Easy to prepare, easy to bring, easy to eat while reading a book. That’s how I usually spend my 30-45 minute lunch break at work. Eating while reading a book. Sometimes at the office, other times at the building across the street where there’s nice indoor garden.

No longer a little boy, not yet a big one. So does that make him a little big boy? =)

Above is the DVD cover I designed since his perfect birthday gift (according to his mom) is a bundle of videos he can watch the whole year round — Dora, Blues Clues, Sesame Street, Backyardigans, Diego.

In the Philippines we would have had to buy plastic eggs and put lollies inside, hiding the plastic eggs in the garden, hoping the chocolates wouldn’t melt. Here in Auckland, with autumn in the air, we bought chocolate eggs in different sizes. Okay, so Cadbury offered a variety we were just happy to buy without giving much thought. As an added treat, each child was allotted a Kinder Egg that had a toy inside.

The adults — my sis-in-law and her husband, my own hubby, and I — had our own chocolate Easter eggs that we didn’t have to find, but tried to hide from the kids so they wouldn’t get from our stash. Har har.

Happy Easter everyone!

My kids, especially my son, love Pizza Hut’s pan pizza. To my disdain, since I prefer thin and crispy pizza. But since I wanted to make them happy, I gave in to their request to have dinner at Pizza Hut. I was happy to have found that here in Auckland Pizza Hut still offers thin & crispy pizza. So we all had what we wanted.

The first time it struck me so was when I was 19 years old. As I watched the film and reached the part of Christ carrying the cross up to Calvary, I found myself bawling, literally. That was when I realised my problems were so petty, the pain of breaking up with my first love didn’t amount to much back then.

Flash forward to 2010 and during the retreat I attended last weekend, it dawned on me (through the grace of the Holy Spirit) that my problem with a co-worker is akin to Christ’s persecutors. Well, to a much smaller scale, of course. But that I should forgive him for he truly does not know what he is doing, that he is offending me.

Today, we got our work permits. Two days after our visas expired, the New Zealand Immigration Office assigned a case officer for our applications, who immediately processed and approved our permits. Prayers of family members, relatives, and friends are quite powerful, indeed. And today is no April Fool’s Day at all.

I’ve come across those who were not amazed by the film, much less moved by it. My husband and I, however, marvelled at the imagination of the writer and director, the cinematography, the computer effects. Even sans the 3d effects, the movie was totally awesome.

In our home, the Tooth Fairy has been fairly busy recently. My son, Raj, lost two temporary teeth a week apart this month. My daughter lost one front tooth the other day while brushing her teeth, and one just a few minutes ago, which I helped pull out, lest she choke on it. It was dangling already. She bravely opened her mouth and let me pull it out after a count of three. At $2 a tooth, our kids have been earning pretty well, whilst the Tooth Fairy has been running out of coins.

There have been magnetic bracelets, patches, and metallic balls in drinking water that all try to make negative ions more accessible. One that I’ve only heard and seen for the first time recently was Anion: sanitary napkins and panty liners made of pure cotton and natural fibers with negative ion strips to promote good hygiene and health among women. Well, even without the negative ion strip, I was sold to the pure cotton and natural gel it is made of. Totally much better than the bleached recycled paper used by commercial brands.

Anion claims, nonetheless, that through the negative ion strip, a woman’s menstruation period would normalise and flow would lessen. I shrugged and said even if it wouldn’t, I’d still give it a try. Lo and behold, what would normally take seve to ten days of a period for me lasted only five when I wore the Anion sanitary napkins.  And yes, no cramps, too.

I am not a member of Opus Dei, but rather a Cooperator. As the name implies, I cooperate with the practises of the The Work, particularly in striving to live a life that would lead me to sanctity. After all, who does not want to go to Heaven and see the face of Jesus someday?

Below is the prayer to St. Josemaria Escriva de Balaguer, founder of Opus Dei:

“O God, through the mediation of Mary our Mother, you granted your priest St. Josemaría countless graces, choosing him as a most faithful instrument to found Opus Dei, a way of sanctification in daily work and in the fulfillment of the Christian’s ordinary duties. Grant that I too may learn to turn all the circumstances and events of my life into occasions of loving You and serving the Church, the Pope and all souls with joy and simplicity, lighting up the pathways of this earth with faith and love. Deign to grant me, through the intercession of St. Josemaría, the favor of … (make your request). Amen.”

Recite the Our Father, Hail Mary, and Glory be to the Father.