Posts made in July, 2008
RIP : Mouse
I offically declare my mouse– DEAD.
I finally got tired of tweaking the wires because usually after a few tweaks, the mouse would continue to work then after a few movement it dies again. Perhaps the internal wiring gets disconnected after a few movement then after I tweak it, it reconnects then stops again.
Well, I guess this is what I get for buying those cheapy-cheapy mouse. This is our second mouse. The first mouse broke after one month and this is the second cheapy-cheapy mouse. At least it broke at a better time– its my children’s 1st grading exams. No games, no Diner Dash and Flo on the Go nor Turtle Oddessey. And no browsing for me… I simply do the not have the patience to use the tab keys and I have not mastered the shortcut keys for Firefox.
So, let the PC have a rest and lets buy the replacement next week… this time, I will buy 2 cheapy-cheapy mouse. 
Exam Time
Yesterday was the beginning of exam week for my children. I actually like studying with them except that I think I give my eldest daughter too much pressure. Math was yesterday and it was a breeze, I guess since she did very well in the “dummy tests.”
Here are some tips in studying with your toots:
1) Prepare for the exam two weeks prior.
2) Prepare notes for all major subjects in case she needs to familiarize and memorize alot of facts. This is actually important. I have actually started to teach my daughter how to memorize important facts for example in science, by using mnemonics and acronomyms for easy memorization.
3) Make dummy tests. In my case, I like to prepare 2-3 dummy tests. Mostly I use the first dummy test to check the readiness of my daughter. From there, I tailor the second dummy as a review and ensure I include the ones where she can get high scores to encourage and boost her confidence. Once she is confident, I can give her the hard dummy test.
One of the things I have learned in school through the years in UP is the wonders of simple note taking. I started teaching my daughter the habit of making her own notes rather than copying her teacher’s board work. I have also taught her to study and read ahead, then make notes so she can familiarize hereself and perhaps memorize the important facts as she go along.
However, one of the most important studying style that I found effective with the children is the intermingling or inclusion of important topics in science or whatever subjects into daily conversations. My daughter, I found, seem to retain more information this way.
For more information about studying and helping children improve their habits, click here.
Read MoreCrippled Mouse
Are you mouse dependent? Eversince we bought the PC last March of this year, I have changed our keyboard twice already. Our first and original keyboard that came with the PC was one of those cheap and generic keyboard. It broke after a month of solid use by the children. Guess which key broke first? The space bar– from playing too much Turtle Odessey…
Last month, I bought another keyboard because I broke the second replacement. This time, it was me. I broke it because I opened the keyboard in an attempt to remove the ants that has decided to live inside my keyboard. I noticed small ants going inside the board through the cord and when I tapped the board, tons of ants fell out and with goosebumps all over me, I continue to tap and more ants fell out along with bits of grains from the chips my children love. Now, somebody has to strictly enforce the “no eating while in front of the PC rule around here.” Anyway, I opened the board and took the ants out. Put the board back and the board never worked again. I tried to open it again, fiddled with the connetcions and failed. I got frustrated we went to the city the next day and bought another keyboard. Hayy…
Now the mouse is the problem. It freezes on its own and when I looked closely, the wire that leads to the mouse housing itself is about to be severed. About to be pulled off… So here I am trying to check my email and discovered how inept I was without a mouse. I could not jump from one program to the next. I tried the tab and got some action working but that was it. How frustrating can all this be? I restart the PC, then the mouse will work for a couple of minutes–teasing me… then it freezes mid-way… what is the problem? I thought about it… solution… get another mouse…
Read MoreEyesight
I am having problems with my vision. I have gone to an optical shop and the technician propped me on this machine and told me there is nothing wrong with my vision. So I asked her, then how come my vision is blurred sometimes and I cannot read sometimes?
Her answer… “Ma’am baka stressed out ka lang.” Ah, ok. Perhaps she nailed it perfectly.
Read MoreHoping Might Not Be Enough
I got this news from Dine Racoma’s site that Matthew Samudio, 3 year old has been kidnapped from Fiesta Mall in Alabang in July 22. This is something any mother would not wish for any of her children.
According to Matthew’s aunt, the boy was supposedly “lured” by another older girl from the Tom’s World Arcade in Fiesta Mall. Because of the present economic situation in the country, I will not be surprised to hear and read about the increase of kidnapping in urban areas especially in places like malls in Makati, Ortigas and Quezon City.
There has been no mention of any ransom demand for Matthew. But the review of the surveillance camera from the Arcade screamed abduction. I personally hope Matthew is okay. And to all mother’s out there. Let this be a lesson to us. Let us educate and remind our children at all times not to speak to strangers. And for mothers, let us not take our small children in crowded areas unnecessarily. Not only that, be strict and be explicit to your caregivers and nannies about strangers approaching them in malls and crowded areas. Just be more prudent and cautious. With more vigilance and caution, abductions such as this can be avoided.
For any information about the missing boy, please call the father of Matthew at 0923-6384632.
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