How I set-up my 1st Aquarium

Got some free fresh water fish from Bioresearch’s “The Lost Eden”, after going on a Mini field trip. Kudos to the management and staff of The Lost Eden for the brilliant marketing strategy. Each child that joins the tour is given a fish to take care and take home. If you currently don’t have an aquarium at home, chances are you’ll be purchasing the equipment and supplies from them.

I was still in the 6th grade when I last had an aquarium. The technology has changed much since then and I couldn't remember where to start. The logical step is ask around, but be sure to just ask for the basics, as there are a lot of equipment and supplies that you can put into your aquarium which may eventually cost more than you bargained for.

Here’s a list of equipment and supplies to get you started:

Lessons Learned From a First Time Home Schooling Parent

The school year has ended and We have just witnessed our Son's moving up day ceremony.  He's successfully accomplished the requirements of the K2 level and will be going to the 1st Grade level next School Year.  Seeing how much our Son has learned and improved this School Year, brought tears to my eyes and makes a me proud to have him as my Son.  But the entire School Year  was not easy.  It was in fact very challenging and took a lot of patience and understanding.   But if you truly love your child, you can handle anything.

Always remember that a good, solid, and strong foundation is the key to a stable future.

Living a Healthy Life is a committed choice

I used to take pride in having a fast metabolism.  I could eat anything and do almost any physical activity without even breaking a sweat.  I could play an entire basketball game without being substituted.  Having a 28 inch waist line is a good index of my former physical stature.  But age does have its way of catching up on us.  From 110 lbs., I gradually grew to 165-175 lbs.  My weight gain may not be much for some, but for someone whose weighed less than 100 lbs. most of my adult life the extra weight is quite a burden.   I forgot to take care of myself, I stopped exercising, I ate too much and drank too much of the wrong foods.  It wasn't until I reached the age of 30 that I decided that I didn't want to live like this.  I was diagnosed with pre-hypertension and classified as OB2 on my BMI.  At first I thought of it as a funny joke.  I used to tell myself that it's normal for people of my age to feel this way.  But I found out otherwise.  I felt always tired and sluggish.  I experience all sorts of body pain.  Even going through a flight of stairs became more of a challenge than a daily routine.  Pill popping with all sorts of headache and pain reliever became part of my daily routine and no matter how much sleep I have, I still seem to be always tired. Then I would make a life changing decision that would change my life and the way I live for the rest of my life.  The birth of my second child came with additional responsibility.  If I was having trouble raising one child, how much more 2?  Then I made a committed decision not just for myself, but for my family that I would live a healthy life.  But don't get me wrong the results didn't happen overnight.  It took me almost 2 years to reach my ideal body weight.  There was no magic formula, just a series of steps and rules I set for myself to achieve my goals.  Here are some of the steps I took on my way to a Healthy Life:

1.  I cut down on eating processed foods and drinks. If it's stored in a can, it's definitely not for me.
2. I refrain from drinking alcohol and soft drinks...
3.  I reduced my intake of fatty and oily foods. I try to take in more fruits and vegetables than I usually did.
4.  I don't each junk foods...
5.  I reduced the amount of salt and sugar intake from my diet...
6.  I drink plenty of water whenever I can...
7.  I reduced my pork intake, I normally eat fish and chicken...
8.  I go to sleep early before 10 P.M. and wake-up early around 5-6 A.M. the next day...
9. I walk to wherever I want to go, whenever I can...
10.  I try to get some exercise as much as I can...

As you can see the steps I took in living a healthy life are not new.  I didn't force it upon myself to do it all at a time.  Gradual steps I took daily led me to a healthy and fruitful life. The how is no longer important, if you have a strong enough why.   As of my last annual Physical test, I am now within my normal weight of 150-153 lbs. with no signs of hypertension.  I am living proof that change is possible. I was able to do it so can you...

Technology, the Internet and how Santa made my little boy cry...

Technology and the Internet have played a very important role in shaping the World as We know it and the way We will see the future. No longer is the Internet confined within the 4 corners of our homes and offices. but is now virtually everywhere.  The Internet is now part of our daily lives and has become an effective tool which joins family and friends together even to the far corners of the world. 

Recently, I came upon a website called the Portable North Pole TV (www.portablenorthpole.tv). The website allows you to make a personalized Christmas message for family and friends this Christmas season, personally given by the one and only Santa. The website allows you to make messages for both kids and adults in a fun and whimsical manner.  You can either choose to place someone on Santa's naughty or nice list.  I had loads of fun creating personal messages for my family and friends. Placing them in the naughty list made for lots of laughs as the messages were both witty and funny.  Out of curiosity, I decided to make a personal message for my son and decided to place him on Santa's naughty list.  I wanted to see how much effect Santa has on my little boy.  It was funny the first half as my son fully believed that Santa would grant him his wish this Christmas.  However, as Santa told my son that he was on the naughty list, tears began to flow on my little boys eyes.  Good thing Santa told him that it was still early and he still had some time to get to Santa's Nice boy list. I guess Santa's still got his magic, may it be on person or through the Internet.

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to All...

Father & Son Talk about a Windows Xp Error Message:

David: Daddy there's something wrong with the computer game I'm playing.
Daddy: What seems to be the problem David?

David: The game I'm playing is not working. A Message appears on the screen.

Daddy: What does the computer say?

David: "There is a problem with the game you are playing. Please call your Daddy or
        Mommy to fix the problem, or restart your computer and try again."

My Number 1 Priority...

There are important things in life that we often take for granted.  Little things from a beautiful sun shine, a majestic sunset, a breathe of fresh air, or laughter of a little baby. Yesterday, my Son & Wife went to the Zoo. My son apparently had a great time as he asked his mother to call me up from the office to tell what he saw from the zoo.  As soon as I picked-up the phone my son told about all the animals he saw from the zoo in less than a minute... "not to mention the Lion, the king of the jungle, rarrrgh..." I was so happy for him as he had a wonderful time and also sad at the same time as I wasn't there to experience those moments with him. I was glad though that he wanted to call me up and update me on his day as though I was actually there to experience it with him.

I went home early as I wasn't feeling well and feeling burned-out. Probably this is the highlight of my day, as I usually leave home early to find my kids sleeping or go home late to find my kids going to sleep.  AS soon I opened the gate, I head the loud footsteps of my son charging to meet me at the gate. For I moment I thought I was going to be run over by a train or trampled upon by a stampede as the force of my son's charging bear hug was enough to knock me flat on my back.  The force of that hug was so strong that it was able remove all the stress I was feeling.  This reminded me why I get up early everyday, to share a moment with my kids before I leave or arrive home from work.  This is my number one priority. My job maybe my profession, but my family is definitely my number 1 priority.