Sketches of Life|Life Lived in Simplicity

I first heard about Smokey Mountain when I first attended Gateway BM Church. At first I thought Smokey Mountain is a holiday resort but my tears rolled my cheeks when I saw the video shown by the missionary who served the children living on that mountain. The place is called Smokey Mountain because the place has mountains of garbage that is being burnt daily. Due to poverty, many children were sent by their family to look for any garbage that is still saleable and look for food!

Don’t you think that our children are so blessed to have so much that I am sure a lot of our children’s garbage is precious “gold” to the children of Payatas?

Totedaddy.com is working with Lighthouse Center For Children Foundation to bring Christmas For Payatas this year.

Well, Christmas is a time of giving. Jesus gave his life for us so that we can have eternal life. The Payatas is not asking for us to lay down our life for them. Why not make this Christmas an unforgettable one for them? Let’s donate the little that we have.

You can read more in the Press Release below:

The landfill in Payatas, The Philippines, is notoriously known the world over as Smokey Mountain. For over 35 years, the smoking dump site has grown to become a stark and heart-tugging reminder of the desperate conditions of humanity.

On a daily basis, children pick through newly arrived garbage to
collect material to sell. The earnings made by one child are not enough to even buy food for the day. Hence, entire families are forced to climb the mountain each day, hoping to earn enough to feed everyone. Children as young as four years old are forced to work in this daily struggle for survival.

In response to the plight of these children, Totedaddy.com is working with Lighthouse Center For Children Foundation to bring a little cheer to the children this Christmas.

Totedaddy.com has kicked off with a cash sponsorship of USD 10,000 to enable the children to celebrate Christmas. FusionExcel International has also pitched in a USD 5,000 in cash sponsorship. The money raised will help fund the projects already in place, and help fund additional projects aimed at providing better housing, and a means of livelihood for the Payatas community.

It is hoped that by creating better awareness to the plight of these children, more support can be garnered towards their betterment. Together we can bury poverty!

After coming back from hubby’s shop, he throws tantrum and wanted me to carry him of all days! I told him that I have backache. If I were to carry him, I might not be able to walk again, I might be hospitalised and no more carrying him again. He refused to understand.

He cried and cried and cried. He did not allow me to leave his sight. Maybe he is behaving this way because he needs his nap already. So I lay him down on my pillow, lie down beside him; sharing the same pillow and assured him that I will not go away. He slept. Me too! The moment he woke up from his nap and discovered that I have moved down; no longer sleeping on the same pillow, he cried again. Maid came to the rescue. He came to me once he stopped crying.

My backache still did not go away after the nap. He wanted milk but only if I prepare it for him; not the maid. I was still not ready to get up from bed due to my backache. The maid prepared the milk but I handed it to him. He drank a lil bit only. He wasn’t hungry. I think he just want to get me out of the bed.

I can forget about bed rest!

Just now hubby asked whether I want to dine out for dinner at Windmill. He just received the promotion vouchers. But then I was too tired to go out again because I have been out from 12noon till 4.30pm (the time I left hubby’s shop) with all my 3 children tagging along. My mom was not able to babysit them today because she went for facial!

I was exhausted and I have backache from carrying Barnabas up and down the car, up and down the chair, to jump over a drain and bending down a few times to wash their butts. All that was in my mind was taking a long nap, hoping that the backache will go away after I wake up.

If Denver Restaurants, I might re-consider because he has to fly me all the way to USA!

Ate so much of this smiling roasted pig that made me so full for a few days. And NO, I did not eat the head. The bride family only took the middle part of the whole pig. The head and the tail is returned to the bridegroom family.

The children were the most excited to see a real pig for the first time in their life. Close up and the pig is not moving!

By noon we will have one roasted pig at my mom’s, dowry money, 2 bottles of liquor, huge candles, a pair of chicken, fruits and other goodies. Today is the day where my sister will be “bought” by the groom’s parent or what we call here, Hari Hantar Belanja. Not so sure what the Chinese calls it.

My mom is busy preparing lunch for the groom’s family and relatives that will be coming. Lots and lots of Nyonya food to be savoured. And she also made some Nyonya Pineapple Tarts; that will be the main attraction when they reach the dining table!

Today is also my sister’s birthday! I wonder whether she will have any birthday party at her home tonight. If I were her, I might just skip celebrating my birthday on big scale unless I know a good and least to prepare party ideas. Preparing for the wedding is already a headache unless you can afford to hire a wedding planner. This weekend is the dinner for the bride’s side and next weekend will be the big day.

When others meet me, they said, “You must be busy preparing for your sister’s wedding.” Huh? What is there for me to be busy? Oh ya! Busy earning money to prepare for her big Angpow on the tea-ceremony session!

When you let the maid handle the washing and drying of your laundry, you can expect that your clothes will be worn out faster than before if you don’t monitor her closely. When the maid came and took over the washing, I got a shock when I see hubby’s new work pants faded. Then I realised that she has been scrubbing the pants will all her might! She must have thought that hubby works as a labourer! So I told her to just let the washing machine do the washing and no scrubbing unless I tell her so. If those pants are from Dickies, I don’t mind if she wants to scrub it from time to time because I read that their workwear is durable and comfortable too.

Do you think with a 5.5yo, 4yo and a 2.5yo I can have a bed rest? Bed rest is almost impossible and stopping to lift up (maybe not carrying but I still have to lift him up to sit on my lap, to squat on the toilet bowl, to go up and down the car and letting him watch me prepare his milk) my 2.5yo son is also almost impossible. My only bed rest is my usual afternoon nap.

Now my 2.5yo is down with runny nose and cough. He has hard time sleeping at night and prefers to sleep on my lap because it is warmer. Refused to use any blanky or comforter to keep himself warm. So, how do I sleep at night with someone lying down on my lap? Sitting down of course until my son is sound asleep. And I woke up from time to time to carry him back up on the pillow so that his head is elevated for easy breathing.

I guess due to all this, I still see stain on my panty liner. Not red but brownish. Nothing to worry because it came out only once; an hour after I wake up from sleep. Anyway, will be going for another check-up tomorrow. By God’s grace, everything will be fine.

At 10am, I went to do my big business and the sight of my panty liner gave me a shock of my life. It was soaked with blood! Blood stain on my panty and my pants too. Crying in fear while finishing my business! Once done, I gave a call to hubby and drove myself to my friend’s clinic.

While driving, I cried like nobody’s business, prayed like no tomorrow and for the first time I really have a heart to heart talk with my baby. When you have your first baby, you talk to him almost every minute of the day then it reduces as you have more babies! I think my No.4 felt neglected by me!

Anyway, when I reached the clinic, I was made to lie down in the scanning room for almost an hour without the doctor checking me. Only after half an hour, he came in to tell the reason. By lying down, the uterus will rest and become less cramp and the bleeding will stop. While lying down and waiting, baby moved! That gave me the assurance that my baby is still alive.

The doctor did some cleaning inside and it was so painful! There was still blood inside.

When scanning, he go measure the baby’s head first! I told him to check out whether the baby’s heart is still beating or not and measure later! He was very cool this time (normally, he is the most kuncheong one). I think he is used to my kinda situation.

Praise God that everything looks perfect in there. I was summoned to bed rest and to come back for follow-up check-up this Monday.

Well, it seems that my tummy is still no strong like before. No more carrying my 2.5yo son and no more hot sex!

Can see my baby’s head and spine?

Can’t see the baby sex yet. He was lying on his tummy but I am 80% sure he is a boy.

I was at my friend’s clinic just now. One of the clinic assistants is pregnant again for the 2nd time. Her first baby is only 6 months old. Her tummy looks bigger than mine. When asked she told me that she is only 3 months pregnant. The fats are from her first pregnancy. She did not breastfeed and did not take diet pill to slim down. I think after having 2 kids, sure can slim down faster!

Until today I regretted of not being extra careful when playing softball. When I am on the field, I forget that I am a girl and play like a boy. I slide and I bang on the opponent that block my path! Due to that, I injured my right shoulder. I suffered the consequences when I had my first baby. Carrying my baby to breastfeed her brought back the pain on my shoulder. It hurts so badly but I have no choice because baby need mommy’s milk. The only remedy is to breastfeed her while lying down. Soon, No.4 is coming into this world and I fear that the pain will be triggered again. How I wish I know about kinesio tape then which can help prevent muscle injury.