The Secret Language of Birthdays

A good blogger friend, ‘Another Maria‘ was kind enough to translate Justice and Jasmine’s horoscope based on their date and time of birth.  Here is the result.  The information was taken from “The Secret Language of Birthdays” by Gary Goldshneider & Joost Elffers.

July Thirty-First: The Day of the Human Portrait

Strengths: Observant, Expressive, Visual

Weaknesses: Anxious, Disturbed, Isolated

Those born on July 31 take a special interest in what it means to be a human being. Philosophical and moral questions concerning the nature of humanity absorb them, especially where unusual and abnormal aspects of people are concerned. Consequently no question concerning the behavior of mankind is off limits to them, and rarely will a subject be too upsetting to examine and discuss. Stories of persecution, imprisonment, tyranny and torture may hold a fascination for those born on this day, as do martyrs, saints and other highly spiritual figures, and their acts of kindness and courage. This is not to suggest that those born on this day reserve their interest in humankind to the exceptional alone; on the contrary, they are also absorbed with the everyday life, customs and habits of people.

July 31 people have a great need to share and communicate what they have learned. The more introverted personalities born on this day often record their impressions in writing (diaries, letters, essays) or fine arts, particularly drawing and painting; extroverted July 31 people may wish to make their contribution through direct social interaction. In either case, there is a marked descriptive or visual talent associated with those born on this day. Both the introverted and extroverted types often display an interest in promoting their notion of the ideal man or woman, or the ideal society.

Most July 31 people put their work ahead of all else, which may not always make them the favorite of their family and friends. As family members they are not infrequently the subject of controversy and the object of criticism. Some July 31 people may even choose to live alone precisely for this reason; it is as if they are too much involved with mankind in general to have time for a great deal of personal interaction.

Those born on this day generally have a practical, realistic outlook but may tend at times toward the pessimistic. If their assessment of life around them becomes overly negative and then gets turned inward, it can make for true unhappiness. Thus the realism of July 31 people can be valuable and healthy but must never become a destructive negativity. Those born on this day must remind themselves that the immediate world around them can be greatly improved through their efforts, and that their dedication to more universal social issues may be of less usefulness. Perhaps practicing daily acts of kindness themselves constitutes their best chance of becoming the ideal human being they so greatly admire.

Leo

Leo Stones & Uses

Yellow topaz: restores inner calm, eases stress Tiger’s eye: grants vitality

Ruby: strengthens heart energies Milky yellow amber: grounds visions

Colors: Ocher, golden hues

July 23 – August 23

Leo is the fifth sign of the zodiac, representing the radiant creative forces of the individual which light up the world around it. It is the second fire sign, but unlike Aries, its powerful energies are fully under control. Leo symbolizes the need of the ego to make its mark on the world. Ambition, power and self-confidence are hallmarks of this sign. The courage of The Lion and its regal bearing make it respected, if not feared, by other animals.

Ruled by the Sun, Leo represents fully realized expression through powerful and directed action. Leo likes to lead, and expects others to follow with due deference. However, sharing and warmth are important to this sign as well. The sunny, leonine nature of the golden sign demands enjoyment, satisfaction and harmony. On the other hand, Leo does not hesitate to give battle to the forces of injustice, oppression and darkness whenever called upon to do so.

Leo can be seen as an evolutionary stage between cancer and Virgo that transmutes protective, empathic and sensitive energies into service-oriented, discriminating and analytical ones.

The Leo Personality

If Leo is taken to represent the fifth period of life, age 28-35, the Leo personality can be likened to the mature adult bringing the full force of his/her personality to bear on the world. Leos love to make their presence felt through grand gesture. They dislike meanness and pettiness, and, like the regal king of the beasts, prefer to overlook anything which they consider unworthy of their attention. Big-hearted, Leos generally give a lot or not at all. Sometimes receiving the gifts of others can be difficult for them. Leos not only tend to operate on their own terms but generally display the strength to refuse an offer which is not acceptable and the steadfastness necessary to stick to their decision. In keeping with their code of honor, they generally pay off when they lose a bet or fail in an investment, and expect others to do the same. To them, the given word is the law.

Leos love to be admired, not only for their physical appearance but also for what they do. Being placed on a pedestal by others does not bother them in the least. Often natural leaders, they will revel in exemplifying the best traits of the group they represent – whether family, social or political. Yet most Leos prefer accomplishing tasks without fanfare, wishing to convey a highly confident, secure image.

A Leo’s home is his/her castle. Those born under this sign must be proud of where they live, and when happy with their living arrangements, enjoy nothing more than sharing hospitality with others. The faithfulness of a Leo is legendary – a Leo will defend family, friends and mates to the last drop of blood if necessary. Yet fixed attitudes and attachments to outworn arrangements can also stand in the way of their growth.

Leo I – “Authority”

July 26 – August 2

The Leo I period takes Authority as its central image. This period can be likened to the beginning of the mature adult life as an individual turns thirty. Confidence can run high at this point if the doubts and uncertainty of the first Saturn return (age twenty-eight or twenty-nine) have been resolved. Beginning the process of establishing oneself as an authority in a given field can be a focus at this time and an absorbing task. Some must assume the role of authority to their growing children, while others may look to an older, more experienced person who can serve as a teacher, a guide who can initiate them into a broader understanding of the world. Other Leo I’s may strengthen their sense of confidence through what they learn from books, methods, religious or spiritual teachings, philosophy, etc.

The days which comprise Leo I symbolically reveal the mature adult developing a truly original style, making important decisions for him/herself and the family or work group, and in general trying to be successful in life by making his/her name known and trusted.

The Leo I Personality

Leo I people are among the most powerfully authoritative of the year. Although many have leadership qualities, it is not the act of commanding others that usually appeals to them but asserting themselves and being taken seriously. Also, much of their energy is channeled inward rather than outward, toward developing their own strengths and abilities. Success for these tough individuals may not always be measured in worldly terms either. Often they have private goals- whether intellectual or physical- which they pursue with unrelenting tenacity. Surpassing their own previous achievements may figure prominently for them.

Leo I’s are not people who blend in with the wallpaper. In fact, too often they feel the need to dominate their environment. The more advanced born in this period learn that greater results can often be achieved without making their presence felt too strongly. However, the posture of a Leo I naturally tends toward the imposing and therefore no matter what they do it is difficult for them to remain unobtrusive. Since their outlook is generally forceful and positive, Leo I’s may not be able to understand moodiness or negativity in others. If their own outlook becomes negative through rejection or failure, they may be ill-equipped to deal with it.

Leo I’s often find themselves in situations where they are called upon to make decisions for others. They tend to be upwardly mobile in their orientation and may well reach positions of power where responsibilities can be truly crushing. For the most part, those born in this period are more than capable of handling challenging demands, but in some cases their own private goals and real interests can get swallowed up by their professional life. This can, of course, lead to frustration. Perhaps one scenario for such Leo I’s is that in their drive for success they make themselves indispensible to their firm or organization and then are simply unable to leave, having grown used to the rewards earned and the feeling of being needed and valuable.

Respect

I just did a search on our own site and didn’t find anything on respect.  I should have wrote about this important lesson earlier, but I guess it wasn’t the right time.  Now that you two are here and getting older, you need to know about respect.  There are many meanings of respect, but in our household and in our family it means a lot more.

In our culture, in our Filipino culture, respect of parents and elders is very important.  I can not define or tell you at what age makes an elderly person, but you will know when you come of understanding.  It is important to respect your elders in our families because they have wisdom, experience, and knowledge that you do not yet possess.  So listen carefully to the elders in our families.  I specifically say ‘our families’ because I can not speak for other people and their intentions.  On your mom’s side I am positive that there is no difference.  They too respect their elders.  Learn this, give it, and earn it.

I don’t have to tell you about respecting your parents.  That should be a given.  We deserve respect just for the fact that we have raised you and sacrificed everything to get you where you are today.  We look after your well being even though we may not always agree in your actions.  We do know better because we were your age once.

This aspect of respect also applies to parents of your friends.  When you go over to their house, respect their ways.  If you see there are shoes at the entrance of the house, that means they take off their shoes in the house.  You should do the same.  Always address your friend’s parents with respect.  Call them either Sir or Ma’am or by their last name even if they insist otherwise.  If they offer you food, have some.  Don’t ask for more than what you can eat.  Thank them for the meal and compliment them on the tastes even if it is something you have never had before.  Parents love it when you eat their food.

Respect your friends and co-workers.  You should know by know that everyone is different.  It would be impossible to tell you all the different types of people there are in the world and what they have gone through in this life.  Rather than try to understand them, respect them because they are your fellow human being.  You don’t have to agree on anyone’s lifestyle or religion, but you should respect their humanness and overall humanity.  For the most part, most people are good.  It’s not for you to judge other people.

Respect life.  All life, yes all life including the tiniest little ant to the tallest giraffe.  Believe it not animals have souls just like you and me.  Do no intentional harm to them.

Respect other people’s property.  If something does not belong to you, then you have no right to take it or do what you please with other people’s stuff.  Know what is yours.  Otherwise, work hard to get your own stuff.  People have worked hard to acquire things.  Not everything can be replaced.  Don’t steal, vandalize, or keep anything that is not yours to begin with.

Respect and obey law.  Respect the men and women who protect you and our families from harm and danger and the laws they try to enforce.  But the time you can read this most of our rights will be taken away because of our political system.  You will have to rely on the law to protect you so know what is covered under the law and what isn’t.

As grandpa would say, ‘use your head’!

See the rest of our Nispiros Portal Lessons.

First of all we’d like to thank everyone that came to the party.  We appreciate their attendance and their very generous gifts.  Nothing makes them more happy than new toys and lots of clothes.

This was one of the few times they have skipped two naps lol.  Since it was their big day, they were entitled to it.  We started the party about 2PM and friends and family trickled in.  We served barbecue short ribs, teriyaki chicken, marinated tri-tip and all the usual side dishes.  We basically made everything ourselves compared to the catering that we normally arrange.

We didn’t have any kids games cause they were pretty busy being entertained by everyone else.  It was a temporary relief for us, but it was still hard work being hosts.  We don’t hold too many parties so we are still inexperienced in knowing how to entertain people.

Jasmine and Justice had a great time playing with our neighbor Robert who is about a year older.  Justice tries to talk to him, but he can only gesture with his hands and screams when he is excited.  Jasmine is pretty independent since she is still mastering her walking skills.

We broadcasted the party on the internet using Livestream.  This gave our other friends access to the party.  You can access the link to see an archive of the party.  We also have it here on Nispiros Portal as a widget on the sidebar.

We sang ‘Happy Birthday’, opened gifts, then basically wined down until all the guests left.  It was a good day.  We are thinking for next year we will celebrate their birthday outside the home like at the park or some other fun place.  They will be more mobile and hopefully will be talking by then.

For now here are some pictures and videos from the party.  All the photos are in their birthday gallery.

Their milestones include:

• Holding their head up within the first 3 months
• Eating baby food after 6 months
• Saying Dada and sometimes Mama after 9 months
• Standing and walking after 10 months
• Learning to communicate ‘no’ after 11 months

Things we still have to work on:

• Sleeping through the night
• Getting Jasmine to sleep in her own bed
• Learning to be more independent when Mommy has to do chores
• Holding their milk bottle by themselves
• Jasmine to learn to take formula or whole milk

Today is Thursday and we still have a lot of preparing to do.  Even though we have a very small house.  It takes forever to clean because the kids just don’t like to be left alone.  We haven’t even framed their pictures from Thanksgiving for God’s sake!

Speaking of pictures, here are a few from their first year.  You can see the rest in our Photo Gallery.

As exhausted as we are, we are also excited that they will be walking into toddler-hood in the next few days.  For our friends and family (including our friends in the blogosphere) who can not be at the party, we will be broadcasting live this Saturday, July 31 starting at 2PM PST.

You can watch the video from our portal or watch it directly from the livestream website.  Here is where you can watch us this Saturday.

Nispiros Portal Webcam

Livestream – Nispiros Portal

See you online!  If I look tired, it’s because I am!

Our road trip started from Elk Grove.  It was our first time using our new car seats long distance.  Note to self - Justice and Jasmine are not yet ready to sit in the back by themselves.  Take the truck next time and Ebru to sit in the back to entertain them.  Before leaving Elk Grove, we had to stop for gas, pocket money, and Jamba Juice.

The traffic wasn’t too bad considering it was the weekend.  We had left much later than we wanted, but we were determined to go to the City.  After about 2 1/2 hours of laughing, crying, and sleeping, Justice and Jasmine got safely to Mom’s site.

Justice saying a prayer

We gave Mom some flowers, said a few prayers, and let Justice and Jasmine hang out for awhile.  As usual the weather in Colma, CA was a little damp for their little bodies, so we couldn’t stay too long.  This was their first visit to Grandma, not including the visit when they were still in mommy’s tummy.  Speaking of mommy, here is Ebru and Jasmine trying to stay warm.

Mommy and Jasmine

After our final prayers and diaper changes we headed out to lunch.  What’s great about Mom’s site is that it is very close to Max’s Chicken.  We just HAD to stop there.

See ya Mom!

After our heavy yet satisfying lunch we headed back to the City to meet up with Ebru’s friend Filiz.  Filiz, her husband and family were staying in the City to watch the SF Giants play.  Luckily for Ebru, Filiz stayed behind so we can chat and take a walk to nearby Chinatown.

Me, Mommy and the Kids

Filiz, Mommy and the Kids

Chinatown was busy with tourists and locals as usual.  My main goal was to get out of Chinatown with at least some pork buns, sesame rolls, and rice cakes.  Mission accomplished!  We then headed back to Filiz’s room to wind down before our trip back to Sac.

Justice and Jasmine had a lot of stored up energy from sitting all day.  It was hard to contain them at the apartment, but good for us because we were hoping for a more peaceful ride back.

Filiz and Jasmine

All in all it was a good day.  It was great visiting mom and Filiz and just great being back in the City, which I have missed.  We’ll be back . . .

Here’s a little video of our day in the City.

This is our live webcam.  It’s not always on, but when it is you’ll get to see Jasmine and Justice playing, sleeping, or crying lol.

This 2nd webcam player is for use with our iPhones and used as a room monitor.

First of all, the Graco seats were getting too small.  They always seem to get fussy after about 10-15 mins (unless they fall asleep) and it would always seem to get them hot, like the material was not breathable enough.  Lastly, the seats were rear facing.  There was nothing we could do about this.  It was required because of their height and age and of course for their safety.

However, now that they are almost a year old and over 20 lbs, they can now sit facing forward.  This is how we set up the new Britax seats.  When I say seats, I don’t just mean the two seats for Justice and Jasmine, but I also mean the extra pair of cars seats, one set for the truck and one set for the mini-van.  Yes, kids are expensive!

I realize that it is safer to keep them rear facing as long as possible, but it is very hard on us to keep them entertained.  Their crying and fussiness are sometimes unbearable.  In an enclosed vehicle, their cries amplify in stereo surround sound.

Now that they are forward facing, they have a whole new world ahead of them.  They can look outside, they don’t get motion sickness from being rear facing, and most of all, they can now watch their favorite DVDs while traveling.  This alone keeps them quite and entertained.  Thank God!

When we had the Graco seats, Ebru would have to sit in back and entertain them.  It was a tight squeeze for her.  We couldn’t take the mini-van because there was no middle seat.  The mini-van middle row seats are two captain chairs and not a bench seat like the truck.  So now we have the option to take either vehicles when traveling.  In this economy, it’s definitely going to be the mini-van.

I highly recommend the Britax Boulevard seats or any of their products because of their overall quality and features.  The Boulevard in particular has adjustable headrests and very smart strap adjustments that make it so much easier to take them in and out of the seats.  You can see from these pictures how comfortable they are.  They are living room chairs.  They even use the armrests like grown ups.  Let’s just hope they don’t outgrow these seats anytime soon.

We were there when Justice took his first steps. We were overjoyed and he screamed with happiness. He was standing next to our DVD rack when he got up, without holding anything, then took 2 side steps. That was a week ago. Yesterday, he was standing in the middle of the living room and took about 8 steps towards me. He would have walked further but Minik and Jasmine where standing in his way lol.

Jasmine is getting there. So far she is standing without support. She just needs to take a step or two. We think that she’ll be on her own and walking in about 2 weeks.

Now that they are more mobile they are less frustrated. They can freely go from one room to another. This has been a big help for us. However, they are only happy when they have a full tummy AND when someone is in the room with them. If they are left alone, then they go after us and most times cry. If they are totally absorbed in play, then they are ok with being left alone, at least until they notice that they are by themselves.

On another positive note, they have started to play and laugh together. It’s not consistent, but at least they have started. They mostly interact with each other at night right before their bath. They love crawling through this toy shaped like a tunnel. They also love their new toy which we got a Once Upon A Child. It’s a standing toy and it has this microphone that amplifies through the built in speaker as well as other stuff around it.

We have also changed the way we give them a bath. We used to wash them in a plastic tub over the kitchen sink. This week we have started to bathe them in our master bedroom tub. They sit in this plastic seat that attaches to the side of the tub. They are still getting used to this new method. It’s a bit more challenging for us because we have to kneel down and do a lot of reaching around to get water, toys, and soaps.

Their sleep is still inconsistent. At best Justice wakes up once a night. For Jasmine maybe twice. Could be that their body is going through changes. Teething doesn’t help.

Justice has two bottom teeth and his two top teeth are coming out. Jasmine has one and half teeth coming out. I say one and half because it’s really two, but the second one is half the size of the one next to it lol.

They continue to eat more solid food. We feed them our food like stewed carrots, potato soup and anything that is mashable in their mouths. Here they are at our favorite local eatery Panera Bread.

This month’s milestone of standing, walking, and playing together has been a sigh of relief for us. We now have hope that things will get better.

Wonder Twins

They are surely Wonder Twins in many ways.  Justice and Jasmine are finally starting to interact with one another.  In fact, they have started to mimic us and have been able to repeat actions from memory.  They really know and understand what is funny and what is not.

For example when they are sitting at the table Jasmine will pull Justice’s t-shirt.  She pulls it so hard it falls off his shoulder and Justice laughs knowing that his shirt is half off lol.

Justice on the other hand puts his finger in Jasmine’s mouth.  She’ll clamp down on his finger and bit it and Justice will just laugh.  Jasmine knows it’s funny and just leaves his finger there.  Funny and gross at the same time.  Especially if you knew where Justice’s finger has been through out the day.

They also mumble in harmony.  They have this thing where they put the back of their hand against their mouths and just move it back and forth as they try to talk.  When one does it, the other starts in unison.

They are both sensitive.  When Jasmine cries, Justice just looks at us with that look, ‘hey what’s wrong with her?’.  When Justice cries, then Jasmine cries too lol.  Justice, however, is sensitive if your raise your voice at him or towards him lol.  I could raise my voice at our dog Minik and Justice will think you’re mad at him lol.

The fun never ends in our household (or the crying).

First of all we knew that we were taking a risk taking two 10-month old across country on a very long airplane ride.  We thought that we would suffer any consequence knowing that we would be on a ship and visiting exotic islands in the West Caribbean.   We could have not been more wrong.

The flight from Sacramento to Tampa was ok.  Justice and Jasmine did better than what we expected.  They cried a few times and took cat naps during the flight.  We got to Tampa in one piece and we met up with our good friends Ron and Tracy and their wonderful kids Jared and Sage.

A day at the beach

The next two days was a piece of cake.  We had a great time visiting the sights and sounds of Tampa and the surrounding cities and beaches.  I almost forgot about the humidity because we were in such great company.  We had a sushi dinner on Friday, then hit the beach on Saturday and also got to visit the Hood Mansion.

As always it is always sad to leave good friends that we hardly get to see because of the distance between us.  We slept through our sadness on Saturday to get ready for our embarkation on Sunday morning.

We got to the Tampa Port within minutes and we got a porter to help us with our luggage.  It was tough lugging around 4 cases plus our carry one for 2 adults and 2 infants.  Not to mention the double stroller AND their car seats.  Call us crazy, but call us.

We got on the Carnival Legend without any problems.  When we got on board our room was ready, including a crib for Justice, and our luggage trickled in within the next few hours.  As usual I was hungry so we headed for the buffet.  The food was good, but we had better on other cruise lines.

This time we upgraded for a room with a balcony.  I actually never stepped out there and was too afraid to go out there with the kids.  It was cramped especially with the crib in the middle of the room and stuff scattered all over the place.  But we made due.  We spent a lot of time outside the room anyway just strolling them around and getting used to the ship’s layout.

Justice and Jasmine were immediate celebrities.  Every where we went people asked, ‘are they twins?’.  By the end of the cruise everyone new their names and love to play with them.  They seemed ok with it.  We met a lot of nice people through Justice and Jasmine.  The only thing is no matter how tired we were, we had to keep a smile on our face cause people were being so friendly with us/them.

Finally!

After the second day we finally got to the first island of Grand Cayman.  The water was beautiful, but the beach was a little rocky.  It was the first time that Justice and Jasmine ever set foot in the ocean or any body of water for that matter.  They enjoyed it!  At the local restaurant they had one of the best fish sandwiches we ever had.

Lunch time

The second island was Cozumel.  They had beautiful blue/turquoise waters, but too much coral and shells on the sandy and short beach.  We tried their fish sandwich here, but it wasn’t as good as the one at the Grand Cayman stop.  The Mayan tour was interesting.  I came back with mosquito bites from head to toe.

Jasmine snoozing

The third island was Isla Roatan.  This island was the best of the islands on the itinerary.  We were on a private beach which was picture perfect.  Lunch was included.  Justice and Jasmine enjoyed the peace and quite of this island.

Picture Perfect

The last stop was Belize.  We were quite disappointed.  Our tour was one of the lamest tours we’ve been on.  We didn’t feel safe on this island.  To put it shortly, we won’t be back.

Justice enjoying the sights

This was the end of our island excursions and it was time for the ship to head back to the states.  It was formal night again and we were greeted with warm and sympathetic smiles at our usual table.  The last two nights was a little rough because the on board party would start at 10:30pm just when Justice and Jasmine were trying to sleep.

Overall, our trip was good.  It wasn’t as relaxing as we hoped, but lessons learned.  The flight back, however, was a nightmare.  Jasmine cried for about 3 1/2 hours straight during our 5 1/2 flight back home.  Justice was just ok.  He didn’t sleep much either.  The kids sitting behind me were loud little whiners.

One good thing that came out of this trip is that Justice learned how to clap his hands.  I guess from all the on board entertainment he now understands that clapping is a good thing.  Jasmine, however, has taken a step back.  She now cries whenever we put her down on the floor or leave her for even a second.

Who knows when my next post will be.  Raising these two isn’t getting any easier. . . .

You can find the rest of our vacation photos here – Cruise 2010.