Train up a child in the way he should go,
And when he is old he will not depart from it.
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Happy Father’s Day to All Daddy!
June 18, 2010
Happy Father’s Day to all! This article challenges us, fathers, to live according to our heavenly calling. May the true meaning of fatherhood echoes in our lives for the sake of our children. God bless. by Rick Warren
“I must care about my kids enough to show them what God is like and show how they can become like Christ.“ The world is full of sons and daughters who desperately need a father who is a spiritual leader. Is it possible your kids are among them? You can become a spiritual leader to your children by developing the characteristics that we see in Jesus as he taught his disciples for three years. Even if you are not a father, or a mother, you will be able to lead others into the heart of God by following the example of Jesus. First, Jesus helped the disciples to know God. Look at what Jesus says: “… they belonged to You.” He’s acknowledging that the disciples belonged to God. And reminding us that we don’t own our kids. They belong to God. He loaned them to us for a period of time in which He wants you to parent them. Parenting, like all forms of leadership, is really about stewardship. You learn to say, ‘God, I am the steward of these children, whom you put into my care and I will do what you need me to do to help them achieve their purpose.” Notice Jesus then says, “I showed what You were like to those You gave me.” Jesus doesn’t say, “I preached. I sermonized. I pontificated. I lectured so the disciples would know you.” He says, “I showed.” He led by example. This is one of the most sobering truths about being a parent. For right or wrong, for good or bad, whether you like it or not your children’s idea of God is going to be largely determined by the kind of father you are. You may not like that. I may not like that, but it’s the truth. If you are an impatient and demanding father, they’re going to think God is impatient and demanding. If you are distant and detached and never have time for your kids, they’re going to think God is distant and detached from them. If you are inconsistent and unreliable, if you break your promises, they’re going to think their heavenly Father is inconsistent and unreliable and breaks His promises. What is God really like? If my kids are going to grow up knowing God is caring, close, consistent, and competent, then I must be caring, close, consistent, and competent. I must care about my kids enough to show them what God is like and show how they can become like Christ.
I showed what You are like to those You gave Me from the world. They belonged to You, and You gave them to Me. John 17:6 (NCV)
Dads, this is your number one responsibility as a father. You need to help your children get to know God because eternity is in the balance: life or death, heaven or hell. It is your job to help make sure your kids are introduced to God.
The A to Z of Successful Living
June 7, 2010
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2010 Summer Achievement
May 24, 2010
During our 2 month vacation in our country in Philippines, Zek attended the Academic Enrichment Program at Lord’s Angel Montessori School which provides him a Preparatory Assessment Test of 95 items. We we’re so nervous for him not to be able to pass the examation as a home schooled student, he made a score of 88 points. We don’t do long testing during our entire Kinder level, only quizzes for his mastery of skills.
At the end of his Intesive Program, he was given again another Skill Assessment Test for Grade 1 level of 50 items. He was able to get 40 correct answers from it, we are so overwhelmed for his achievement. He also gets a recommendation to go for Grade 1 level which CFA considered as well from our time of Enrollment.
We’re able to bring him to AVILON ZOO with Tita Eyet and Kuya Robin for their Educational trip, he likes most the white parrot that bites his hand because he keeps on shaking the tree branches hoping it will make it go down to his arms. For he loves it everytime he gets his turn for the parrot to go walk over his shoulder. He watched endlessly the white monkey, that according to him moves like spiderman with all those twigs and ropes around the caves.He gets the chance to give carrots with the rabbits and guinea pigs which he so much enjoy doing with his friend kuya Robin.
On the other hand, it makes him somehow overcome his fear of riding the airplane on our way back to Philippines knowing that he gets to ride this time with his American friends Madisen, Chase and Hunter. Hearing them talking and laughing at the back makes him feel comfortable too during the entire trip.
He get to enjoy his airpline ride now unlike before that he is really histerically frightened of it, we are so thankful to God for this is a great recovery of one of his emotional challenges in lfie.
But most importantly, we did our yearly visit to the BETHANY ORPHANAGE to show Zek to somehow share his blessing to others. That he may also get the chance to know each of them and to play with all those 40 resident children living in there under the care of Sister Shirley.
http://maiaoutreachprogram.i.ph/blogs/maiaoutreachprogram/2010/06/02/bethany-house/
It was all FUN after all.
Moving Up
April 24, 2010
This is our most awaited day from the day we started doing home schooling for our son, Zek.
Finally, we made it to our Moving Up day and completed all the requirements needed to passed KINDER level at Catholic Filipino Academy (CFA) our Home School provider. It is not as easy as it may seems to be especially when we started it to our 5 year old son last school year. He can not sit for at least 10 minutes continously we had a lot of time outs for him just to make him come back at start again to do lessons or activities needed to accomplished witihin a day. It really is a hardwork to always think of an ideas on how to input the everyday topic in a way that he can easily comprehend. Make him listen is a difficult task already, how much more to make him understand an 8-10 books lessons a day. We made it through God’s graces to us, daily prayers and asking for HIS guidance makes it work to each one of us. We are so thankful for God was able to supply us enough courage and patience to do the given task for us each day.
We have learned that it should be enjoyable learning for kids to easily grasped any learning methods effective for every child’s needs and so here we are for our Moving-Up day.
We missed to attend the Catholic Filipino Academy Graduation Day for SY2009-2010 at Sanctuario De San Antonio Parish Hall, Forbes Park Makati last March 25,2009 so we we’re adviced to still do the ceremony.
Zek has received his Kinder level Report Card and Certificate of Excellence in Mathematics with Most Thrustworthy in character Award Medal last April 29,2009 especially given by his Grandparents which he called Papa and Mama, Mr.Silvino and Mrs. Tonette Santos. We started the ceremony with a short Thanksgiving Prayer by Daddy Rowin then a treat of his favorite Pizza and Ice Cream with all his cousins plus a giveaways to those who come share with us this special event of his Pre-School life.
We are so proud of you, Zek! We are so happy to all your achievements. May God keep you safe and healthy always.
We love you so much! - Daddy and Mommy
Q4 Progress Report
March 10, 2010
Sessions/Activities:
We do our regular routine of lessons starts at 10am but do another session in the afternoon if we are not yet done. Zek needs a lot of break time and mind setting.
Mondays, we listen and sing a long to Phil. National Anthems.
Thursdays, he attends his regular class for additional enrichment activities in MAPE (with cooking lessons too every once a month).
Fridays, we do review previous lessons orally then play some educational online games together or some indoor sports depending on what he chooses to do.
Saturdays & Sundays, Zek started attending Kung Fu (Wushu) class for 2 hours every session,
珠海武术,珠海武术培训,珠海市武术协会 http://www.zhwsxh.com
Progress per subject:
CLE: Zek recognizes the signs of holy spirit now and is eagerly learning more about it. He knows somehow that Holy Spirit helps us on everything we do, that it makes us brave and brings us closer to Papa Jesus. Zek always asking us for something to give whenever he see a street children or beggars on our way.
Math: Zek learns a lot about comparisons now, if it’s same, less or more with counting more than 10. Addition and subtractions up to ten digits is much easier for him to do now with the use of abacus like toy or anything that we can use for rational counting too.
Time and date with the use of calendar is familiar for him now also and we still practicing everyday for his mastery.
Language: Zek had mastery of positions at this time of In-Out, In-On, Under-Above and Left-Right. He can tell days of the week, month and year with the use of calendar but still needs a lot of practice for consistency.
Reading: He can tell “which comes next?” now when doing story telling or if asked “what does the picture tells about?” and can do read with understanding of simple sentences too but still needs a little help.
Science: Zek can describe common animals around and how to take care of it. He can tell what objects in the sky are and knows what to do during daytime or night time according to his schedule too.
We were able to visit Science, Space and Railway Museums for his educational trips and exploring adventures. http://zeksantos.i.ph/blogs/zeksantos/2010/02/13/cny-2010/
Filipino: I print out the “patinig” at “katinig” then we practice reading the sounds of each letter then put it together to make a word. He still confused on some tagalog words that he rarely encounter but he tries reading it well.
Sibika: He can sing the Phil. Anthem by himself although a little confused on wordings.
MAPE: We listen to VCDs that has rhymes and we sing a long with it together for his easy to remember rhymes for music and his YOMIyomi classes every Thursday for 1hr.
AWARDS: Best in Math and Most Trustworthy Award
Problems Encountered / Solutions:
1. He has good memory on subjects he is interested to like math and drawings but we still struggle to make him sit and listen when time to do lessons especially if it’s a lot of writing.
We deal with him with constant reminder that we need to do lesson first before he can watch the TV show he likes and most of all play online games. Then we wait for him patiently sitting on our lesson table while asking “Are you ready?” repeatedly until he shows the initiative to do so.
I need to provide more colorful stuffs or make it like we’re playing games sometimes just for him to easily grasp on lessons he’s not interested to do and play with him together like the words that rhymes as matching game while singing it with familiar tunes he knows.
We let him listen to his favorite songs or stories while doing his practice writing to make him focus and make the exercises done well.
2. He still had difficulty reading Tagalog words especially those that he can not understand and writing them but a fast learner when English language was used.
We let him watch tagalog versions of cartoons that he likes every Sunday online for his own understanding and read a long with him a tagalog book that one of our friends here let us borrowed for additional learning materials, it is very helpful.
CNY 2010
February 13, 2010
This year, the Chinese New Year Holiday started from Febuary 13 until 21, 2010 so we were able to take this opportunity to do educational trips as included in our CFA 4th Quarter Enrichment Activities.
At first, we went to HK Science Museum 香港科學館| http://hk.science.museum/eindex.php and was able to watch a National Geographic film about Panda for about 45 minutes. Then as we go around, Zek liked it most when he tried the “Driving Simulation” in a real red car parked inside the museum together with a virtual road tracks too. He instantly stood in queue and patiently waited for his turn for almost an hour. When he got out the car, he was proud of his accomplishment that in spite of having a hard time reaching to step on the accelerator (the game was meant for big kids already) he only got 1 mistake for entire 3 minutes time ride for. He kept on telling me, “I did not stop on one red light kasi.”
Then there was the “Principles of Electricity” corner and Zek excitedly tried connecting the plus and minus of the DC power supply to make the miniature train go around the tracks. He loves trains too especially “Thomas, the tank Engine”.
Next stop was the HK Space Museum 香港太空館 where he remembered the stars, the moon, the sun and the planets as shown in the scale model of the solar system - 1. Mercury, 2. Venus, 3. Earth, 4. Mars, 5. Suturn, 6. Jupiter, 7. Uranus 8. Neptune. Zek also did the 6 foot big puzzles of “Rockets” along the way.
Third stop was the “HK Railway Museum”
專題展覽
where he rode the different types of train according to the model and year it was made. He was interested mostly at the miniature displays of all trains too that he can’t take away his eyes on each one of them and he did not want to leave the place. “Which train did I ride Mommy? It’s the red and blue right?”, he repeatedly narrated as he looked closely on each color, style and kind of train inside the museum.
A few days after, we got the chance to bring him to watch the 长隆欢乐世界-欢乐与世界同步-首页
“Circus International Show” with his friends from GuangZhou and it was so amazing. He laughed at the bear carrying another bear in a pull-cart then enjoyed the combat script between a soldier and monkeys in a big tank.
Finally, before the holiday ended, we were invited to go to a hotspring and climbed up Danxia
Danxiashan Geopark
Mountain 丹霞山 of Shaoguan 广东省韶关 of northern part of Guangdong Province of China. It took us about 5 hours road-trip. Zek was able to go up to 600 meter-high and it was not even on top of the mountain yet, maybe just about a half or less of it. Unfortunately, we can not go further up anymore. Our spirits were willing but our shaky and trembling knees simply refused 
.
As proof of his deep exhaustion after the trip, Zek was already crying on our way home while repeatedly saying, ” I want to go back home.”
Inspite of the very tiring trips and very cold weather with some rains too, it was another fun learning experience for our Zek and a totally enjoyable time with good friends for all three of us.
IT’S MY 6th Birthday!
January 24, 2010I’m 6 years old boy who loves to go to YOMIYOMI to play, learn and have lots of fun. 泽克是一个6岁的男孩谁爱到YOMIYOMI发挥，学习和有乐趣。
It’s my 6th birthday celebration today at YOMIyomi and all my friends were there to learn with me, have fun and play lots of games. Their Daddies and Mommies joined us too and had a great time playing with us the “race to fit in a loop” game, our team won the first time and they catch up on the second round.
With special piano presentation of my friend Sean, 6 years old from Canada.
We made sticky rice with lots of fun shapes together with the help of Teacher Hebe and Teacher Eva then let our Daddies and Mommies got a taste of it, we all love it!
After all games, we had a filipino food snacks. They all love the ground pork spring roll with sweet sticky rice, spaghetti and special macaroni salad by tita Mhy. Ayi Michelle and Ayi Stephanie made us their famous sushi to go with Teacher Eva’s share of the fish filllet.
It’s all a hearty and healthy treats to all of us present that day.
We want to Thank all my friends for coming!
Sophi Melody Sean
Justin Jasper Chase
Hunter Kyla Gelo
Miro Lee John Nico
Natania Lianne Patrice
But most of all, Thank you for my friends, Ate Lianne, Ate Patrice, John2 and Baby Natania who came a long way from Dongguan and GuangZhou to be with us in celebration too.
May we somehow able share with you all our heavenly graces received from our loving Father.
We pray that God may Bless each of your Families always!
You’re Invited!
January 12, 2010
Hope to see you all at 珠海市香洲区海燕路1号海悦大厦2楼 on my special day and let’s all have a great time together.
Our Favorite Bread
January 1, 2010By Daddy Rowin
We are proud of our Zek.
Eversince he learned how to give alms, mostly in kind, to the poor beggars on the streets, he has always been on the look-out for them and would eagerly ask anything from us for anything he can give out. And with an innocent understanding of what being poor is, he looks directly at the beggar’s face while handing out his alms then walks away with a joyous smile, knowing that he is able to help another person in need.
One incident though posed a huge challenge for his generosity towards the poor. After a short visit to a tree and plant nursery for Zek’s homeschool activity (see related blog link with the title “Let us Go Green” - http://zeksantos.i.ph/blogs/
Zek was motionless as a statue until he started to shed a tear in silent protest. I was caught off-guard with his reaction and inquired in the same instant, “Why are you crying Zek?”
“Daddy, this is my favorite bread and I am hungry now”, he said in breaking his silence about his unusual reaction to his alms-giving opportunity.
How truthful his declarations were.
After nearly two hours inside the tree nursery, he is much ready to devour any food that catches his attention. He is really hungry.
I also remember my wife telling me before that that bread is really one of his favorite bread. He can finish one loaf by himself with very little time to spare.
Right then and there, I needed to re-assure him.
“Zek, I know that you are already hungry and that this is your favorite bread, but you know mommy is out there in the bakeshop at this moment and buying another of your favorite bread for you to eat. She is also buying a good drink to go along with it for you to enjoy your snack more. Lolo over there, however is really more hungry than you and he has no mommy to buy him this bread.”
Zek hesitated and seemed to prolong his non-response. He still was visibly sad but after a longer after-thought, he went down the car and run towards Lolo and gave his favorite bread.
He came back to the car at the same time his mother arrived from the bakeshop. And as Zek was about to feel sad again about losing his favorite bread, his mother pulled out another loaf of bread – exactly the same kind which was actually under the bag which I failed to notice when I got the first one. Not only that, his mother showed him more breads bought from the bakeshop.
Zek was still sad but we knew that he understood in his young heart that we, his parents, know his needs and will provide for him no matter what.
He just needed to trust us.
A few more clock ticks and New Year is here.
While most of us are busy making personal resolutions to gain or improve our health, wealth and overall well-being, it should also make sense for us to pause and reflect what “favorite breads” of us are we willing to depart with in order to further serve the Lord in the coming year.
There are two types of “favorite breads”.
One type spoils and harms the soul. These are our favorite sins that we have become so accustomed to that it become like second skin for us. Lying, manipulation, corruption, injustice, rumor-mongering and gossiping, addiction to vices, spousal infidelities, bad temper, unforgiveness are to name a few. These things must top our agendas of things-to-avoid in the coming year.
Another type of “favorite breads” are more difficult to depart with because they bring happiness and fulfillment. Suffice to say, they are, at times, even essential. However, they can still hinder us from realizing our real calling and purpose in God’s over-all plan.
Think about these situations.
A man giving up his love of a lifetime to become a priest.
A wealthy man giving up his hard-earned belongings for the poor.
A couple leaving the comforts of simple living and braving hunger and persecution in far-flung areas to become missionaries of God’s love.
Of course, there will always be a “confused Zek” in us when these times of calling arrive into our lives.
We can be sad.
We can be anxious and wary.
We can protest in silence.
We can be fearful at what the future will hold for us and our loved ones.
However, we must take the time to listen to Him.
We can rest on His gentle voice that lovingly assures us of His guidance and providence.
In the end, we can and should trust in His promise.
Because His promise is always true.
After all, He is our Bread of Life.
Happy New Year to all.
God bless.
posted at http://mabutingbalita.net
Merry Christmas to all!
December 25, 2009
Christmas in Zhuhai 2009
It will be my 2nd year Christmas celebration here in Zhuhai, last year was our moment with Papa and Mama and this point in time we get to have a good occasion with all our close friends. Chilly winter season here didn’t prevent us for a more than 2 hour drive to our get together party venue in Shenzhen. With us too, is a very special guest Uncle Jonas from Germany.
I and my friend Sophi get a lot of present to bring back home.
Then a few weeks earlier than Christmas day, I get to make and send Christmas cards to my families, some relatives and friends back home in Philippines. And just ahead of Christmas day, I get to bring personally all my gifts to our friends here in Zhuhai with Mommy and Daddy.
It was truly a loving moment each time I get a warm embraces and lots of red kisses with them upon receiving the gifts with a big astonished look on their faces while showing appreciation.
Our Family weekend getaway too was a lot of fun! I was able to learn how to play Golf with Daddy.
Christmas Season for me is the Christmas trees making, Christmas gifts sharing, all the Christmas Jingles to sing and most of all its Papa Jesus’ Birthday.
Have a Holy and Merry Christmas Everyone! - Zek
CFA Q3 Progress Report
December 16, 2009Sessions/Activities:
We do our regular routine of lessons.
Friday we still do short quizzes but mostly review previous lessons orally then play some games & rest most of the day because he still had to attend a lot of activities on weekends.
Saturday he plays football game started since October 17 end summer 2010 but Zek wasn’t able to play regularly due to his asthma.
Sunday he attends his regular class for additional enrichment activities in PE (arts / cooking).
Progress per subject:
CLE: Zek recognizes Mama Mary and St. Joseph as parents of Jesus here on earth but with still so much questions or confusions about the Holy Family or as the Trinity. He was happy to give help or provides with the needy especially when we he saw a beggar he would ask for something to give to them.
He knows how to pray the basic prayers already like the Our Father, Hail Mary and Glory be to the Father. We do pray the rosary too and he says 1 mystery sometimes if he’s not yet too sleepy after he prays his night prayer of Angel of God.
We also started to do his “Gratitude Journal” last Nov.21 and attended Family Fun day.
http://zeksantos.i.ph/blogs/zeksantos/2009/11/28/family-fun-day/
Math: He recognizes now the rational numbers, matching numbers with sets of objects, some words and figures. He is familiar with before, between and after, missing numbers and some shape patterns. He can somehow identify ordinal numbers too.
Language: He can described things now in colors, shapes and sizes. He can recognize clean from dirty, wide and narrow and the different faces too.
He played as policeman with his teachers from art classes for his community helpers. He can identify them and talk about some parts of the community.
Reading: Zek learns matching pictures to words now and words that rhymes mostly by playing his educational computer games includes the Beginning and final consonants.
We were able to do U.N Day Celebration with friends who do home schooling too, pls see details at http://zeksantos.i.ph/blogs/zeksantos/2009/10/23/un-day-celebration/
Science: Zek can described parts of a plants now and what they need to grow. He can identify now things and different taste mostly the sweet and spicy, hot and cold.
We’re able to visit a Nursery of http://www.birkdaleinternational.com/facilities.asp for his project last Sunday, Dec.13. A good friend worked as Horticulturist teaches Zek a lot about how to grow a plant & help us do skill assessment.
http://zeksantos.i.ph/blogs/zeksantos/2009/12/13/birkdale-nursery-visit/
Filipino: He is more confident now in speaking tagalog like magkatunog na salita at unang tunog na salita and letter sounds of A, E, I, O, U with the other alphabets.
Sibika: Zek recognizes people around the community now and can described them with their basic duties. He enjoys being a student now from his weekend activities and starting to know how to be a good student and listens well.
MAPE: As mentions above already for his regular weekend art sessions and sport activities.
Music, he also loves singing the songs he hears from the cartoons or movies he watches and ask us to record it for him then listens repeatedly especially the mandarin/ Cantonese languages that he do sings.
Problems Encountered / Solutions:
1. He has difficulty remembering some words and stories from lessons.
He plays words hunt with his daddy for reviews and mastery then we did acting out together some stories from his books for his easy understanding of the topics.
2. He still has some struggles to focus on some of our day’s topic.
We do include his favorite toys like Lego and robots during our lesson time, we talk to them instead than to him more and he replies with different voices for his toys with correct answers and full cooperation. We let him color or draw on his drawing pads too just to make him concentrate while he listens to the subject and answer properly or make him listen to his favorite songs or music just to calm him down for awhile.
We still need to do a lot of work to channel his energy into more productive way that he may learn how to focus on things one at a time to be able to do more lessons correctly.
Let’s Go Green
December 13, 2009 
Sunday morning we went to visit the 12 hectares Birkdale Nursery here in Zhuhai with Uncle Tibs for Zek Science project. He worked in the company as Senior Horticulturist and Nursery Manager and he was so kind to show us around in spite of his rest day and teaches us a lot about parts of plants, stages of growing in a way how a boy like Zek grow and what they need to grow healthy. He helped us to do some skill assessment too for Zek 3rd quarter progress report. He let Zek do some plow up of soil to the seed tray then show him stages of growing plants and how they store them during winter season to protect them from cold strong wind. 
the kind of grass that grows tall with flowers. Also the monkey puzzle tree called Araucaria that uses as Christmas tree to some foreign countries and the Banyan tree that grows alot of roots that likes a curtain and there’s so much more to learn about this place.
Zek had a great time! He likes most the soil plowing part and how they water the plants by using sprinkles in a timely manner but most specially to big trees that has dripper fixed into their soil. Uncle Tibs described it to Zek like when people get sick and stay in the hospital with injection. He is also amazed how they put name tags on each plants and how they lined them up so straight in groups together.Uncle Tibs gave him an outstanding grades with a remarks that “he is very inquisitve and likes to explore but he needs to focus more.” because Zek keeps asking questions while running around and jumping in between of uncle Tibs lectures.
Thank you Uncle Tibs for your time spend with us, having a lot of understanding with me and very informative tour around the Nursery of
http://www.birkdaleinternational.com/facilities.asp
My Daddy’s Birthday
December 11, 2009
It was Zek’s ideas to made the balloon shaped as flower, sun, rainbow, butterfly and make a big heart shape out of small heart shaped pink ribbons as decor for Daddy’s birthday celebration. We started giving or making something special from Dec.1 to this date for daddy like letting him eat chocolates, new socks on his closet, a new shirt then decorating the house little by little everyday.
We invited some close friends to join us in greeting him and share some simple dinner with us while we sing the Zhu Ni Sheng Ri Kuai Le (Happy Birthday to You) 祝你生日快乐 song in mandarin version with Zek and his friends Sophi, Melody and Tiffany including their parents.
Daddy is so happy and surpised when he arrived back home from work with his colleagues.
Happy, Happy Birthday Daddy! We are so proud of you. May you always be in good health and safe wherever you go.
We love you always - Zek, Mommy & Angel Maia
Family Fun Day
November 28, 2009Zek was able to join a whole day of recreation at QSI Family Fun Day. http://www.deltabridges.com/event/zhuhai-events/family-fun-day-qsi-international-school-zhuhai
He hits a goal for the football games then he doesn’t want to give back the ball when others kids is on queue waiting for their turn to play too, good thing they got 1 more extra. He won a Bionicle Toy Robot which makes him want to play the Wet Sponge Throwing to hit a girl’s face on the hit board with Hunter and Chase. He keeps on showing it to all the people he meet on his way around the school while Uncle Matt (Hunter’s Daddy) have seen it 26 times according to him for Zek endlessly asking him to look at it everytime he sees him. Then he do catching fishes to get other toy prizes and basketball for his first game to try.
Foods mostly are his favorites too like the hotdog sandwich which he first order then a popcorn and we takeout some cupcakes for Daddy after he was tired of running out on the field’s track and playing with his american friend Hunter at the playground’s monkey bar.
Zek had a great time but he gets tired so easily due to his coughs and colds started yesterday, he ask me to go home early and so excited to show his daddy all the toy prizes that he won especially the Bionicle.
Happy Childhood ZHTV1 Show
November 13, 2009
http://www.zhtv.com/tv/ShowArticle.asp?ArticleID=86884
快乐童年（3.16周二）-珠海广播电视台| 珠海视听网
Zek was invited to participate in a YOMI-yomi Promotional TV Show today to be aired on the local Zhuhai China TV Chanel 1 for the month of March 2010.
They did “Bubbles Making Show” using different materials like big hoola hoops for them to go inside and experience being inside a big bubble. Zek kept on talking to them in Mandarin language showing how much he enjoyed the activities with his Fil-Am classmate, Hunter and with 2 others from Japan and China.
This activity gave Zek a lot of play with learning experiences for his growth in the social aspect of life. Their school provides the children every class a different activities and things for them to explore like cooking, arts and crafts with themes each week high-lighting outer space, under the sea, about trees, flowers and plants growing around them.
Enhancing creativity in every hands-on activities each week is aimed at nurturing social and emotional skills and building self-confidence through art, science exploration and more. Zek, as an added bonus, has been also learning to speak Mandarin more confidently because of his classes.
Funtime means play time and learning time altogether at YOMI-yomi.
U.N. Day Celebration
October 23, 2009
For our United Nation Day Celebration, Friday of 23rd October in YOMIyomi at 10am–12 noon time.
“GLOBAL ONENESS”
PROGRAM
Opening Prayer
Introduction of Participants:
Sophi, 3 from Philippines with Mommy Mhyla presented African culture music and dance wearing one of Queen’s attire during festivities after Mommy Mhyla’s very informative slideshow lectures of cultural history and cooked “FUFU” mashed rice made by yam and chicken called “POULET YASSA” for their food treats.
Hunter, 5 from America 
identifying the shape of Italy map and flag colors with Meilleen.
Melody, 4 from Taiwan 
and her Mom Michelle creatively made Australian Map with historical photos of it.
with his African Chant that I’ve learned during CFA Parent’s Forum last May 28, 2009 by Mr. Ben Savedia with this lyrics, drums and homemade maracas.
“ORE, ORE DEO
HUMBA LA LA HUMBA, HUMBA..
HUMBA DE HUMBA DEO. ZOOM!”
We did a Congo Flag and “Wali Na Wazi” coconut rice with Curry Chicken of Swahili Dish from Congo.
counting 1-10 in Spanish language of Mexico then passing some pizzas and cake.
Fang Zhou, 3 from China with handmade drums and Mommy Eva’s explanation of its symbol of Love on it in color blue and red. They also brought sushi and fruits food treats.
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Europe
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North America
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South America
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Africa
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Australia
Snack Time with Global Food Treats
Recognition of the Participants
“ That we may be united as we honor and respect each other in spite of our cultural differences “
Football Games
October 17, 2009
Zek gets invited to join and play the Zhuhai International School (ZIS) Football Winter Games every saturday started this morning, October 17 ends until summer next year with Hunter, Chase and Madisen. Attended for more or less 30 kids from 5-14 years of age divided into 3 category age level, Zek belongs to small group age of 5-7 years old. He had a great time doing a lot of kicking, running and catching the ball with his team mates and having a great coaches from Germany. The car pooling ride going up to the location of Qi’Ao Island for an hour travelling together with his friends is a great fun for him too.
Please checkout link below for more details, thank u.
http://www.deltabridges.com/event/zhuhai-events/football-training-and-games-expat-children-zhuhai
K - 2Q Progress Report
October 12, 2009Sessions/Activities:
Zek wakes up between 8 - 8:30am
We start the day with his Morning Prayer
Monday we sing the Philippine National Anthem together
Breakfast starts at 9am so we can do lessons between 10-12am mostly now then if we did not finished a day’s lessons we do it again between 4-6pm. He is more familiar with our routine so we have fewer struggles this time. After all the work is done, I let him have his play time or watch educational series he likes or we go out and play do trips to groceries or do some errands together.
Friday we still do short quizzes but mostly review previous lessons orally then play badminton, football or sometimes we go out together during the weekend for bowling, billiards or to regular amusement center he want to go.
Saturday he attends his regular class for additional enrichment activities in PE (arts / cooking).
Progress per subject:
CLE: Zek knows he have a Daddy and Mommy and that we are a Family together. He knows the basic prayers at early age already like the Our Father, Angel of God and Glory be to the Father so it is easy for us this time. He finds a lot of challenges working with others and he has regular friends right now to do things together and let him show act of kindness to them like saying “sorry”, “share” and wait for his turn.
Math: He recognizes now with “Sizes and Positions” and “Rational Counting” but somehow get to have difficulty in to drawing the Picture Graph. We do connect numbers 1-50 to make a picture or figure for his additional exercises.
Language: He can tell different room / places in the house and can talk about school but not familiar yet with some parts of it and people working in it like the Principal, the Offices and Canteen as any regular student.
Reading: Zek learns more sight words and we do read to him 1 regular story for his mastery at start of 2nd Quarter. He is more willing to try reading now especially to things he is interested with like LEGO.
Science: Zek can tell sources of light like the SUN during the day and MOON at night. He can tell uses of water to people and rain for plants, trees and animals but have difficulty sometimes to use it wisely when he enjoys playing during bath time.
Filipino: He is comfortable now in writing “tuwid na guhit”, “Pahilis at Pahalang” at mga titik “Bb, Mm, Ii, Pp, Aa, Dd, Hh, Ff, Tt, Vv, Nn, Ññ” kasama ang mga tunog. He knows difference between “Maliit at Malaki”.
Sibika: Zek is now familiar in some of Filipino language and uses it much often but we still have some difficulty teaching him this lesson.
MAPE: As mentions above already for his regular weekly sessions and activities.
Music, we seek some help from co-Parent-Teacher to teach us the tune of the song from the book that we are not familiar with and which we cannot find for online downloading. He also loves singing the songs he hears from the cartoons or movies he watches and ask us to record it for him.
Problems Encountered / Solutions:
1. He still have the delaying tactics when its time for lessons.
I have to consistently explain to him the importance of doing his lessons and wait for him to sit and do the lessons then give him appreciation or reward.
2. He still having difficulty to focus and tell a lot of stories during lesson time.
I have to interrupt him most of the time and make stories that will get his attention to listen to me until we finished the lesson. I will allow him to bring toys on table with us and we pretend that they are too need to listen and watch what is need to be done.
3. He still can not stay still or sit for a long time to do writing or reading.
We have to take a lot of 5 minutes time out or break time just for him to loosen up and forget his boredom. I have to spent more time playing with him then input some of our lessons at the same time just to catch up for a day’s work with less struggle to each other.
4. In writing, he still has difficulty straightening his letters in 3 lines.
I have to put some dots on the paper or books he needs to write on until now down to 1 dot only to guide him where to start.
Ondoy Victims for Zek
October 10, 2009
We are on the road 9 “Jesus was born for me” lesson from the Christian Living book, showing him how Jesus a gift to us. Then we discuss how can he be a gift to others too with the illustrated pictures of street children from the book also, he said “that I can drink my milk, choco and eat well then I can give foods for them to eat.”
Then I show to him again the pictures of the Ondoy’s calamity victims, I ask him to pray for them and what he would like to tell Papa Jesus about them? He paused for awhile and say softly, “Papa Jesus please make the water go down and people to go back home.”
I did’nt expect that he can already say something like that at his age of 5, he is still so playful and I, myself don’t know what to pray at that moment for them to give him a good example. I just waited for him and I am so glad I did and to have tried asking him by showing the photos for him to see again that make him understand.
Posted on Oct.HomeRun monthly CFA ENewsletter at this link http://groups.google.com/group/catholic-filipino-academy/browse_thread/thread/74c78026fbe3d108#
Andrew and Zek
September 14, 2009
me : Papa Jesus and his disciples rode a boat and
went to a deserted place but a multitude of
people followed them. Jesus taught them a
lot of things until it was late and it was time
to eat. But the people did not bring along
food and neither did the disciples. Papa Jesus
instructed Andrew and the other disciples to
feed the people but they can not find any
food in the crowd except for one small boy
named Zek.
(I paused for a while but before I can tell how Andrew called Zek to come near to Papa Jesus, Zek interjected)
Zek : Papa Jesus, here!. I have 5 breads and 2 fishes!
(while motioning his man-shaped hand, index
and middle fingers as legs, rushing towards me)
me : “Thank you, Zek”, said Papa Jesus. He took
the breads and fishes and prayed over them
before giving them to His disciples to be given
to the people. Afterwards, the disciples
gather all the left over and prepared to leave.
Zek : Papa Jesus, wait po! (as his small hand-man
rushes towards me again). Here o, which
one you like? choco or juice?
me : “Wow, thank you Zek for the drinks”,
as Papa Jesus smiled.
My wife and I smiled, too.
For the past days, we have been re-telling Jesus’ miracle of feeding about 5,000 hungry followers (read Mark 6: 31-44, Matthew 14: 13-21). We replaced the traditional character of the boy who offered his 5 loaves of bread and 2 fishes with our Zek to make him more attentive to our story-telling. But recently, Zek has added his cute yet thought-provoking twist to this inspiring miracle-story.
Cheerful Givers Need Not to Be Reminded
After hearing the story a few times, Zek knew already what is expected of him – to give his breads and fishes to Papa Jesus so He can multiply it to feed the people. In a short time, he knew that he did not need to wait for Andrew to call him to start offering his food. That is his role and duty so he was simply excited to do it without cue.
Am I cheerful giver who gives without prodding or do I wait for someone to ask me before I give help?
Do I look for people to help or simply wait for them to find me?
Cheerful Givers Gives More
How many times have we heard this story but didn’t really ask how and where did the people get their drink after their meal. It is as if that it was a given that all people including mothers and children can eat their solid foods without drinking anything, even water. Maybe, it was part of the traditions then so it was simply deleted from the parable.
Zek knew, from his own personal experiences, that a drink is always necessary after a meal. His mommy would always prepare his choco or juice drink after his every meal. And so he knows there was something sounded wrong in the story we were telling him and decided by himself to add up that scene to complete the story. He offered the choco and juice to Papa Jesus, maybe half-consciously knowing, that with Him, the drinks would also be miraculously multiplied to be given to all. Or maybe he just wanted to give it to Papa Jesus in particular since he saw that He was tired and in really need of a drink. It does not really mattered what his yound mind is thinking. The bottomline remains – he gave more that what is expected of him.
How many of us can claim to give 10 pesos when a beggar child asks for 2 pesos?
Better yet, how many of us will pause and offer the child food instead of money, which may or may not be used for basic needs at all?
The Lord has spoken to us through Zek’s slight revision of this parable.
We hope to learn it well and live it.
We also hope our dear readers learn something from this.
Let us all be cheerful givers.
God bless po.
By Daddy