by The Happy WAHM
Have I ever mentioned here that I sit on the board of a Science High School in our town?
Well, I do. And about two weeks ago, I was asked by the Chairman of the Board to review a proposal by a contractor for the maintenance and upgrade of the units in our Computer Laboratory. The proposal was for the upgrade of the RAM, replacement of the CMOS battery and installation of Windows OS, among others. Apparently, more than half of the units have been corrupted and the solution they were looking at was to reformat the corrupted units. That means having to re-install the OS.
But the process will be costly. And when I asked the technician if the OS he was going to install was licensed, he could not give me a straight answer. So suffice it to say that he was going to give us a cracked OS, which did not sit right with me since we are an educational institution.
Budget being tight for an enterprise license of Windows, we decided to look at open source alternatives. Husband found Ubuntu, and decided to try it out first with our kids’ PC at home. They do have their own PC for their homeschool because it has been a sacred rule in our home that Mommy’s home office is hers alone, and that no other person can use Mommy’s PC. It’s exclusive for Mommy’s work. 🙂
So husband downloaded Ubuntu and installed it in the other PC, and we have been all agog about it since.
The Office Productivity Suite
My first concern was, how will the kids create documents? My PC will continue to run on Windows, of course, so how are we going to exchange documents? Is it compatible with MS Office?
Well, it is. It has a complete suite of office counterpart, called the LibreOffice. Microsoft Word is called the LibreOffice Writer, Excel is LibreOffice Calc and PowerPoint is LibreOffice Impress. You can create a document and save it with .odt extension, and your Windows-based PC will open it in WordPad, then you can save it as .docx. Or you can simply save it as .docx with LibreOffice. Why make life complicated? 🙂
Then there’s LibreOffice Draw, which I assumed is the counterpart of Paint, but I’m finding it a lot better. It can produce technical drawings, posters, etc. Making a flow chart using Draw is easy-peasy! It also allows you to manipulate pictures and images in many ways and save them in a range of image and document formats.
MS Access is LibreOffice Base, but I have not explored it yet, as I have somehow developed an allergy for the words query, MySQL and Dbase.
LibreOffice Math is equations and formula editor. Really neat, as it allows you to perfectly format mathematical and scientific formulas, from fractions, exponents, integrals and mathematical functions, to inequalities and systems of equations. And what’s neater is you can use it as standalone, or you can use it with Writer, Calc or Impress.
I have not tried it yet, but I believe that the counterpart of Outlook is Thunderbird.
The Software Center
This is the part where I really fell totally in love. It’s overflowing with apps for office and homeschool use! It’s great that they have categorized the apps, since there are literally hundreds of them, into education, books and magazines, fonts, games, business, graphics, etc. Among the apps that we have so far installed are the Periodic Table, Stellarium, GeoGebra, KAlgebra and Scratch. There are also educational application bundles categorized into Pre-School, Primary, Secondary and Tertiary, so you get most of the apps you need according to the level you prefer in just one click. 🙂
I have barely scratched the surface of the features here, and I’m sure you are going to find something for your personal needs. The RedNotebook for journaling, KMyMoney or sKrooge as your personal finance manager, FreeMind for mindmapping… the list is long!
I believe Ubuntu is a great alternative for homeschooling families and work-at-home professionals who simply cannot afford the expensive license for Windows and Mac OS. We buy laptops and desktop PCs at such a high price because vendors make the installed OS part of the selling point. But you can actually build you own desktop PC at a fraction of a branded PC’s cost and simply install this open source OS. And get a lot of free apps to go with it, too!
I’m now so envious of my kids for having all these cool features in their PC, I’m seriously considering installing Ubuntu in my tablet.
[Photos from ubuntu.com and ubuntuhandbook.org]
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by The Happy WAHM
It used to be M/V Doulos that my husband and I would look forward to each year. Both voracious readers, we consider trips to the bookstore a date, and going to wherever M/V Doulos would be anchored a special occasion. Then the ship ended its voyage, and we discovered the Manila International Book Fair. This year is our third.
For the past two years, I’ve only taken the girls with me. Husband is not really keen on taking our kids on long trips with anticipated long walks. He says it’s not wise for the kids to get tired when the parents are more likely to be tired also. And I get that, totally. This year, since we agreed that I should go on a weekday to avoid the crowd, I was just going to take Bea. Jude was to stay behind with his Dad, while Xia has school. But when Jude learned about the plan, he was teary-eyed. He wanted to go. He was going to look for books about the Titanic and the World Trade Center, two of his latest interests. His Dad tried to explain that Mommy cannot take both him and Bea because Mommy has not been feeling well. He said, okay. Then went to the room and stayed there.
It worked.
So we tweaked our plan. Dad and Jude would go, too. But we’d have to leave really early so we could be home before Ate Xia gets home. But when Xia learned about this, she, too, wanted to go. So a pink slip was requested. 🙂
We got there before opening time. We had our game figured out. Daddy and Jude would go their way; Xia and Bea would go theirs, and Mommy… well, she’s going to talk to her colleagues at the Filway booth, go around on her own, and would be summoned when either of the two teams need to pay already. Mommy was the banker.
Xia came prepared. She knew what she wanted and was done with her shopping in less than an hour. Bea was a bit slow, always looking at the price tags. She’s very concerned about the budget. Jude was relentless in his search for his books, but was not getting any headway. So we re-grouped, literally. Mommy went to accompany Jude, and Daddy went to look for Jude’s books, too. Finally, he found an only copy, a 2014 print of the Titanic from a UK publisher. And of course, it was not on sale. 🙁
Bea finally decided on this set. Expect some posts on Bea’s culinary sojourn here. 🙂
Part of Xia’s loot.
A few of the other items that the kids are sharing. They share the love for Pokemon. Actually, an argument ensued over these. Jude wanted the Character Guide 2, but Bea said to get get the Character Guide 1 because it doesn’t make sense to skip it. But Jude, thinking that he could only get one, wanted the later version. Good thing that the sales assistant was very helpful, and pointed out that getting both copies would save us money, so we did. Bleach and Naruto are also part of their growing collections.
But the biggest, and priciest, find is the Sacred Geometry. Really excited to start reading this with the kids!
For myself, I wanted to get a sewing book, or any craft book that I could really use for my goal of learning some crafts this year, and I found Sewtionary. It’s pricey, so I put it back on the shelf, thinking that I’d go back to it when all the others were done shopping. But alas, my brain conveniently forgot about going back after all the receipts have made their way to me. My eyes saw the bags of books, and the brain registered something like, there’s no more room for one more book. Enough!
I think I’ll just put it in my Wishlist. Someone might take pity and make it my Christmas gift. 🙂
by The Happy WAHM
One fine day in May, less than two weeks before my son’s 9th birthday, I asked him. “What would you like Mommy and Daddy to give you for your birthday?” He answered, “Just a hug, Mommy.“ I asked why, have I not been hugging him enough? He said, he knows we don’t have money for gifts, so a hug would do.
My husband lost his job in March, and we have always been honest to our kids about our economic standing. We always tell them, we are not rich. We only have enough. But know that you are loved. And we will do everything we can to provide for your needs. The wants will come later.
And on that day, my son didn’t want anything, just a hug for his birthday.
But I insisted. I told him, it’s his birthday, and if he wants something, he just has to tell me, and we’ll discuss if it’s something that we can afford.
So he said, “When we have money, Mommy, can I have KEVA Planks?”
KEVA what!?
I totally had no idea what it was. Have not heard it before. So, after he went to bed, I Googled it, and found the KEVA site, and fell in love.
My son knows quality when he sees it. Apparently, he found it on YouTube. He’s been fascinated with structures, which started with the Twin Towers in New York, when he was researching on what happened in 9/11. He’s been building structures using his number sticks, in the process learning Math and History.
Below are photos of some of them.
New York City
The Pyramids of Egypt
The Stonehenge
Somehow, he stumbled on a video featuring the KEVA Planks, and he’s been dreaming about it since.
I showed the site to my husband, and we agreed that it would be good for our son to have, that it would be a good investment to further nurture his dream of becoming a structural engineer. We also agreed that it’s too expensive, and that shipping might be a concern.
We decided to sleep on it, and talk about it again another day. Had we found the site a year ago, we could have just have gone ahead and placed an order. But our situation is different now. We have to justify every expense, and however much we want to provide our son with something educational, it’s still too expensive for us.
The following day, I could not focus on my work. I kept on thinking about the planks, and how happy my son would be to have them.
Who am I kidding? I know I will be ecstatic to have them. And so will my husband, and our daughters, too. So I posted a shout-out on Facebook and asked if anyone knew where I could get KEVA Planks in the Philippines.
Sadly, no one (at least, not in my network) has heard of KEVA before. I described the product, and some replied with suggestions of variations of building blocks and Lego.
Nah, those will never do.
So, I went back to the site and inquired about shipping to the Philippines. No other than the Founder of KEVA replied to my inquiry, and he pointed me to the Sales Director of MindWare, the company that distributes KEVA, among other brainy toys. It turns out that MindWare has a distributor in the Philippines. I was given a link to the local site. Unfortunately, they don’t have the particular item that we want. My husband and I decided that we would get the structures set, but the site only offers the contraption set. I repeatedly tried calling for 2 days at different times, but no one picked up. I decided to leave a message on the contact form, asking if I could order the structures set in maple, and I received a reply with a link to the contraption set in pine.
Sigh!
We celebrated my son’s birthday with a simple cake, and a promise that Mommy and Daddy are doing everything we can to get him the planks.
After a few days, I received an e-mail from the local distributor, and he asked if we could meet. Me being from the boondocks, I could not commit to a personal meeting, so I sent him a lengthy e-mail instead, detailing our desire to have our hands on that particular box, the 400 Maple Planks. Well, truth is, we actually wanted the 1000 Maple Planks, but that would be too risky on our dwindling finances.
Never heard back from the distributor after that. 🙁
We considered buying from Amazon, but we were deeply concerned about customs fees. I went back to the MindWare site to see if I could at least get an estimate of the shipping cost. Quite unfortunate though, that they don’t offer international shipping for online orders. So, I wrote to MindWare again, and asked if I could order from them directly. We considered buying from them and have the product delivered to my mom-in-law so she could put it in a Balikbayan box and somehow save on customs fees. But my mom-in-law is elderly, and we really hate to put her to so much trouble over some pieces of wood.
I think by this time, Angela, the kind-hearted and ever so patient Director of Sales, was tired of me and my e-mails, and I further aggravated it by asking her for a coupon code. I just thought it wouldn’t hurt to ask, you know? A little discount will go a long way, especially with the dollar to peso conversion rate. I do this almost everyday in my online work, managing an online shop – create and give discount codes to those we feel deserve to have them. Our mantra in the business has always been it’s easier to keep old clients than find new ones. So I thought of giving it a try.
You believe that if you pray hard enough and sincerely enough, God will answer? I do. And He did.
I prayed for it as a gift to my son. I prayed for it as a gift to me. On my birthday, I created an online wishlist. Two days after that, I received an e-mail.
She, Angela, wanted to know what particular set my son wants, and asked me for my shipping address.
She was going to send me a set, at no cost.
BUT, I did not see that e-mail until after Typhoon Glenda.
From the day I started my quest for KEVA, I’ve checked my e-mail daily – morning, noon and evening. And always, Ken, the KEVA Founder, and Angela, have been prompt in replying. But after I’ve asked Angela for the coupon code, I did not immediately hear back from her. I was counting the days, and on the fifth day, I just thought maybe it’s not going to work. So I just stopped checking my mail.
Then Glenda happened, and I got so dangerously close to losing my job, too, because we had no power and no internet and my client had to hire someone to take my place while I was offline. I thought, that’s it. I, too, was going to be out of job. I was on the verge of depression then, but thankfully, I was strong enough to ward off the negative thoughts, and instead focused on improving my coaching module so I can offer it to a wider target market, and used my time offline writing new, and tweaking old, business plans.
And then in early August, just as I was getting my groove back, I decided to check on that e-mail address, and there it was.
I was in shock. An answered prayer! From a total stranger.
I replied, and did not ask why she was doing what she was doing. I just thanked her, profusely, and gave my address.
That night, I posted a status on Facebook about the kindness of strangers. It was cryptic, as I was not even sure if we would actually get the planks. I was trying to contain my excitement and my expectations. I told my husband about the e-mail, but we agreed not to let our son in on the secret yet.
On August 19, at dusk, a delivery van of 2Go stopped right in front of our gate, and my heart stopped. I thought I was going to hyperventilate. I don’t know how I managed to open the box without cutting myself in the process.
KEVA Maple 400
And for the first time in a long time, my son, whose bed time had always been 8:00PM, was allowed to stay up way past 10:00PM.
You will surely be seeing a lot more photos in the days, weeks and months to come. But for this time, I’m sharing what we have built, so far.
Jude’s Boat
Bea’s English House
Xia’s Contraption
Jude’s Tower
So, what do you think? Do you want to have your own KEVA Planks set? Please send me a message on my page. 🙂
by The Happy WAHM
I first heard of Balik Bukid last year. But only after people were already talking about it on Facebook. From the photos and the blogs, the fair seemed like fun. So I made a promise to myself and the kids that we’ll be at the next one.
And we were.
We’ve just arrived home from this year’s Balik Bukid at Hacienda Sta. Elena. And boy, it was indeed fun! Come to think of it, fun is an understatement. It was exhilarating. More so for the kids. Each of them had a personal high.
Xia riding a horse. And a big one at that!
Bea conquering her fear of heights. I was truly worried that she’d feel the fear halfway up and panic, but she was able to hold on and finish the climb on her own, and go back down again. Truth be told, I was only able to take a total of three shots of her on those ropes. I was shaking. Very frightened that she’d have an episode. I know that feeling so well. The paralyzing fear of heights. But she was a real trouper. Even asked if she could do another climb. But my heart could no longer take it. So, no.
Jude catching a fish.
And I had a personal high, too.
I did something that I have not done even in my teen years. And not even when I was moonlighting as a production assistant for live concerts.
Today, I finally had the courage to ask a celebrity for a photo op. Look at this!
Well, I actually approached her with: “Ah, excuse me, but can my kids have a photo with you?” And my kids were like: “What? Why? Sino s’ya, Mommy?” So I explained: “Sorry, my kids don’t watch TV and they are not familiar with Philippine show business.” And she replied: “Oh, that’s okay! I don’t watch TV myself, and I wouldn’t know me either if I’m not me.” Ha ha!
So here she is with my girls.
The little boy was at that time having fun boating with his dad, which was a good thing, coz I wouldn’t have had the courage to approach Maricel had the dad been around. He frowns on these things. Being a fan and taking pictures of celebrities. It’s simply not in his zone. So it was a good thing that he was not around. 🙂
We met a couple of fellow WAHMs. Hmmm… now that I think about it, these WAHMs are both artistically gifted. Ginnie of The Green Mailbox and Nica of Carlos and Veronica. Awesome talents, these ladies!
And Xia had a bag personalized with her name by Ima, who also does calligraphy. And what do you know, the other lady in the photo below is also named Isabelle. She’s actually one of the angels of Manila Workshops.
Thrilled also to have re-introduced myself and the kids to a cousin-in-law, whose online store will be launched next year. But for now, you can find her here, and below, with my treasures. Jude really was in his element this whole day, making faces for the camera.
And lest I be accused of turning my site into a photo blog, I’d better stop posting photos here.
To the organizers of the country fair, thank you for putting up such an organized event. The attendants were all so accommodating and helpful. The facilities were well-maintained. Like the toilets were cleaned after every use. Alcohol bottles and paper towels in every turn. Attendants maintaining cleanliness of the grounds. Security personnel so snappy. All the kuya‘s who assisted my kids through the horseback riding, the carabao ride, the rope climb, the feeding, the boating, the fishing… kudos to you! You were their heroes! Until the next Balik Bukid!
by The Happy WAHM
Oh, my goodness! After that, I’m speechless.
Today is the worst, so far. Coz it rained yesterday and the field is muddy. But those shoes are what I deal with everyday.
It’s been 54 days since my kids started soccer training, and boy, am I so proud of them! Six days a week, Monday to Saturday, they’d wake up at the crack of dawn and prepare to go to training. Milk, cookies, shower, get into their jerseys, get the shin guards and line up for Mommy to put on their socks and shoes.
Well, at least for the two younger ones. My 13-year old can actually put on her shin guards and knee socks, which can sometimes be a challenge. 🙂
I’ve never been athletic. I tried to be, back in high school. But dance was, and will always be, my passion, so it took precedence. Although come to think of it, dance is a sport, right? So I can claim to be athletic. Except that I danced cultural, not the power dances that are considered as sports.
I did gymnastics for a short time. Then softball as a shortstop, a bit of volleyball, did sprints on the track and field, and badminton. But I’d really rather be practicing my sway balance and waltz than do strenuous sports training. So yeah, I’m no athlete.
That’s why it’s been quite a challenge to keep up with the kids’ schedule this summer. Daily training for soccer, from 6:00 AM to 8:30 AM. Since the field is still a good 30-minute drive, we have to leave the house at 5:30 AM, which means we actually wake up at 4:00 AM so we can have time for a light breakfast and shower. While they train, I study my lessons on my tab. Yeah, I’m a Courseran, too! 🙂 Glutton for punishment, right?
Then we make a dash for home, take a quick meal and a bath, and off again to the Drum and Lyre Band training ’til 11:00 AM. We take a quick lunch and give the kids another shower and prepare again for their piano lessons at 1:00 PM. Sometimes, I’d just grab my laptop and my pocket wi-fi so I can put in some work while I wait up for the kids ’til 4:00 PM, instead of leaving and coming back to pick them up.
It’s a good thing that the piano lessons and the band training are only on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. Otherwise, I’d be dead by now. 🙂 And have I mentioned that I handwash their jerseys and socks everyday?
They’ve been to two tournaments, and looking forward to at least one more before summer ends. By then I’d be an expert sports mom. The first tournament we went to, we were so unprepared! I thought it was a single game kind of thing. What do you know! Tournaments, even for kiddies, are whole day affairs. So the next one we went to, we were more armed with the necessities. Like a cooler full of water and ice, several shirts to change to after each game, towels, an umbrella and a visor cap. Next time, I’d remember to wear rubber shoes and bring long sleeved polo to protect my arms. The heat and dust in these events are not for the fainthearted.
So while I am really supportive of whatever my kids choose to do, there are days that I feel like I’m way over my head. Like today, when I have to deal with muddy shoes. And socks! Thank God for my eldest who helped with the clean up, and the fact that it’s Tuesday, so no band practice to run to.
The kids? It’s another story. They voluntarily sleep early, they look forward to each training day and seeing their new-found friends. They seem to not get tired at all. They’re having the time of their lives! And that in itself is a reward.
by The Happy WAHM
It’s World Teachers’ Day, and last night, the girls and I made Thank You cards for Xia’s teachers at St. Jude Science and Technological School. We just used whatever material we could find at home since it was already late when Xia told us we’d be making those cards. Good thing that I had left over board papers from my desktop publishing biz, and I have a collection of craft scissors and punchers. We had fun making them. And although the cards were for Xia, Bea volunteered to help. Oh, Jude helped, too. Mostly by saying “Ganda n’yan a.”
So here are some of the 12 cards we finished last night. The left over flower cut outs will be used for Bea’s lapbook, which she’s always excited to work on. She’s the artistic member of the family.
