Singapore National Age Group 2019

The reason for Singapore as our choice of destination this summer fully relied on the fact that R has a swimming competition there. He swam at the OCBC Aquatic Centre, Singapore Sports Hub for the 50th Singapore National Age Group competition.

Funky Summer with Funkita and Funky Trunks

Yesterday, R shared that on the way home from swim training, he was keeping track na in his head the schoolwork that needs to be done when he gets home. Then he broke into a smile as he realized that school's done! Wala nang homework! Hahaha! YAY!

Now he can focus on swimming dahil summer na!

I have water babies! Instead of asking me to buy new summer outfits, the kids request for new swimsuits or swim gear.

NCR Palaro 2018

I am my kids number one cheerleader in their victories.

Also their most ardent supporter + encourager in the challenges they go through.

Officially a Teenager

When R was younger, he couldn't keep still. He was always moving, running... anything but stay still. He would often tire his dad out. His dad would have to physically restrain him just so he would stop running.

Even when he was in grade school, ang hirap pa din nya talagang kunan ng picture. It has to be a candid shot, a setting where he is allowed to move freely, otherwise I couldn't get a decent photo.

Phenomenal Tip: What to Expect During An International Swim Meet

I just realized that I wasn't able to write a post about that time we accompanied R to his first international swim meet.

We were in Hong Kong during the last week of April. C decided that since the 2 girls already flew to Hong Kong with their Ahma just a week earlier, we wouldn't take them with us anymore. It would be a great opportunity to spend alone time with our only son.

This is the first trip that we are taking him by his lonesome so it's a double treat for him, as well. Imagine competing in his first international meet and then having mom and dad all for himself. 

I bet that made him feel like a winner already.

G-League National Champs 2017

Done with the 2017 PhilSwim National Long Course Swimming Championship!

We spent three days cheering for my fave son at the Trace Aquatic Sports Complex from June 2-4, 2017. It's my son's first time to qualify for a meet that had him swim the preliminaries in the morning and if the swimmers are in the top 8, they do a swim-off again late afternoon. It's a swim-off of the best swimmers in each category.

He was awarded the Top FINA Points Achiever for his age group. 

I don't really understand it that well, but my son says it is the swimming counterpart of being MVP.

{Weekend Footnotes} Cricut + G-League Long Course Leg 4

When my kids were way younger, I remember I would plan art activities for us to do at home. I love to DIY, and so every opportunity that I have to share that love with my kids, you can be certain that's the route I'll take.

Last Saturday, my girls and I were invited by Mommy Mundo to attend one of their #MomSchool workshops. It was a crafty workshop which promised to share the joys of making beautiful things using the Cricut Machine.

We DIYd gift tags and designed our own drawstring bags with elements cut out using the Cricut Explore Air 2.

Nutrition On-The-Go with Selecta Fortified Milk

I've been a swim-mom for 7 years already, since 2009.

Ang cute ng Team Ong shirts, di ba?

(Taken in 2014)

I am continually impressed with the discipline, athleticism, mental toughness and physical resilience it takes to be a competitive swimmer.

{Weekend Footnotes} G-League SC Leg 1

I haven't been posting regularly, I know. And I'm sorry.

But, here's one now. This is going to be snippets of what happened within this month, so far.

My weekends always seem like a blur lately. 

We used to meet up with my in-laws for Sunday lunch after worship service. But for the past two months, my father-in-law has been in and out of the hospital, so weekends are usually just spent visiting with him. If you could help us pray for his comfort, it will be greatly appreciated.

*  *  *

Two weekends ago, my fave son (and only because he is my only one!) competed in yet another meet. 

A Sports Mom's Survival Guide

More than half of the 16 years that I'm a mom, I've been a sports mom.

I've taken them to soccer trainings, scrimmages and tournaments.

I've been with them through several aquathlons... I even ran alongside my oldest when she did her first aquathlon when she was 9 years old because she was so scared she couldn't finish the 3k run. 

I've chaperoned them to different provinces when they qualified for the national championships for Palarong Pambansa and Batang Pinoy.

I am currently a swim mom, and enjoying it so much!

August 2008 when they were all going to Futbol Fanatics during the weekends,
years before the Azkals was even formed

{Weekend Footnotes} Start of G-League Season 2016

The past weekend was too hot to handle! The family had to stay under the sweltering sun in the middle of the hot and humid Manila summer!

The first swim compe of the year just happened, and that means a handful more swim meets to follow. But I'm not complaining. I always enjoy watching my kids swim!

My Not So Li'l Man

"Why do you always think of me as a rabbit being chased by a zebra? 

You should think of me as a jaguar being chased by a turtle."

-words of wisdom from my newly minted 11 year old 

He prefers to be likened to a jaguar... not a rabbit! Teehee!

My son expressed his frustration as I expressed my concern that I don't see him studying enough. He insists he's on top of everything daw. Sometimes I keep on forgetting that my youngest son is already a pre-teen whose parental leash needs to be loosened... a bit!

{Weekend Footnotes} Rita's Italian Ice + Ramen Nagi

I realized that it's been sometime since I last made a Weekend Footnotes post, but that doesn't mean that we haven't been busy eating a lot.  Most often, we are too busy enjoying the moment that I forget to capture them in picture. 

Last weekend was busy - as always!  I think having three kids is already synonymous with a full schedule. We were invited to taste-test everything at Rita's Italian Ice.  The famous Rita's Italian Ice from the US is now in Manila! They opened their first store in the whole of Asia at VMall Greenhills last November 8, 2014. You  can now get your frozen custard and blendinis as often as you want!!! Yay!

Anyway, my friend Didi invited me and my three kids to try out Rita's Italian Ice a day before its soft opening. The owners are relatives of hers and she was asked to bring in kids, kids, and lots more kids! It was a taste-anything-and-everything kind of invitation, so naturally my kids won't say no to that!!!

My B ordered this frozen custard sandwiched between giant Oreo cookies. This one is about the size of a siopao, and is reasonably priced at just P70.

Their frozen custard is so thick and creamy!  Look!  Frozen na frozen pa din!:)

Here's the full menu of the store:

Italian Ice. This is their signature classic, and it is similar to a snow cone, except that it's much smoother and made with real fruit.

Cream Ice. “Cream Ice” is actually “Ice Cream” backwards. That’s because it’s more creamy than it is icy. It has a smooth, silky texture and full of indulgent flavor.

Frozen Custard. This is a very rich and dense dessert similar to ice cream, but made with eggs in addition to cream and sugar. The egg yolk gives frozen custard a thick, creamy texture and a smoother consistency than ice cream. You can have it in a cup or cone. Add some sprinkles, hot fudge or caramel toppings.

Gelati. A layering of Italian Ice and creamy Frozen Custard

Blendini. Choose your favorite Italian Ice, or Frozen Custard, then mix-in your own topping.

 

 
Rita’s Custard Cookie Sandwiches made with OREO.  This one is not on the menu board, but it is part of their regular offering.  It is Made with Rita’s famous Old-Fashioned Frozen Custard sandwiched between two delicious OREO Cookie Wafers. Then, if you want some more indulgence, add chocolate chips and rainbow sprinkles on the side. Which we did!

With about 20 toppings to choose from, there’s no stopping you from creating your custom mix of dessert paradise.  Add them to a Sundae, or mix them into a Blendini!

 

 

This will surely be one of your favorite stops when we find ourselves in Greenhills from now on!

Rita's Italian Ice

Vmall, Greenhills Shopping Center

(right beside Watson's)

~ * * * ~

The kids had a swim meet last Saturday, and I always look forward to watching them compete. I just hate that I have to wake up so early for it. Imagine waking up at 5:30 in the morning on a Saturday... and coming home at 7:30 at night. It's always so tiring, but I love cheering for my kids!

#GoldMedal #Breaststroke
I am happy that R is doing well in his swim and is constantly improving.  But more importantly, I have noticed how being in a sport has improved his attitude towards his studies and how it is shaping him in the area of his self-discipline.

~ * * * ~

Paul Tanchi shared a wonderful message last Sunday about how to Please God in All Things. We often think that pleasing God entails doing mission work or doing things on a grand scale, but the best place for us to please God is to stay exactly where we are and continue on doing our work being the best we can be, and giving our best effort.  

{via}

There are a few times in the past when I felt that what I do at home can be tiring and repetitive- cooking, tutoring, running errands. I felt like it was a vicious cycle on non-stop repeat! I am sure a lot of full-time home-makers share this feeling with me. But now that I have a different viewpoint, I consider my current work as a full time housewife to be sacred because managing my home and raising my kids have become my ministry.  Taking care of my family is my way of pleasing God, so I give and do my best to please Him. Work willingly at whatever you do, as though you were working for the Lord rather than for people. (Collosians 3:23)

I do encourage you to listen to Paul's entire message, which you can do if you just click on this: http://www.ccf.org.ph/videos/view/please-god-in-everything#.VGBF2NyM2So

{via}

~ * * * ~

We tried Ramen Nagi for the first time last Sunday.  Long queues are usually a turn off for C who doesn't want to stand in line that long.  But since we found ourselves in Robinson's Magnolia and there wasn't any line yet when we got there, we took it as a sign that we should definitely go in.:)

Ramen Nagi serves four kinds of ramen: the Butao King (original tonkotsu broth), Black King (squid ink, garlic), Red King (spicy) and Green King (basil and cheese). We tried out everything except for the Black King. 

C ordered the Red King.  They were not kidding when they said it is spicy! C found it good, but the spiciness was too much for his comfort level that he suffered from heartburn for 2 days. You can personalize your order, but he went with the Chef's recommendation.

J ordered the Butao King.  She loves ramen as much as her dad, but she still considers Ippudo as the best.

M gourmand, B, ordered the Green King.  She's always the one with the adventurous taste buds, so naturally she got drawn to this novel way of eating ramen with basil and cheese.  Despite looking rather off, she swears it was soo good.

My son and I are not really so much into ramen.  We need rice for our carbo fix, and my son could eat rice like there was no tomorrow. So between the two of us, we ordered Chicken karaage...

...spring rolls

...and three orders of gyoza. One order comes with 5 dumplings.  The presentation was excellent since it came in a sizzling plate, and we could actually hear it sizzle, but my son said he prefers the gyozas of Osaka Osho better.

Overall, we had a good lunch at Ramen Nagi. Food was served fast, and quality was good.

Ramen Nagi
SM Aura 8286793 | MOA 5502394 | SM North 3740503 |
Robinsons Magnolia 4701356 | Robinsons Manila 3535067

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{Weekend Footnotes} 8 Cuts Burger + RECIPE: Pasta Aglio Olio with Spicy Shrimps

Let me start this week's edition of Weekend Footnotes with a recipe for Pasta Aglio Olio.

Over a decade ago, long before I even discovered Ina Garten's recipe for Pasta Aglio Olio, my kids already preferred eating their pasta this way.  When the girls were still young and went on playdates, I remember B telling the hostess to not put marinara sauce on her pasta, emphasizing, “just parmesan cheese, please, thank you.”

Here's a quick and easy recipe for dinner by Ina Garten. The addition of shrimps is a variation which you can omit.

What To Do With Swimmer's Ear

Being a swim-mom means regularly spending entire weekends by the pool-side cheering your kids on ... the whole day! Did I mention call time is at 7am? Such a crazy and tiring schedule it is!:)

I was happy with how my Li'l Man performed in almost all his events, particularly his 100-meter breaststroke and 100-meter butterfly.  I am happy that with constant encouragement and prayers, his confidence about his performance in the pool is slowly building.  Of course, we continue to always pray for him and we trust in Philippians 1:6  being confident that He who began a good work in him will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.

We are thankful that he is slowly turning from being anxious into someone who is God-confident; that is, he is confident in himself because he knows that he can do ALL things through Christ who is within him.  Click here to read how it all started.

The li'l men of Team Buccaneers are all smiles after winning the gold in their 200-meter freestyle relay.

You can do ALL things.... {How Swimming and Philippians Taught My Son Courage}

I took the kids to another competition last Sunday.  It was a competition like the others that they previously joined, but R was feeling anxious about it.  I could sense his usual fretfulness a few days before the meet.  He would ask me details about his swim events day after day.  "What are my events?  How many meters? How many laps do I have to swim? Do I have any relay events? Why do I have to join pa? Who else is joining ba?"  All sort of questions are running inside his disquieted mind.  

Go, Team Ong!!!

"Why do I have to join the competition?  Baka I am going to be last..." As a mom, it affects me to see him plagued with these thoughts.  I know I have to help him overcome and conquer his feelings of self-doubt. And everytime I feel that he is starting to doubt himself, I always set him aside for some pep talk.  When he starts saying "I cannot..."  I do not let him finish his sentence and I cheerfully cut him short,"Oh! But yes you can!  What does the Bible say if you feel like you are not strong enough to do it?  Remember:  YOU can do ALL things THROUGH CHRIST who strengthens YOU."

I always say the same thing, the words are not always exactly the same, but the idea is. And I keep on repeating the same verse again and again and again... for more than two years now  Most times even upto the day of the meet itself.  "God said you can do ALL things... not some things, so do not limit yourself.  If you train hard everyday and you do your best for God, the gold medal is within your reach."  And I say that to him everyday, as soon as I sense his competition anxiety starts kicking in.

In the photo below, that is R from a swim meet exactly 2 years ago.  You can see worry written all over his face, and that is already after he has finished his event and just waiting for his heat-mates to finish theirs. 

Here he is after swimming the  50-meter breaststroke (2012)

He did not particularly like swimming at that time.  He tried basketball, soccer and badminton; but he did not seem to be fond of those, too.  Just last June 2013, he asked me if he could stop swim training.  And I said he could if he was able to give a sport that he'd like to move on to.  And I told him that in the meantime while he was thinking of another sport to get in to, just give his best everyday during swim training. 

He usually feels most anxious in the days leading upto a meet.  And I have gotten used to it, and actually consider myself pretty much improved at giving him encouraging talks.  

Encouraging my son meant to give him courage to face his fear.  I remember the first time he jumped off from the diving block during his first ever competition.  To be on the diving block alone is quite intimidating, jumping into the water from the height of the diving block is actually scary.  Add to that, he was also terrified to be doing it in front of everyone else.  But I also know that I had to help him act in spite of his fear. AND that is the very definition of courage:  Acting even when you are afraid.  Because courage is not the ABSENCE of fear, it is ACTING in spite of the fear.

Soon after, jumping off from the diving block did not bother him as much anymore.  But when I say it does not bother him, it just means that he doesn't verbalize his uneasiness that much anymore.  As his mom and because I know him so well, I can see a little bit of apprehension in the way he moves and acts before he gets on the diving block during a meet.  But it makes me so proud that we were able to do something about how he handled his fear there.

But as soon as we got over that, another fear came up, "I am scared of swimming the 50-meter butterfly.  What if I get too tired and I cannot finish it?"  Again, I give him the same verse, "YOU can do ALL things THROUGH CHRIST who strengthens YOU.  Remember YOU WILL FINISH the event and YOU WILL NOT get tired, because who gives you strength?"  And he answers dutifully, "Jesus."

To be truthful, I was thinking that the reason why he didn't enjoy swimming that much was that he wasn't that good at it yet; always being in middle of the rankings. But I know he is a work in progress, and so I did not tire from encouraging him day after day... after day after day.  But a few of my swim-moms know that I also have days when I feel like I don't know what I am doing and feel the frustration set in.  But I quickly get out of that mindset, always remembering that in as much as I want my kids to give their best, my heavenly Father also requires the same from me in terms of being a parent to my kids.

And so last Sunday, just before he went down to the ready bench for his first event, I took him aside and whispered, "You can do it, R! Remember, God promised in the Bible, YOU can do ALL things... ALL things remember that!" And my husband and I watched in anticipation each time he climbs up the diving block up until he touches the wall for all of his events.

He finished the meet with 4 medals for his individual events and some more medals for his relay events!!! He finally got hold of that gold medal for the 50-meter breaststroke!  

He won a gold in 50-meter breaststroke, silver in 50-meter butterfly, bronze in 50-meter backstroke, bronze in 50-meter freestyle, silver for the 4x50 butterfly, silver for the 4x50 breaststroke.  YAY!

Indulge me for being the proud mommy as I bask in helping him overcome a major roadblock in his life.  I traveled this path filled with anxiety and self-doubt with him.  I thank God for hearing my prayers, and that R found favor with Him.  It's really not about the medals, but they are the tangible representations of what I have been patiently teaching him all these years.  

The elusive gold medal finally!

He is so overjoyed!!!  Up until last night, right before he went to bed, he came up to me with a smile, "Mom, I still can't believe I won a gold medal!" This is coming from a boy who just more than six months ago wanted to quit the sport already because he felt he wasn't good enough.  And of course, I couldn't resist bringing up OUR favorite verse:  "YOU can do ALL things THROUGH CHRIST who strengthens YOU.  I keep on telling you that. Now, do you finally believe Mom?" He nodded as I hugged him close to me. 

FOLLOW ME!