">Rappler</a>. Have us on your <a href="http://www.facebook.com/rapplerdotcom">news feed</a> yet? Rappler is about "inspiring smart conversations" according to our tagline. I'd like to add, <i>controversial</i> conversations. <a href="https://www.facebook.com/TANGINATHIS/posts/264305013652292">TanginaThis hot topic</a>: Reina claiming she is an atheist. Interesting.</span><o:p></o:p></div>
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</div>The Viva La Vida Mamashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09649508158679472701noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4921334430394494911.post-31158722049009621402012-03-18T21:28:00.002+08:002012-03-18T21:28:47.672+08:00Top of the World<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">MacDaddy, at one crazy point in time, dreamed of climbing Everest. We read every book, every account, watched every documentary we could get our hands on. We soon realized we didn't have the money, the commitment, the time, the endurance. Standing on the world's highest mountain was relegated to his <i>'twas-worth-wishing-about-but-no-chance-in-hell-it's-happening</i></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> list.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: small;">Last week we celebrated Our Thirteenth well above the clouds on a ride across the Himalayan ranges of Nepal. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: small;">Our fifty-minute mountain flight gave us the chance to stare in awe at eight of the world's highest peaks.</span></span></div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-lE21CTCHO9Q/T2XheUfKpbI/AAAAAAAACd4/Ve7Y9QTA_7U/s1600/everest+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-lE21CTCHO9Q/T2XheUfKpbI/AAAAAAAACd4/Ve7Y9QTA_7U/s400/everest+1.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: small;">Best of all, with matching goosebumps, we took that one good, solid look at Everest. </span></div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-VqExgIxKAWQ/T2XhfPAfewI/AAAAAAAACeA/e_g0wJh3QaE/s1600/everest+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-VqExgIxKAWQ/T2XhfPAfewI/AAAAAAAACeA/e_g0wJh3QaE/s400/everest+2.jpg" width="310" /></a></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: small;">It's the closest we will probably ever get to being on top of the world. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/85735/crisannc/bc86bff11d330fdbc6f5b454fd7fd1e9.png" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; border-bottom-width: 0px !important; border-color: initial !important; border-left-width: 0px !important; border-right-width: 0px !important; border-style: initial !important; border-top-width: 0px !important; cursor: move;" /></a></span></span></div>
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</div>The Viva La Vida Mamashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09649508158679472701noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4921334430394494911.post-22647876283737322092012-03-09T13:51:00.001+08:002012-03-10T07:53:50.625+08:00Good Job, Social Media<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">I have written about the perils of praise a few times,
notably for Working Mom. My latest Rappler article is actually a
reprise of <i><b>Are you raising a praise junkie? </b></i>published in WM's June 2010 issue.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Revised for rappler.com it's now called <b><i><a href="http://www.rappler.com/life-and-style/2238-stop-saying-good-job-to-your-kids">Stop saying good job to your kids!</a></i></b> On the social news network, it got 147 Facebook likes, 89
Tweets and 182 shares, in less than 24 hours. This volume of response to my own work is new to me. It's pretty cool though to experience how quickly your thoughts and research can
reach X amount of people in such a short span of time. That's social media for
you. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">All that attention caught me by surprise, and piqued my curiosity, so
I checked out what some of those Tweets were saying. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">My favorite tweet-reaction is below. Tweet-er Katie Davis: "Stop saying good job to your kids. Just don't say, You stink!" </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">However, not everyone read the entire article like the funny <a href="http://katiedavis.com/">Ms. Katie Davis</a>. I want to note something off and... slightly
annoying, actually. Some people do still judge an article by its title alone.
<i><b>Stop saying good job to your kids!</b></i> is quite the hyperbole I admit, which is
probably why some people thought this meant—</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">a] do not be affectionate <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">b] be ambivalent <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">c] be hyper-critical<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">d] and never, EVER praise children.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">It does not. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">You will see that, <i>if you read the entire thing</i>. If you don't feel like
reading a 900-word article, that's fine. Just don't make conclusions based on the
title alone. </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">That's Putting Things Out Of Context. Now that's a social media problem for you. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">It is probably the oldest media issue ever since the invention of the printing press. The world is changing real fast, but some things remain the same. </span></div>
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</div>The Viva La Vida Mamashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09649508158679472701noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4921334430394494911.post-15810899260965180652012-03-08T05:44:00.001+08:002012-03-08T05:46:21.999+08:00Thirteen<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><i>3.9.99</i></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Thirteen. We're off on a little adventure to celebrate "us" moving into the teens. Be back shortly.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/85735/crisannc/bc86bff11d330fdbc6f5b454fd7fd1e9.png" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; border-bottom-width: 0px !important; border-color: initial !important; border-left-width: 0px !important; border-right-width: 0px !important; border-style: initial !important; border-top-width: 0px !important; cursor: move;" /></a></span></span></div>
</div>The Viva La Vida Mamashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09649508158679472701noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4921334430394494911.post-17557472590929304332012-02-16T19:31:00.004+08:002012-02-16T21:14:53.335+08:00When We Were Six<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">About to blow her birthday candles while having afternoon tea with her neighborhood fairy friends. My little girls says that's what fairies like to do. So that's how she wanted to celebrate turning another year older. </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Here's a poem by A.A. Milne dedicated to the our resident six year old.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><i>When I was one I had just begun</i></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><i>When I was three I was hardly me</i></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><i>When I was four I was not much more</i></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><i>When I was five I was just alive</i></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><i>But now I am six, I'm as clever as clever;</i></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><i>So I think I'll be six now for ever and ever.</i></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">She's so much fun to have around, I do wish she would be six forever. I know it's not going to happen, but mamas imagine things like that occasionally.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">When girls that age live with you, you'll have fairy wings fluttering all over the place.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Then a certain big brother and his cohorts will attempt to attack the fairies fluttering around with those wings!</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">But they are no match. February Birthday Girl told the rest of her winged friends: <i>"Those are just guns. We are fairies! We have fairy powers!" </i></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Kaaaboooom! The fairies prevail. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><i>Oh, to be six years old</i>. These days are so precious. They are to be relished, my dearest little girl. </span></div>
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</div>The Viva La Vida Mamashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09649508158679472701noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4921334430394494911.post-66783406153259283332012-02-15T21:41:00.000+08:002012-02-16T07:22:34.459+08:00Peanuts and Philosophies<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: small;">If you haven't already made plans to catch 9 Works Theatrical's production of<i> You're A Good Man, Charlie Brown</i> over at the RCBC Auditorium, I suggest you take the kiddoes along and do so.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: small;">I didn't know what to expect, only that it would be a welcome diversion for the boys. Call it a small window of opportunity or a desperate attempt on my part to expand their horizons. Our one year anniversary from the time they firmly decided football would be king in our homes and in our lives is coming up. They still wear jerseys at every chance they can get. When they're not catching the games at the oddest times of times of the day on TV, or talking about who's being traded to what team or who's wearing the latest Mercurials, they're on the field playing it. They trained five out of seven days a few weeks ago. I told you: crazy-obsessed.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: small;">Now back to the play. Surprise. Surprise. They loved it. They both sat at the edge of their seats laughing out loud at some point, I would have otherwise guessed they were watching Real Madrid clash with FC Barcelona. Ok, maybe not completely but it was good enough for all of us.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: small;">Mak and Tato were still talking about it days after. Mak says the show is not just funny it is <i>really, really</i> funny. He's been asking when I'd be taking him to the next "episode". He's also decided <i>Happiness</i> is the musical's best song. Good choice. Good times. </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: small;"><b>Tato:</b> <i>Mama, Sally was so funny she kept changing her mind about her philosophy. What's a philosophy anyway?</i></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: small;"><b>Me:</b> <i>It's asking questions and trying to find answers about things you don't know. </i> </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: small;"><b>Tato:</b> <i>Like what is good for me?</i></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: small;"><b>Me:</b> <i>That's a good one. And if you don't know the answer to that right away, that's cool. Many grownups don't even have the answer to that one. </i></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: small;"><b>Tato:</b> <i>But I already know. FOOTBALL. That's my philosophy: Football is good for us. </i></span></div>
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<br /></div>The Viva La Vida Mamashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09649508158679472701noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4921334430394494911.post-83612665281198615192012-02-10T15:19:00.000+08:002012-02-10T15:35:29.944+08:00Human<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Sorry, Brandon Flowers, you have nothing on us. Tato covers Human and kills it. Minus the trademark feathered shoulders of course. With special participation of <strike>musical director</strike> stage brother at the 24th second mark cueing <i>"psst...cut the cord..."</i> </span></div>
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="400" mozallowfullscreen="" src="http://player.vimeo.com/video/36530622?portrait=0&color=ff9933" webkitallowfullscreen="" width="300"></iframe></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><a href="http://vimeo.com/36530622">Human</a> from <a href="http://vimeo.com/user2273165">Nana</a> on <a href="http://vimeo.com/">Vimeo</a>.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">I kid. I kid. Giving the actual floor to the Killers. Current favorite song over here.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">We know what we'll be jamming to this weekend. Thank God it's Friday. </span></div>
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</div>The Viva La Vida Mamashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09649508158679472701noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4921334430394494911.post-12052910066076181042012-01-30T22:14:00.002+08:002012-01-30T23:07:50.790+08:00Candy Candy<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">I don't know if it started when I discovered the high you get when you eat condensed milk straight off the can or because Original Nana allowed us grandkids an all-access pass to her freezer with at least ten different flavors of ice cream or that aha moment when you realize the milk you're forced to drink tasted so much better when you poured Brown Cow syrup all over it. Whatever the case, I will happily devour anything that has way too much sugar. Sick. But true.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: small;">I started to notice dessert stations popping up here and there and thought I'd try it. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: small;">Here is the one I did for the boys 5th birthday. Nothing Amy Atlas or anything but it was fun putting together all their favorite treats. </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: small;">This was for Sis in Law's rocker themed baby shower</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: small;">When I heard my godchild was having a Candyland-themed party a few weeks ago I offered to do her candy station. The instructions were simple enough: <i>pink and yellow and dainty. </i> I haven't had much exposure to anything remotely girly and dainty given all that football talk and Legos and Tonkas I'm constantly surrounded with but I welcomed the break. </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: small;">So out came the old, reliable candy jars. </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: small;">Shopping for the candies was the easiest part. Ms. Sweet Tooth, remember? </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: small;">The night before the party I laid everything out on my dining table to figure out what went where. </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: small;"></span><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-FGH4HCqlKwg/Tyah2YDvNAI/AAAAAAAACaw/rwmjLKvfhcI/s1600/candyland+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="281" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-FGH4HCqlKwg/Tyah2YDvNAI/AAAAAAAACaw/rwmjLKvfhcI/s400/candyland+2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: small;">Made the day itself so much easier and so much more fun. Candy station completed. </span></div>
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</div>The Viva La Vida Mamashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09649508158679472701noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4921334430394494911.post-54092675239952305872012-01-29T11:58:00.001+08:002012-02-01T08:07:23.070+08:00Defying Gravity 4.0<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Turning
40 tends to bring out existential thoughts. Where am I? Where am I <i>going</i>? What
difference am I making? Can you finally stop minding the Negatrons in your
life? </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: small;">You
also get big on Symbolism. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">So it
was perfectly symbolic for me to have flown off to Singapore with the three
coolest people I know, have a great time, try new things together and watch
<i>Wicked: The Untold Story of the Witches of Oz</i>. </span></div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-bMJ57kQjR4g/TyTAxhTWhhI/AAAAAAAACZ0/xxcVkjqtM3E/s1600/Wicked.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-bMJ57kQjR4g/TyTAxhTWhhI/AAAAAAAACZ0/xxcVkjqtM3E/s400/Wicked.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: small;">It's
the musical celebrating women who are different, who have to deal with people
looking down on them and setting limits on what they can do… women who struggle
to fit in, struggle more to find their themselves, test friendships, make
bold decisions… then eventually start <i>Defying Gravity</i>.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: small;">Hit it, Elphaba...</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: small;">Speaking
of gravity, also daring to defy it is <a href="http://www.rappler.com/">Rappler—a social news network</a> testing the
limits of new media in a time when people are still arguing about, <i>What
exactly is a social news network?</i> </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: small;"><br /></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: small;">Because I am symbolizing way too much here,
my first feature for them happens to be a review of… </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">that <i><a href="http://www.rappler.com/life-and-style/1143-wicked-casts-its-spell-in-singapore">Wicked show we caught in Singapore</a>! </i></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: small;">While the Lifestyle section is still a work in progress, Philippine news hounds should definitely check out the site. <a href="http://www.rappler.com/">Rappler</a> has a great team covering politics, the economy and
business. Glenda Gloria is their Managing Editor. <a href="http://www.rappler.com/thought-leaders/1006-you-blew-it,-mr-president">See how she kicks ass here</a>.
She also gets Thought Leaders like <a href="http://www.rappler.com/thought-leaders/1034-6-lessons-from-the-clinton-trial">Theodore Te</a> to enlighten us on the Corona impeachment
proceedings, <a href="http://www.rappler.com/thought-leaders/457-you-cannot-warn-enough-more-is-better">Gilbert Teodoro</a> to assess disaster preparedness post-Sendong, and
Maria Ressa to rap with Mon Jimenez on t<a href="http://www.rappler.com/nation/688-mon-jimenez-and-rappler">ourism campaigns for the Internet Age</a>. And more! You can get them on your Facebook news feed <a href="http://www.facebook.com/rapplerdotcom">here</a>. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: small;">In the
future, I hope to rap more about education, parenting, self-help and culture.
Wish Rappler luck Internet! It's a bold experiment in new media. Some people
are already saying it's bound to fail. Good thing Nikka Version 4.0 is more
willing to try and fail and dust her self up again. I've made quite a few
mistakes in my life, what are a few more as long as they don’t kill me? </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: small;">Besides...<i> If we
don't risk falling, how else can we Defy Gravity</i>? Let's do this!</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #444444; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Verdana; font-size: 13px;"><a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border-bottom-style: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-color: initial; border-left-style: none; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-style: none; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-style: none; border-top-width: 0px; color: #6325ad; font-size: 13px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: top;" target="_blank"><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54488/186/FB0A32D1796A576C97CE1D20BEF54604.png" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border-bottom-width: 0px !important; border-color: initial !important; border-color: initial; border-color: initial; border-color: initial; border-color: initial; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px !important; border-right-width: 0px !important; border-style: initial !important; border-style: initial; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px !important; border-width: initial; font-size: 13px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: top;" /></a></span></span></div>
<br /></div>The Viva La Vida Mamashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09649508158679472701noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4921334430394494911.post-75053105642590941522012-01-26T10:38:00.002+08:002012-01-26T10:58:30.575+08:00A Nice Day<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><i>It's a nice day for a white wedding</i></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><i><br /></i></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-8F3yOwwOUf8/TyC-gZ6N63I/AAAAAAAACZk/o2Ahg4Jy3Ss/s1600/wed+9.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-8F3yOwwOUf8/TyC-gZ6N63I/AAAAAAAACZk/o2Ahg4Jy3Ss/s400/wed+9.jpg" width="265" /></a></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><i><br /></i></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-fvYHt4VpeJQ/TyC61-q6tMI/AAAAAAAACZU/Z_HlHW-waWg/s1600/wed+8.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="298" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-fvYHt4VpeJQ/TyC61-q6tMI/AAAAAAAACZU/Z_HlHW-waWg/s400/wed+8.jpg" style="cursor: move;" width="400" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-iG8_21ccdhE/TyC62WnXtbI/AAAAAAAACZc/Qwxtlv3RRwM/s1600/wed+7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="341" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-iG8_21ccdhE/TyC62WnXtbI/AAAAAAAACZc/Qwxtlv3RRwM/s400/wed+7.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Owmp-bTXNhM/TyC3WRDZAzI/AAAAAAAACY8/yjHBPGI365I/s1600/wed+5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Owmp-bTXNhM/TyC3WRDZAzI/AAAAAAAACY8/yjHBPGI365I/s320/wed+5.jpg" width="216" /></a> <a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Xezlf1NZwW4/TyC3Xpn-CVI/AAAAAAAACZM/D6qmijCGy-w/s1600/wed+6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Xezlf1NZwW4/TyC3Xpn-CVI/AAAAAAAACZM/D6qmijCGy-w/s320/wed+6.jpg" style="cursor: move;" width="212" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-PLWyEXpguHQ/TyDBFGfVDeI/AAAAAAAACZs/rZHfdFnx8ew/s1600/wed+10.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="275" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-PLWyEXpguHQ/TyDBFGfVDeI/AAAAAAAACZs/rZHfdFnx8ew/s400/wed+10.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-RpIu7_oyfo4/TyC3Wh1YuQI/AAAAAAAACZA/hXTnJu-f4HE/s1600/wed+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-RpIu7_oyfo4/TyC3Wh1YuQI/AAAAAAAACZA/hXTnJu-f4HE/s400/wed+2.jpg" width="265" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-05lzOfrO4LQ/TyC3JpuPcoI/AAAAAAAACYk/M-hruK4XLRY/s1600/wed+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-05lzOfrO4LQ/TyC3JpuPcoI/AAAAAAAACYk/M-hruK4XLRY/s400/wed+1.jpg" width="283" /></a></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><i>It's a nice day to start again</i></span><br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Love</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> that song.</span></div>
</div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><i><br /></i></span><br />
<div style="text-align: right;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/85735/crisannc/bc86bff11d330fdbc6f5b454fd7fd1e9.png" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; border-bottom-width: 0px !important; border-color: initial !important; border-left-width: 0px !important; border-right-width: 0px !important; border-style: initial !important; border-top-width: 0px !important; cursor: move;" /></a></span></div>
</div>The Viva La Vida Mamashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09649508158679472701noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4921334430394494911.post-54658115970944652472012-01-20T23:33:00.000+08:002012-01-26T10:39:54.985+08:00Oh Happy Day<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><i>Just remember, once you're over the hill you begin to pick up speed. </i></span></div>
</div>
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<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><i>- Charles Schultz</i></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><i><br /></i></span></div>
</div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-sONVPNec3zA/TxmHDYM9OdI/AAAAAAAACYM/pRbV-cd5FCQ/s1600/balloon.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-sONVPNec3zA/TxmHDYM9OdI/AAAAAAAACYM/pRbV-cd5FCQ/s400/balloon.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><i><br /></i></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Couldn't have picked a better person to be <strike>over</strike> on the hill with. Hope you're having the best day, Nona.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times;"></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/85735/crisannc/bc86bff11d330fdbc6f5b454fd7fd1e9.png" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; border-bottom-width: 0px !important; border-color: initial !important; border-left-width: 0px !important; border-right-width: 0px !important; border-style: initial !important; border-top-width: 0px !important; cursor: move;" /></a></span></span></span></div>
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</div>The Viva La Vida Mamashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09649508158679472701noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4921334430394494911.post-54034947278866122702012-01-16T09:29:00.003+08:002012-01-16T09:32:41.316+08:00In the Loop<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">If you've been here a while, you'd know that I found out I had breast cancer twelve years, five months and ten days ago. (yes, keeping count) If you're pretty up-to-date on this part of our cyberworld you'd also know that I finally told the boys I was once diagnosed. <a href="http://vivalavidamama.blogspot.com/2011/09/getting-ahead-of-google.html"><b>I hesitated for a while</b></a> but felt like a load had come off as soon as <b><a href="http://vivalavidamama.blogspot.com/2011/09/there.html">I came right out and said it.</a></b></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: small;">Mak, first-born twin, wanted to know the details. Tato, born three minutes later, listened intently then decided "we would not talk about it ever again". I totally respect and get it. The subject hasn't ever really come up again. I'm armed and ready with answers just in case. </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: small;">Yesterday we were at a birthday party. All the other little girls hounded the glitter tattoo table to get their arms all shimmery with fairy and princess designs. The boys were next and many went for the lightning bolts and dragons. Mak and Tato took their turns but they rushed off to the bouncy castle before I got a chance to see their temporary tats. </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: justify;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: small;">When the boys finally emerged from every party's black hole - the bouncy house, I saw a bright pink tat on Tato's arm.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: small;"><b>Tato:</b> <i> Look! I got a breast cancer ribbon. It's for you, Mama. </i></span></div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-inUUvS9ccto/TxN8N10dqZI/AAAAAAAACYA/CD_k1d7sAQ0/s1600/loop+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-inUUvS9ccto/TxN8N10dqZI/AAAAAAAACYA/CD_k1d7sAQ0/s400/loop+1.jpg" width="246" /></a></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: small;">Aww. Sniff. Sniff. </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: small;"><br /></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/85735/crisannc/bc86bff11d330fdbc6f5b454fd7fd1e9.png" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; border-bottom-width: 0px !important; border-color: initial !important; border-left-width: 0px !important; border-right-width: 0px !important; border-style: initial !important; border-top-width: 0px !important; cursor: move;" /></a></span></span></div>
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</div>The Viva La Vida Mamashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09649508158679472701noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4921334430394494911.post-24258179210185159332012-01-15T13:21:00.000+08:002012-01-15T13:43:55.938+08:00Enjoy the Silence<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">My favorite Depeche Mode song refreshed by RAC. <i>Words are very unnecessary</i>, indeed. But I just had to say, this is the perfect soundtrack for this Sunday, while hanging out with the three coolest people I know. </span></div>
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<object height="315" width="560"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/kXe0l_xri8Y?version=3&hl=en_US&rel=0">
</param>
<param name="allowFullScreen" value="true">
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<param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always">
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<embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/kXe0l_xri8Y?version=3&hl=en_US&rel=0" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="560" height="315" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true"></embed></object></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><i><br /></i></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><i>All I ever wanted, all I ever needed is here in my arms…</i> Yes, yes, yes! Love and positive vibes back to all the kind people out there, wherever and whoever you are. </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Verdana; font-size: 13px;"><a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54488/186/FB0A32D1796A576C97CE1D20BEF54604.png" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border-bottom-width: 0px !important; border-color: initial !important; border-left-width: 0px !important; border-right-width: 0px !important; border-style: initial !important; border-top-width: 0px !important;" /></a></span></span></div>
</div>The Viva La Vida Mamashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09649508158679472701noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4921334430394494911.post-59599316023180755932012-01-11T15:00:00.001+08:002012-01-12T14:53:06.178+08:00Numbers and Poetry<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Dear
Vico Bear,</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">I
was happy to hear from Teacher Steph how eagerly you have been applying
yourself in Math. Way to go doing Optional Work and Extra Challenges! Despite
doing very well the last two terms, when asked your personal goal for
Term 3 you wrote, <i>To be better in Math</i>. I suspect you’ll grow up making good use of your passion for numbers and figures. You are my favorite Visual Spatial Thinker,
you! </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">As
the motto goes… <i>Work Hard. Be Nice.</i> And that’s what you have been doing. And you’ve
just turned 8. This serves anyone well, whether age 8, 38 or 88.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-p_CqSEzk58w/Tw0oUiZLt9I/AAAAAAAACXQ/c6tA8C9XMqI/s1600/Boba.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-p_CqSEzk58w/Tw0oUiZLt9I/AAAAAAAACXQ/c6tA8C9XMqI/s200/Boba.JPG" width="150" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">To
celebrate the school portfolio you have been working hard on in the past
months, I’m posting some of your work here. One day you might read this when you are all grown up
and get a real kick out of it. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">This
is you writing as a fictional character.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-pSIUINeO1gY/Tw0oC4xM2vI/AAAAAAAACXI/S-v50CBUmMg/s1600/Fett.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-pSIUINeO1gY/Tw0oC4xM2vI/AAAAAAAACXI/S-v50CBUmMg/s320/Fett.JPG" width="320" /></a></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Without
realizing it, you made a “dissertation” this year—researched with some help but
written independently. In second grade, you and your classmates call it your <i>All About Book</i>. You decided on this thesis statement: "<i>LEGO is epic! Because you can build anything you can imagen."</i> You do love exclamation points!!! And actually, it's i-m-a-g-i-n-e. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Anyway, thanks to your book Teacher Steph and I know facts about LEGO we didn’t know before.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-UcougZigh58/Tw0pIog0lAI/AAAAAAAACXo/LlduxsP_Z6Q/s1600/LEGO.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-UcougZigh58/Tw0pIog0lAI/AAAAAAAACXo/LlduxsP_Z6Q/s400/LEGO.JPG" style="cursor: move;" width="400" /></a></span></span></div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-UcougZigh58/Tw0pIog0lAI/AAAAAAAACXo/LlduxsP_Z6Q/s1600/LEGO.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br /></a><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-WBtWnUbfekI/Tw0o5M4HJ6I/AAAAAAAACXY/9fNxjXZzKRA/s1600/LEGO+Group.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-WBtWnUbfekI/Tw0o5M4HJ6I/AAAAAAAACXY/9fNxjXZzKRA/s320/LEGO+Group.JPG" width="240" /></a><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-fqkNrlK5iOM/Tw0pBFbZu2I/AAAAAAAACXg/dwLDmEFFSec/s1600/LEGO+History.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-fqkNrlK5iOM/Tw0pBFbZu2I/AAAAAAAACXg/dwLDmEFFSec/s320/LEGO+History.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">This
is what you came up with when asked to emulate Shel Silverstein’s poem <i><a href="http://www.poemhunter.com/best-poems/shel-silverstein/one-inch-tall/">One Inch Tall</a></i>. Your poem is called <i>1 Nano Bite Tall</i>. </span></div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-p0rKWH-_EAE/Tw0qUaxZvZI/AAAAAAAACXw/xBBq2Ai2XZk/s1600/One+Nano+Bite+Tall.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-p0rKWH-_EAE/Tw0qUaxZvZI/AAAAAAAACXw/xBBq2Ai2XZk/s400/One+Nano+Bite+Tall.JPG" style="cursor: move;" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">This
one emulates the <a href="http://www.heinemann.com/authors/3339.aspx">Zoe Ryder White</a> poem <i>Inside My Heart</i>, but you chose Sadness as a theme. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-CRC78-UVJOM/Tw0qd5kL6LI/AAAAAAAACX4/pedzmX1WdPE/s1600/Sadness.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-CRC78-UVJOM/Tw0qd5kL6LI/AAAAAAAACX4/pedzmX1WdPE/s400/Sadness.JPG" style="cursor: move;" width="400" /></a></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">This
posterity post is also a reminder to… Keep expressing yourself. Keep the poetry in your
heart. There’s a place for it even inside grown men full of patterns,
plans and equations in their head. Your words are who you are. Sometimes you’ll
feel like no one is listening. That’s okay. Do it just for yourself. Besides,
Mama and Daddy will always want to hear what you have to say and we will always
want to read what you write. <i>Always!</i></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
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</div>The Viva La Vida Mamashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09649508158679472701noreply@blogger.com8