Outdoor Enjoyment

We visited  Dad last Tuesday after  Ms. Burrito's  dental appointment.  The kids played in the backyard using  the wagon that my SIL, Chris made for them years ago.  The Mister just want to ride, poor little Miss has to drag the wagon even on the steep hill lol.  She's pretty strong though.

After we visited  Dad, we  dropped by at the recycling  place downtown and  sold some aluminum cans.  While hubby is dealing with the  cans, I accompanied my Burritos to a nearby  river and they  throw rocks in it.  They love the splashing sound when the rock hits the water.  It's amazing how the simplest things can bring so much joy to children.  They were overjoyed that  even for a short period of time, they get to bond with nature.  This is just one of the many outdoor activities that they love.

On the other note, we were so happy to see the fourth  grading marks of our kids.  They both have  great remarks from the teachers and outstanding grades.

5 Indoor Activities For Your Family

Kids and adults can become bored when they are stuck indoors. With a few simple ideas, the family can have fun indoors. The ideas will keep everyone entertained for hours.

Family Game Time

The family can set up board games to play together. The games can teach the kids valuable lessons. For instance, some games will help improve the child’s memory, and other games can make the child think about possible solutions to a problem. Board games can help kids learn the principles of losing and winning. The family can play a basic board game or put a puzzle together to spend some quality time together indoors. With a variety of games to choose from, the family will never become bored.

Story Telling

Most people enjoy hearing a good story. The story can be one from a favorite book, or it can be a real life event retold by one of the family members. Either way, it will make a dull day more enjoyable. A great way to tell a story is to involve each family member in the story telling. You can do this by allowing one member to start the story, and then, the story is passed to the next member to add details to the story. The story will continue being passed until the last family member finishes the story. Each family member will make up the story when it becomes his or her turn. This is an opportunity for each family member to become creative in telling a story.

Instead of making up their own story, a family can choose to use a book to tell the story. However, each family member will change the facts to make it into a new story. It will become a challenge for each person to twist the events of the book into a new tale. The kids and adults will be learning how to think quickly. In addition, each person can see how new ideas can form from an old idea.

Act It Out

After telling the stories, the family members can add life to the stories by acting them out. The kids can be encouraged to prepare a presentation of the stories, and then, they can act out the events for the parents. Add some music to the play or drama to make it more interesting.

Camping Indoors

Many kids love to pretend that they are camping outdoors. Tents can be made with blankets thrown over chairs. Blankets can be placed inside the homemade tent for the kids to relax and enjoy their indoor camping experience. Adding a basket of snacks to the activity will make it even more fun. All the family members can become involved by roasting marshmallows over a make-believe campfire and telling ghost stories.

Family Movie Time

Pop some popcorn, and watch a movie together. Family movie time will be an opportunity for each person to bond together over a favourite movie. Choose a movie that the entire family will enjoy.

Spending family time together can make memories that the kids can reflect on when they are grown. And now that technology has advanced, interactive things such as smart tvs and PlayStations are creating more activities for the family to enjoy together. Staying indoors can be fun, energetic and adventurous when you find a memorable activity to do that involves the entire family.

Tom is a tech head and is currently studying computer engineering. He loves everything to do with technology and writes these blogs hoping that it will help those who are not to savvy when it comes to basic tech knowledge.

Natural Curly Hair...

Ms. Burrito wanted me to curl her hair with the flat iron but I was afraid that it would damage it so I told her that I would just braid it.  I braided it  after she took  a sower and she  slept with  it, when she woke up we opened up the braid and this is what we have, a naturally curled hair without using anything.

She reminds me  of me when I was young, I always wanted a curly hair because mine is straight.

Oh do you see the gap in her teeth?  She lost another one  last week.

Music

The music teacher at school picked  Ms. Burrito to sing the "Alleluia" at church last Saturday.  Ms. Burrito have never sang alone  so she was very nervous.  She has been singing with the group but never alone so that was her first  solo  performance.  

With my two kids, Mr. Burrito is that one with the "VOICE", I mean the one that can really sing.  So when the teacher  chose Ms. Burrito, she  was like "I don't know why she picked me".  I told her that the teacher see something special on her voice so   she just need to be confident  and don't think that there is an audience.  I know that it is hard to do because I have been there.  I was asked to sing during our Theology class graduation, and I was on fire lol.  

I found this Epic Threads'  dress on a sale rack at Macy's.  This was originally priced at $39.99 but I got it  for only $4.67, so I got a pretty good deal on this one.  This dress is made in China but the quality is really good.

Below is the  video I took when she was singing.  Her voice was shaking, you can tell how nervous she was lol.  But I think, it wasn't bad knowing that it was her first time singing solo.  The second video was the group singing.

Both hubby and I love music  which explains why our  Burritos are  very interested in it too.  You might have read a post I did some years ago about my husband being part of a band. He played bass but he can sing too, he just don't believe he can lol.  I was a part of a choir in church during my high school years and also part of the choir that the Non-Teaching stuff in the catholic school where I worked in the Philippines.  So music is pretty much part of our lives.  Music is one great spice in our family.

Picasso, Our Little Ms. Burrito's Favorite Painter and Sculpture

One early morning, after she got done cooking breakfast (omelet and  potato hash) for us, she  had this urge to paint.  She put some fruit in a bowl, set it  on the table then she took the  two small  wooden chair and set it on the kitchen floor.  She then put a bond paper  on top of  folded newspaper , put some paint in a disposable plate, and started painting.

After 30 minutes or so, this is what she came up with.  I don't have an art inclination so I am so proud of my little girl for having that  ability to draw.  Both of kids love arts, they got that trait from their Dad, thanks God for that!   

Now, I have a great idea what to get her for her birthday.  She's turning 8 in few months and I think that a  good paint set would  make her very very happy.  I have to buy a frame for this painting as well so I can hang it up in our kitchen.    During their  Spring break, she  did some arts like cloud painting and stuff, will have to make a post about that sometimes.  

I remember  her 2nd grade teacher asked me if my daughter is taking  art lesson and I told her that she isn't.  She thought that Ms. Burrito is really talented.  It made me feel so  happy, I actually shed  tears in front of the teacher, wahh what a cry baby lol.  Oh well, what can I say, I am very emotional when it comes to my  Burritos.

Ms. Burrito's Favorite painter and Sculpture is Pablo  Picasso.  She reads  his biography online and  admire his works.  She even make these little people  from his playdoh.  she calls this one, the cave man.

She calls these group, the Little People.  She  said that it's actually "Us" as a family.

So there goes  my little girl's Picasso-Inspired creations.

Legal Professional with a Healthy Work Life Balance

Forget your personal life if you want a career.

Working in the legal profession such as family law often involves long hours. This is especially true if you are ambitious and keen to reach the top of your chosen career. Leaving home early in the morning, skipping lunch and working late into the evening are often seen as prerequisites for a successful and lucrative career. Having a personal and family life is seen as a weakness that needs to be overcome in order to reach the top. Your career has to take priority above all else: those deadlines must be met; that research must be done; those meetings and presentations should become your life blood. Law firms can often be viewed as lacking in understanding when it comes to the demands of our partners and families. Your performance at work should be blemish free and unaffected by any aspect of your personal life. Is it your partner's birthday? That case must take priority. Does your child have a part in the school play? Your boss doesn't want to know. Is your mother ill? She'll have to wait for your attention. 

Achieve a work/life balance in a driven manner 

You shouldn't have to become a loner at risk of losing your family to have a career in the legal profession. It is possible to achieve a healthy work/life balance and to be successful. What can you do to make sure you don't have to choose your career over a 'life'? 

You know how to research a case, how to find out all the salient facts and figures to ensure it stands up in court: apply this to your personal life. Research the best means of managing your time so that you can still meet the expectations of your partner, family and friends. 

You know how to negotiate a great deal for a client, using carefully constructed, fact based arguments: do this for yourself. When you need time out to spend with your children, show your boss what you have done and how you're going to do to make sure you continue to meet the requirements of the job. 

It is easy to become so absorbed in your work that personal time loses its value, as you lose the ability to 'switch off'. Research the best means of detaching yourself from work when you need to focus on your family. That could mean learning to meditate; engaging in sport or physical activity; or teaching yourself to become distracted with cooking, reading a novel or taking up crafts. 

It is possible to achieve a healthy work/life balance, even if you are at the top of your game in the legal profession. All you need to do is to apply the same principles of planning, prioritizing and research to your personal life. You don't gain career success without being proactive, and the same applies to personal success and happiness. It is arguable that career success will be that much more difficult to attain if your personal life is falling down around you. Looking after yourself physically and mentally will equip you with the tools you need to be the best you can be, and who can argue with that?!

Love at its Best!

We had a nice day last Saturday so we went to Steubenville.  We dropped by at  Dairy Queen and had some food to eat.  We proceeded to  Steuben Fort Mall and bought Ms. Burrito a pair of shoes and two dresses.  She said that she would like to have blue dress and not pink so tried on four different kinds of blue dress.

Mr. Burrito said that the last one that her Ate tried on looks beautiful on her and we all agreed.  She gave her brother a kiss for helping her decide which one to pick.  Can you tell  that my  son has a sweet tooth, sucking on a lollipop while shopping..

Sibling love at its best.

The line on the photo booth for the Easter Bunny was very long .

When we came home, we went to the field and  we played tennis.  

Photos were taken using  a Samsung Galaxy phone.