Posts from — January 2008

School Year 2008 kicks off today!

As RD goes back to school, CN is once again left alone at home with me. Well, she won’t be in kindergarten until she reaches age 5. Probably not wanting to be left ‘home alone’, she would frequently tell us that she already wanted to go to school. This has been going on for a few months now and we are starting to run out of excuses. For example, previously we were telling her that she can’t go to school because she still wears diapers… not too long after that, CN made a huge leap from using diapers to using the potty seat.

I guess we’ll have to start hunting for a preschool/playgroup to get her started…

This is a continuation of the Capturing Genesis1 post series.

Worldwide, there are approximately 28,000 species of butterflies. I’m sure you’ll agree that the Lord created each one with great artistry, making each one unique, just like you, and me!

Picture taken at The World of Butterflies in Marikina City, Philippines

This beautiful sactuary holds different varieties of butterflies. They also have a breeding area where you will see the butterfly’s life cycle .

#1 Capturing Genesis1 : SEA

What a welcome home surprise!

We’ve been away for a month-long vacation. I missed the house so right after we’ve settled down from the long flight, I immediately went for a quick check on the garage, the laundry area, and the backyard. As expected, grasses grew tall in our backyard lawn. Dried leaves are scattered all over the pavement and spider webs are everywhere in the fences. This calls for a major ‘cleanup’.

While I was planning how to start with this massive backyard overhaul, I saw what looks like an animal head in the mulch. It quickly hid itself when I saw it so I really didn’t get a good look. I immediately called my husband and tried to describe what I saw. I said the head was as big as the head of a bullfrog or a snake. So he decided to have a closer look himself. He used the rake and a long stick to poke gently into the mulch hoping the creature will come out. After several attempts, he rakes the mulch out and an opening appeared. There it was. This time, he saw only the body. ”It seems like a snake. It looked like a snake.” But still, we are unsure of it. Trying to be cautions, we made an assumption that it was a snake and therefore decided to call the authority who handles snakes. I tried not to lose sight of the creature. Then after sometime, it gently crawled out towards our neighbor’s backyard. To my surprise I shouted “It’s not a snake! It’s not a snake! It has legs.” It turned out to be a Blue Tongue Lizard after checking in the internet. They are very common and widespread in New South Wales. They are safe and harmless. Others even adopt them as a pet. What an encounter! At least now we are sure that our backyard is still safe place for our children to play.

After a month long holiday, its now time to go back Down Under. We’ve always had this strange sad feeling each time we end a trip back home. Though this time around, it is a bit different as a couple of family members have already left for another country just a few days ahead of us.

But I think what dampened the sadness is the fact that we’re not going back alone. Grandpa and Grandma are coming for a month-long vacation with us in Sydney. It sure is a promising treat for them… and definitely, for us.