New Passion

I don't know what happened. But after the US Tennis Open, Josh, Hannah, and Isaiah have developed the desire to play tennis.

For a few days, all they talk about was tennis. We dared to play even during windy days. If the court was occupied by other tennis enthusiasts, we patiently waited for a few hours even if the chance of playing was nil.

We even went "walling" one time behind the high school building just so we could practice some strokes.

Last Saturday, Josh and I played tennis on and off for more than three hours (while Hannah and Isaiah were in the playground) -- an amazing feat for someone like Josh who's a novice and me whose last game of tennis was in 1987. And we almost won against two strong teeners!

Anyway, I developed some blisters and achy muscles during the marathon. It was certainly an experience to treasure.

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Family Trip

We stayed in St. John's for a week. The week started as rainy and foggy. But as the days went by, the sun had finally come out and spread its warmth to the whole city.

As usual, St. John's remains as scenic as ever.

Almost daily, the whole family had enjoyed buffets: Emerald Palace, China House, Pizza Delight, and Don Cherry's. You name any buffet place in town, most likely we tried it.

I was really surprised. Our four kids never liked buffets before especially when they were only five or six. Now I know that their older palates relish tasting a variety of food items. This means that we can try India Gate next time which is great.

In the evenings, Danielle, Josh, Hannah, Isaiah, and myself swam the depths of Aquarena while Gayzelle enjoyed watching us from the deck. For the kids, swimming was not only a fun exercise. It also became a healthy sedative because at 10:30 PM, you could certainly hear a funny snore (I won't tell from whom it was coming from. Of course, you can make a guess).

That week-long family trip has certainly magnified our laughter and joyful coexistence. And it didn't require a lot of money.

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It's All About Timing

Yesterday was warm and sunny. Everyone was excited to go out and hike.

We chose to hike the trails from Little Catalina to Maberly because our neighbor recommended the place. It was supposed to be one of the best trails in the island, perhaps better than Skerwink Trail. Well, we had no reason not to believe him.

So early Sunday morning, Gayzelle packed our drinks and snacks such as bologna, ham, and egg sandwiches enough to satisfy the potential cravings of our young ones (and of course, my own).

After an hour and fifteen minutes of driving, an old sign Little Catalina to Maberly Trail and a cold wind greeted us.

Wow, it was pretty windy and cold!

We hiked the trail along the coast and it was a wonderful hike. Beautiful scenery, unique rock formations carved by incessant waves, rugged cliffs, and magnificent landscapes are some of the highlights of our hike.

Of course, we took some pictures along the way. I wouldn't recommend that you leave the place without any souvenir.

After our snack and some playful banter, my four kids were too eager to go back to the van. "We have to go Dad," they chorused. I didn't know why. I was enjoying the trail so much that I didn't want to go yet.

"But what can I do," I mused

I hesitatingly obliged to go. But I was very much behind them, still savoring the beauty and even smell of this trail.

As soon as we reached the parking lot, a loud thunderstorm greeted us and a heavy unexpected rain began to pour.

I was glad, we were already inside the van. Otherwise, we could have been soaked.

"It's all about timing," Gayzelle said.

Hannah was quick to respond, "But Dad's timing wasn't that good, Mom. If we didn't insist to go, we should be soaking wet."

"That's right, Mom," Josh and Isaiah agreed.

Well, I believe you kids. I'ts all about timing. There's always time for everything. Unfortunately, Dad's timing at that time was way off the mark.

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Biking Trail

This summer, Joshua and myself have been biking together around town. I used to go by myself, but one day he saw me with the typical biking gears and out of curiosity he asked, "Where do you go when you bike Dad?"

"Just around town. I like going up and down the hill." I thought he wouldn't be interested.

But as I was pulling out of the driveway, he yelled, "I wanna go with you Dad!"

That was the start of our bike tours. We usually go in the evenings after work and when the weather is mild. One day, we went to the old railroad track. It was rugged and bumpy but the scenery was awesome.

Yesterday, we went to the "quad trails" that go around town, you know, trails frequented by riders on ATV. Aah! He simply had fun! Never mind that the trail is rocky, bumpy, and wet.

Today, he was talking excitedly about the tracks and our ride when Hannah overheard him. Suddenly she blurted, "I wanna go too!"

And so Josh, Hannah, and myself went . . . and pedalled nonstop.

Three of us on the old railroad track. More than the scenery and the physical challenge, we definitely enjoyed each other's company.

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Trek to the top!

The other day, the whole family went picnicking and hiking. Our goal was to hike the trails of Butter Pot Provincial Park.

It was a nice and sunny Saturday and everyone was excited. We brought drinks and sandwiches which we could enjoy along the way. As usual, I brought the cameras with me.

After driving about 1:30 minutes from our place, we entered the park's entrance. Looking at the map, we settled to hike Butter Pot Hill hiking trail because the brochure mentioned about the trail's "difficult" climb but "rewarding sights" at the end.

The trail's entrance looked ordinary. But as we went through the winding path, we noticed that we were actually climbing a hill (I should have known this). As we went further, the trail proved to be more challenging.

After about an hour of negotiating the scenic and somewhat difficult trails, we reached the Butter Pot Hill's summit.

Wow! The view was captivating! On top, we saw the Atlantic ocean, small outports that peppered the peninsula, small lakes around the park , dangerous cliffs, and so much more.

The whole family felt blessed being in that place that day. It was awesome just to be on top after several minutes of hard work.

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Assignment

School is over and the hot summer is here! Obviously, Danielle, Josh, Hannah, and Isaiah love it. No more homework to do. Now they have plenty of time to play almost anything "physical" and watch their favorite TV shows.

Almost every night, Hannah would ask me if I'd watch "Fear Factor" with them. Never mind if the show starts at 10:30 PM -- sleeping time for most kids.

Almost everyday, they want me to play with them. Yesterday, we played basketball and I lost, again. They were thrilled.

Also yesterday, we went swimming and enjoyed the cool water. Of course at the end, they blurted their usual question "Dad, can we go to McDonald's?"

"How about Pizza this time?" I asked.

"Oh yeah. Pizza is great. I wanna tell those guys," Hannah excitedly ended our conversation.

Anyway, we had a "serious talk" the other day. While we were all together one afternoon, I said something like this: "Summer is not all about watching, eating and playing. It's also about learning. How about learning something new this summer?"

After a few minutes, Danielle decided to learn how to use the video camera while Hannah wanted to master the use of digital camera.

And the boys? Well Josh wanted to refine his basketball skills and Isaiah planned to draw something nice. He also wanted to learn how to bike.

So there you go. Now they all have pretty decent assignments this summer. Something they can enjoy now and in the future.

Learn emotional intelligence through the Oikos Game Series!

Grand Slam Awards!

All Oikos Global's new products namely: A 31-Day Success Principles for Kids and Teens, A 31-Day Positive Affirmation for Kids and Teens, Fikloo - The Game of Crazy Commands, Wordigy - The World of Words for Family Fun and Oikos Game 3: The Key to Success win the 2006 Parent to Parent Adding Wisdom Award.

We're just ecstatic!

This is an amazing feat considering that we're a new business trying to establish our name in the competitively world of manufacturing.

We want to thank everyone for this success. We want to exalt Him who has given us this inspiration and purpose.

At the same time, we want to reaffirm our commitment to be socially responsible. That is, we'll create only products that can help expand the positive influence of individuals.

Details about this award will be posted in our site and in this blog soon.

Learn emotional intelligence through the Oikos Game Series!