It's been a long time between posts, even i almost forgot I had a blog. Spent 20 mins racking my brain for my login name and password. Long vacations tend to have that effect on me. It's funny how I start every Christmas vacation with the best of intentions (rest, spend lots of quality time with the kids, organize the household) and end up only doing one out of the three. Between shopping, wrapping gifts (and keeping the kids from unwrapping them --hence the quality time), the slew of family gatherings, christmas parties and more shopping, the usual holiday frenzy caught up with me again.
So now I end up with a post holiday messy household (thank goodness Jun isn't OC!). I just added another few month's worth of mess to fix on top of the things that needed fixing in the first place. But what the heck, I've always thought there are better things to do than wallow in self imposed drudgery, right? Right??!!
Found myself in a serious drudgery avoidance mood last weekend so I grabbed some Hershey bars and settled in with the kids to watch Lassie (the 90's version). There we were, tangled contentedly on the sofa, Faith licking the little Hershey pieces until it was all melted and I had to lick it off her finger and Joshua making me bite off the rectangular pieces in half because he wants squares (go figure). I was taken aback when Faith suddenly sat up and cried, "Oh no! No no no!!". I looked at her and her bottom lip was quivering then she started crying. I realized it was because Lassie jumped from a window and Faith was upset Lassie might get hurt. Then I started laughing my head off. I wasn't through laughing when Joshua starts to cry as well because someone pointed a gun at Lassie. He was going ---"Turn it off! Turn it off! I don't want to watch thaaat! It's scaaary!" Despite my reassurances that Lassie will be ok, he cried until the movie ends while I snorted with laughter. I know, I know. Not very mature of me. I felt so guilty I punished myself by eating another Hershey bar (bad mommy!). Oh my poor sensitive children.
Gosh, and here I thought I was being a good mom by not exposing them to the more violent cartoons and scary movies on TV. Lassie was very bad, and now I'll have to ban Bambi. Good thing Nemo and his Dad found each other and that Dory didn't die, whew! I wonder how Josh will feel when he watches Aslan die in Narnia??!!!!
Friday, January 13, 2006
Friday, November 25, 2005
The good times and bad
There are very few things that scare me. Chickens (or anything with feathers that move), vermin (more disgusting than scary, really), ghosts. But nothing compares to that feeling of terror and utter helplessness that overwhelms me everytime one of the kids get sick. Oh, the usual cold and the occasional cough I can take. In fact, I've become an expert at handling these types of things. But the minute they get a fever I go to pieces. There's just something inherently scary to me about fevers -- probably the fact that you never know what's causing them. My overactive (and morbid!) imagination goes all sorts of places it shouldn't go to that it drives me crazy.
So when Faith gets a fever of more than 38 degrees three weeks ago, I switch into the Oh-no-it's-the-paranoid-mom-from-hell mode the kids' pediatrician knows (and loves) so well.
It's this kind of behavior that earned me the slot in his cellphone's memory card. I no longer hear the polite, 'yes, who's this?', instead, it's "O, menchie, what's up?' when I dial his number. But thank goodness for being paranoid. A few hours post paracetamol (fever still high) and two calls to the pedia later, we were on our way to the ER. I had all the tests done and it turns out that she had a bacterial infection. Faith was admitted, had an IV inserted into her arm and we were on our way to hospital stay hell.
And what a hell it was. Ever stayed with a cranky, feverish, whiny, clingy-I-want-mommy-only toddler in a hospital before? I wouldn't wish it on my enemies. Let me tell you, my nerves were shot from worrying about Faith's on and off fever, her persistent cold and cough, her terror and hysterical crying everytime a nurse would come near her for her nebulizer dose or to change her shirt (was hard to change her due to the IV). Not to mention the way Faith would pull at the IV tubes in frustration trying to pull them off. We were both exhausted -- her from crying and not being able to sleep comfortably and me from the worrying and lack of sleep because Faith refused to sleep on anything except me (literally on top of me). Any little movement I made to be comfortable would wake her and set off her crying bouts until she dozed off and we had to repeat the cycle again. She didn't want me to lie down or sit up -- she had to be rocked standing up. It was a very long five days and a heck of a way to celebrate your 5th wedding anniversary.
This experience is second only to when I gave birth to Josh but it was just as physically hard and emotionally draining. My husband told me he couldn't imagine how I could handle the stress and still be patient with Faith. I was thinking that I did it because it had to be done. There was just no question about it -- I don’t think any mom would have done less than what I did those 5 days. My baby was hurting and I had to be there -- I couldn't take the pain away but I could give whatever little comfort she could take from me.
I mentioned it was our 5th year wedding anniversary -- it happened in the middle of Faith's hospital stay. Needless to say, there was no romantic dinner date, not even a movie date. But I did point out to Jun that instead of a one night date, we actually had a 5 day date where we were together from morning till well…the next morning. I know it's stretching the whole look on the bright side thing but we just take what we can out of the situation right? And that's what I choose to take out of all this. I told my husband on our wedding anniversary that on the scale of "in good times and in bad" on our wedding vows, while this would probably weigh closer to the bad times, I couldn’t imagine spending it with anyone else but him.
So when Faith gets a fever of more than 38 degrees three weeks ago, I switch into the Oh-no-it's-the-paranoid-mom-from-hell mode the kids' pediatrician knows (and loves) so well.
It's this kind of behavior that earned me the slot in his cellphone's memory card. I no longer hear the polite, 'yes, who's this?', instead, it's "O, menchie, what's up?' when I dial his number. But thank goodness for being paranoid. A few hours post paracetamol (fever still high) and two calls to the pedia later, we were on our way to the ER. I had all the tests done and it turns out that she had a bacterial infection. Faith was admitted, had an IV inserted into her arm and we were on our way to hospital stay hell.
And what a hell it was. Ever stayed with a cranky, feverish, whiny, clingy-I-want-mommy-only toddler in a hospital before? I wouldn't wish it on my enemies. Let me tell you, my nerves were shot from worrying about Faith's on and off fever, her persistent cold and cough, her terror and hysterical crying everytime a nurse would come near her for her nebulizer dose or to change her shirt (was hard to change her due to the IV). Not to mention the way Faith would pull at the IV tubes in frustration trying to pull them off. We were both exhausted -- her from crying and not being able to sleep comfortably and me from the worrying and lack of sleep because Faith refused to sleep on anything except me (literally on top of me). Any little movement I made to be comfortable would wake her and set off her crying bouts until she dozed off and we had to repeat the cycle again. She didn't want me to lie down or sit up -- she had to be rocked standing up. It was a very long five days and a heck of a way to celebrate your 5th wedding anniversary.
This experience is second only to when I gave birth to Josh but it was just as physically hard and emotionally draining. My husband told me he couldn't imagine how I could handle the stress and still be patient with Faith. I was thinking that I did it because it had to be done. There was just no question about it -- I don’t think any mom would have done less than what I did those 5 days. My baby was hurting and I had to be there -- I couldn't take the pain away but I could give whatever little comfort she could take from me.
I mentioned it was our 5th year wedding anniversary -- it happened in the middle of Faith's hospital stay. Needless to say, there was no romantic dinner date, not even a movie date. But I did point out to Jun that instead of a one night date, we actually had a 5 day date where we were together from morning till well…the next morning. I know it's stretching the whole look on the bright side thing but we just take what we can out of the situation right? And that's what I choose to take out of all this. I told my husband on our wedding anniversary that on the scale of "in good times and in bad" on our wedding vows, while this would probably weigh closer to the bad times, I couldn’t imagine spending it with anyone else but him.
Wednesday, October 05, 2005
Goodbye Yaya!
It's been a bummer two weeks -- the kids have been sick (cough & cold) ergo, LOTS of sleepless nights for me; work has reached new levels of hectic and to top it off, my trusted yaya has just informed me that she is leaving on Friday. And before you think it's because of her evil employers, she's going off to pursue a college degree. Yeah, I can really pick em. I knew she was too good to be true. I am being punished for my smugness about how great my kids' yaya is.
She is the epitome of patience, I swear, she has never raised her voice to the kids no matter how obnoxious or kulit Joshua gets. A very far cry from their former yaya who used to have screaming matches with Josh. Very soft spoken, she can also speak english without any (that I detect) accent. Then again, she speaks so softly maybe I just don’t hear it. But I know she tells stories and sings to the kids -- when I come into the room sometimes I catch Faith swaying her body and waving her arms (her version of dancing). Of course, she stops the minute I am in the vicinity. I figure she's embarassed or her singing ability is way better than mine she doesn't want to embarrass me!
Her ability to take care of the kids also impressed me a lot. I was (still am, just dormant) one of those OC moms who, despite having a yaya, insisted on caring for my babies myself. I could never trust that a nanny would take care of my kids the way I would. So I used to bathe Josh & Faith, prepare them for bed, brush their teeth, make them drink vitamins, feed them, etc. I guess Jun and I got a bit (or a lot!) spoiled when Jona came along. For the first time since being a mom, I could delegate some of the child caring responsibility to her. She is one of the few people…oh who the heck am I kidding? She's the only one who can get spoonfuls of food into Faith's mouth because my darling daughter insists on eating by herself. But for some reason, Jona can sneak food into Faith's mouth without her noticing. Of course, now I'll have to learn how to do it without being spit on or snarled at by Faith.
Aside from minding the kids, she'll also tidy up the room, help the other maids clean when she's not with the kids, lend a hand to my mom when she's baking, put away our stuff, all...get this…without being asked. Talk about initiative. And I think the ultimate validation of what I've been saying is the fact that I know my kids love her. I was telling Joshua last night as I was putting him to bed that Yaya Jona was going to leave to go to school and he told me he doesn't want her to go. I wanted to start conditioning him that his yaya was going away soon. He said and I quote: "(Sniff) I'm sad now. I don't want her to leave us."
Sigh! Like I said, it's too good to be true. So now I expect my stress level to go up another notch. And the new yaya hunting adventure begins.
She is the epitome of patience, I swear, she has never raised her voice to the kids no matter how obnoxious or kulit Joshua gets. A very far cry from their former yaya who used to have screaming matches with Josh. Very soft spoken, she can also speak english without any (that I detect) accent. Then again, she speaks so softly maybe I just don’t hear it. But I know she tells stories and sings to the kids -- when I come into the room sometimes I catch Faith swaying her body and waving her arms (her version of dancing). Of course, she stops the minute I am in the vicinity. I figure she's embarassed or her singing ability is way better than mine she doesn't want to embarrass me!
Her ability to take care of the kids also impressed me a lot. I was (still am, just dormant) one of those OC moms who, despite having a yaya, insisted on caring for my babies myself. I could never trust that a nanny would take care of my kids the way I would. So I used to bathe Josh & Faith, prepare them for bed, brush their teeth, make them drink vitamins, feed them, etc. I guess Jun and I got a bit (or a lot!) spoiled when Jona came along. For the first time since being a mom, I could delegate some of the child caring responsibility to her. She is one of the few people…oh who the heck am I kidding? She's the only one who can get spoonfuls of food into Faith's mouth because my darling daughter insists on eating by herself. But for some reason, Jona can sneak food into Faith's mouth without her noticing. Of course, now I'll have to learn how to do it without being spit on or snarled at by Faith.
Aside from minding the kids, she'll also tidy up the room, help the other maids clean when she's not with the kids, lend a hand to my mom when she's baking, put away our stuff, all...get this…without being asked. Talk about initiative. And I think the ultimate validation of what I've been saying is the fact that I know my kids love her. I was telling Joshua last night as I was putting him to bed that Yaya Jona was going to leave to go to school and he told me he doesn't want her to go. I wanted to start conditioning him that his yaya was going away soon. He said and I quote: "(Sniff) I'm sad now. I don't want her to leave us."
Sigh! Like I said, it's too good to be true. So now I expect my stress level to go up another notch. And the new yaya hunting adventure begins.
Wednesday, August 24, 2005
Tummy Tingling
I was in the middle of a meeting today, trying to listen attentively to the person speaking when I felt it again. A funny feeling at the pit of my stomach. And no, it wasn't hunger pangs nor was it a compulsion to visit the rest room. It was a little tickling sensation that started at the base of my tummy, weaving it's way upwards and ending somewhere in the middle of my chest. You can tell I'm having a hard time describing it huh? The best I can do is the word tingle. Yup, that's what i'd call it. Except it didn't happen at my spine (yeah, i know how lame that is, indulge me).
The first time I felt it was just before meeting my husband at the lobby of the BPI building on what would be our first date -- a blind date set up by a mutual friend. I remember feeling a myriad of emotions just before going down to the lobby -- everything from nervousness to abject fear. I almost backed out, I had had a series of constant dates at the time which never worked out and I was thinking maybe this wasn't going to be worth it. My friend didn't tell me who it was going to be but I had an inkling it was Jun. And a part of me wanted to find out if I was right while the rest of me was thinking how embarassed I was going to feel if it was him (we were already acquaintances).
And the whole time, I was feeling the tingle. So I finally made my way to the elevator, resolute to make the best of it and determined to be a pleasant date at the very least. To cut a long story short, it did turn out to be him and the rest is history.
But I digress. Fast forward to today. There I was, sipping coffee, alternately fiddling with my earring, paying attention to the speaker and wondering if I was going to have chicken for lunch for the nth time since I arrived (I was right) when I felt it again. That tingle in my tummy, and I smiled. Because now I recognized it for what it was. It's a harbringer of my homecoming. Only three days left before I leave for home. Just three measly days and it'll be back to the routine and the chaos, the hugs and kisses and stories and the mommy-sing-the-rubber-ducky-song requests. Back to the tediousness of driving to Cavite, catch up sessions (gossip) with my family , Sunday mass and dinner, and, best of all, back to Jun. I can't wait.
The first time I felt it was just before meeting my husband at the lobby of the BPI building on what would be our first date -- a blind date set up by a mutual friend. I remember feeling a myriad of emotions just before going down to the lobby -- everything from nervousness to abject fear. I almost backed out, I had had a series of constant dates at the time which never worked out and I was thinking maybe this wasn't going to be worth it. My friend didn't tell me who it was going to be but I had an inkling it was Jun. And a part of me wanted to find out if I was right while the rest of me was thinking how embarassed I was going to feel if it was him (we were already acquaintances).
And the whole time, I was feeling the tingle. So I finally made my way to the elevator, resolute to make the best of it and determined to be a pleasant date at the very least. To cut a long story short, it did turn out to be him and the rest is history.
But I digress. Fast forward to today. There I was, sipping coffee, alternately fiddling with my earring, paying attention to the speaker and wondering if I was going to have chicken for lunch for the nth time since I arrived (I was right) when I felt it again. That tingle in my tummy, and I smiled. Because now I recognized it for what it was. It's a harbringer of my homecoming. Only three days left before I leave for home. Just three measly days and it'll be back to the routine and the chaos, the hugs and kisses and stories and the mommy-sing-the-rubber-ducky-song requests. Back to the tediousness of driving to Cavite, catch up sessions (gossip) with my family , Sunday mass and dinner, and, best of all, back to Jun. I can't wait.
Thursday, August 18, 2005
Too much of a good thing
I never thought the saying "Be careful what you wish for because you just might get it" would apply to me. I mean, it never comes true when I wish for unlimited shopping sprees or when I wish I could be on Oprah's Favorite Things episode or when I wish the earth would open up and swallow whichever person has earned my wrath for the day.
So recently (since I became a mom that is), what I've been wishing for are time-outs. For myself that is. Ever since I started giving time outs to Joshua for bad behavior or for just being plain uncontrollably hyperactive, I wished I could give my own self a time out more frequently. Regrettably, someone listened and decided the time has come to grant my frequent wish by gifting me with the mother of all time outs.
Yes sir, I am on time out now -- for the next two weeks. And I am perfectly miserable. I'm in Malaysia right now and will be here till the end of August. Two whole weeks of not seeing my family -- no kissing Faith's stubby toes, no kissing Joshua's smelly feet and no kissing Jun's .... ehem, I mean no hugging Jun pala. (almost got carried away there)
But let's weigh the positives of being on time-out: no waking up at the crack of dawn to give Faith her bottle; no driving to Cavite; having all the time in the world (after work that is) to take a leisurely bath/read books/watch dvds i brought with me/watch hbo; eating my food while it's still warm; browsing thru shops without worrying about the time; sleeping without the feeling of Joshua's feet burrowing under my back or side; or, sleeping without getting hit or kicked by Joshua in the midst of his frequent dreams. Hmmm... quite a lot of positives when you think about it.
Ok, moving on the negatives, or, to put it more creatively, if I'm supposed to having a good time, why am I so miserable?? For one thing, I miss the warm weight of Faith's head snuggling into the crook of my neck; I miss Joshua crawling into my lap asking for his stories; I miss Joshua's delighted laughter when his grandpa tells him the story of the T-rex in the noodlehouse; I miss the way Faith says "hewwo??" every time she hears a phone ring; and I miss not being with Jun.
The long and short of it is, I think too much of a good thing is bad for you. While I crave for time alone in the midst of the daily chaos (or smoothness - depending on how much coffee I've had) of my life, short doses does it for me. To put it colloquially, simple lang naman ang gusto ko (I want to go home!!!! Sob!). The wishes I expressed in the beginning of this blog are out of this world -- little to no chance of that happening anytime in the future.
But come to think of it, why should I complain? I might not have gotten what I used to wish for (except for this stupid time-out), but I did get what I prayed for. A loving husband who makes me laugh and who thinks I'm beautiful (really, am not kidding, you can ask him), two wonderful (and beautiful! sorry, just had to put that in) children, a relatively comfortable life, a good job, a supportive family, even a movie date every now and then. And there lies all the difference.
So recently (since I became a mom that is), what I've been wishing for are time-outs. For myself that is. Ever since I started giving time outs to Joshua for bad behavior or for just being plain uncontrollably hyperactive, I wished I could give my own self a time out more frequently. Regrettably, someone listened and decided the time has come to grant my frequent wish by gifting me with the mother of all time outs.
Yes sir, I am on time out now -- for the next two weeks. And I am perfectly miserable. I'm in Malaysia right now and will be here till the end of August. Two whole weeks of not seeing my family -- no kissing Faith's stubby toes, no kissing Joshua's smelly feet and no kissing Jun's .... ehem, I mean no hugging Jun pala. (almost got carried away there)
But let's weigh the positives of being on time-out: no waking up at the crack of dawn to give Faith her bottle; no driving to Cavite; having all the time in the world (after work that is) to take a leisurely bath/read books/watch dvds i brought with me/watch hbo; eating my food while it's still warm; browsing thru shops without worrying about the time; sleeping without the feeling of Joshua's feet burrowing under my back or side; or, sleeping without getting hit or kicked by Joshua in the midst of his frequent dreams. Hmmm... quite a lot of positives when you think about it.
Ok, moving on the negatives, or, to put it more creatively, if I'm supposed to having a good time, why am I so miserable?? For one thing, I miss the warm weight of Faith's head snuggling into the crook of my neck; I miss Joshua crawling into my lap asking for his stories; I miss Joshua's delighted laughter when his grandpa tells him the story of the T-rex in the noodlehouse; I miss the way Faith says "hewwo??" every time she hears a phone ring; and I miss not being with Jun.
The long and short of it is, I think too much of a good thing is bad for you. While I crave for time alone in the midst of the daily chaos (or smoothness - depending on how much coffee I've had) of my life, short doses does it for me. To put it colloquially, simple lang naman ang gusto ko (I want to go home!!!! Sob!). The wishes I expressed in the beginning of this blog are out of this world -- little to no chance of that happening anytime in the future.
But come to think of it, why should I complain? I might not have gotten what I used to wish for (except for this stupid time-out), but I did get what I prayed for. A loving husband who makes me laugh and who thinks I'm beautiful (really, am not kidding, you can ask him), two wonderful (and beautiful! sorry, just had to put that in) children, a relatively comfortable life, a good job, a supportive family, even a movie date every now and then. And there lies all the difference.
Tuesday, August 02, 2005
From One Moment to the Next
I used to think that time went by so slowly. And I don't mean the 'i can't believe it's only 2pm' kind of slow. It was more of not really noticing the years passing by, and just counting my favorite parts of the year (Christmas and New Year). When I first got married, the feeling was still the same. You know, being very casual about weekends (movie or stay in, or clean?) and no real need to rush home from work since Jun will be in at 7:30pm.
Now I realize the almost 360 degree change in my perception when I had kids. What used to be long lazy weekends became a blur of activity -- doctor's appointments, feeding, bathtime, giving vitamins, naptime, playtime, and the numerous diaper changes you have to do. What seems to be normal daily activities becomes challenging and very tiring when you're dealing with toddlers. It used to take me just a half an hour to get ready to go out of the house, now it takes us two hours with the last 10 minutes free for me to shower, dress and get my stuff ready. No wonder my hair got damaged thru tying it up sopping wet from the shower. I didn't have time to dry it -- it was either my hair or makeup (siempre my face won). Those were the early days when Josh was 2 and Faith was a tiny baby and I've since learned my lesson (no more wet ponytails - getting my hair relaxed is expensive!)
But more than the everyday details is the realization that the kids are growing so fast. I still get shocked at the way Joshua sometimes reasons with people like an adult. And how he has very definite opinions about what he likes and thinks. He is every inch a pre-schooler now, with just traces of my baby boy remaining -- he still likes to be cuddled and kissed and is still very affectionate.
My Faith is also little by little leaving her babyhood behind. She is now a whirlwind of activity - and her weird sense of humor is showing. She loves sticking her fingers up people's noses and laughing out loud when you jerk your head up in surprise. And she will do that as often as you let her, laughing her head off the whole time. And it really surprises me when she does things deliberately just to make people laugh -- like the way she'll suck the fruit juice from her fingers, smack her lips out loud and say "Ahhh!" like a little piglet.
Jun and I always talk about how we can't wait until Josh or Faith can talk and we wonder what kind of things they'll say. Now that Josh doesn't stop talking our heads off, I can't help feeling that I wish time would go a little slower so I could savor their babyhood much longer. Wishful thinking, I know. For now, I guess I'll just have to live in the moment, basking in the kids' lives and thanking my lucky stars.
Saturday, July 16, 2005
Love with a love that is more than love
I've been a mom for three years now, give or take a few months. The other day I was thinking about the unconditional love that kids have for their parents. I read somewhere that children don't easily lose the love they bear for their parents, no matter how verbally and physically abused they become. And it made me think about how my kids express that love.
Take Faith, for instance. She's only a little over a year old and is a very fierce little girl. She's the type who won't take no for an answer, who is so utterly fearless that she throws herself fully into every activity. Who barrels her way through her big brother and other obstacles just to get to whatever it is she is trying to reach for. And yet, I can confidently say that she loves me best. It's in the way she makes her way towards me and hugs my legs begging me to pick her up every time I arrive home from work. The way she snuggles her head into the crook of my neck and refuses to go with her yaya or her grandma. The way she bangs her hands against the bathroom door (together with Josh) wailing out loud if I so much as take a bathroom break before their bedtime. And especially the way that she seeks comfort from me alone (whenever I'm around of course) when she gets an ouch -- "no thanks but I want my mommy", is what i imagine her thought balloon is during those moments. My little Faith-Faith (as Joshua is fond of calling her) who does not stay still for more than 4 seconds (I counted!) but is like a contented cow in bed as long as I am lying next to her.
And Josh, of course, who, despite having his own favorite people (my sister and his grandma & grandpa), will also not accept any substitute when I am around. My heart sometimes feels like it's going to burst every time he whispers, "I love you mommy" even after I've scolded him or given him a time out for hurting his sister. The generosity of his spirit is amazing. Imagine saying "i love you" to someone who pissed you off (even if you deserved it!). Josh, with his death grip on my hands (and sometimes my neck) during bedtime, running my fingers all over his face until he falls asleep.
I feel so privileged at the gift of my children. And though sometimes I feel like such a rat for complaining, more often than not, I am thankful for being given little glimpses of God in the things that they do.
Take Faith, for instance. She's only a little over a year old and is a very fierce little girl. She's the type who won't take no for an answer, who is so utterly fearless that she throws herself fully into every activity. Who barrels her way through her big brother and other obstacles just to get to whatever it is she is trying to reach for. And yet, I can confidently say that she loves me best. It's in the way she makes her way towards me and hugs my legs begging me to pick her up every time I arrive home from work. The way she snuggles her head into the crook of my neck and refuses to go with her yaya or her grandma. The way she bangs her hands against the bathroom door (together with Josh) wailing out loud if I so much as take a bathroom break before their bedtime. And especially the way that she seeks comfort from me alone (whenever I'm around of course) when she gets an ouch -- "no thanks but I want my mommy", is what i imagine her thought balloon is during those moments. My little Faith-Faith (as Joshua is fond of calling her) who does not stay still for more than 4 seconds (I counted!) but is like a contented cow in bed as long as I am lying next to her.
And Josh, of course, who, despite having his own favorite people (my sister and his grandma & grandpa), will also not accept any substitute when I am around. My heart sometimes feels like it's going to burst every time he whispers, "I love you mommy" even after I've scolded him or given him a time out for hurting his sister. The generosity of his spirit is amazing. Imagine saying "i love you" to someone who pissed you off (even if you deserved it!). Josh, with his death grip on my hands (and sometimes my neck) during bedtime, running my fingers all over his face until he falls asleep.
I feel so privileged at the gift of my children. And though sometimes I feel like such a rat for complaining, more often than not, I am thankful for being given little glimpses of God in the things that they do.
Tuesday, July 12, 2005
Conversations with Poop
The absurdity of what happens in the course of being a mom sometimes astounds me. Like last night's conversation with my three year old son, Joshua. He was on the potty with me holding him up and keeping him company.
Me: So, are you going to make poopoo now?
Josh: It's coming, mommy, it's coming.
Me: (after 2 minutes) is it coming out already?
Josh: talk to my poopoo mommy so it'll come out.
Me: (to the poop) Hey poopoo, come out now before I give you time out!
Josh: (as the poop) Yes, mommy. Do not give me time out.
Me: So, is it coming?
Josh: It's eating chocolate. (he ate 1 piece of chocolate after dinner)
Me: Oh, ok. (after 2 minutes) is it coming out na? (I was getting a little tired of hanging out in the bathroom by now)
Josh: yes, it's brushing it's teeth.
Believe me, this was an actual conversation. And quite a lengthy one, mind you. I didn't include the references to hatching and other whatnot. And let's not even talk about the time I actually SANG to the poop. (to the tune of twinkle, twinkle little star)
That is what I go home to every single day. Different levels of absurdity but who cares? It's one of the perks of being a parent. Free comedy entertainment to chase the stress away. Now, if I'm feeling generous and only if you've been a good boy/girl, I just might invite you one of these days to come over and have a conversation with the naughty B_og_r.
Me: So, are you going to make poopoo now?
Josh: It's coming, mommy, it's coming.
Me: (after 2 minutes) is it coming out already?
Josh: talk to my poopoo mommy so it'll come out.
Me: (to the poop) Hey poopoo, come out now before I give you time out!
Josh: (as the poop) Yes, mommy. Do not give me time out.
Me: So, is it coming?
Josh: It's eating chocolate. (he ate 1 piece of chocolate after dinner)
Me: Oh, ok. (after 2 minutes) is it coming out na? (I was getting a little tired of hanging out in the bathroom by now)
Josh: yes, it's brushing it's teeth.
Believe me, this was an actual conversation. And quite a lengthy one, mind you. I didn't include the references to hatching and other whatnot. And let's not even talk about the time I actually SANG to the poop. (to the tune of twinkle, twinkle little star)
That is what I go home to every single day. Different levels of absurdity but who cares? It's one of the perks of being a parent. Free comedy entertainment to chase the stress away. Now, if I'm feeling generous and only if you've been a good boy/girl, I just might invite you one of these days to come over and have a conversation with the naughty B_og_r.
Monday, July 11, 2005
Separation Anxiety
Another weekend over so soon. Some good things never really last. Like Saturdays...or lazy mornings spent in bed with two pint sized mini-mes crawling all over me. Still, it's something to moon over while in traffic or waiting in line at the cafeteria desperately trying to have your morning cup of coffee before your first meeting starts.
Still, can't complain. Aileene's birthday was fun, it's not everyday that I allow myself to gorge on pizza (five cheese and tomato, yum!) and spend a few hours shopping with one of my favorite people. The kids' doctor's appointment was a riot, as usual, with Joshua threatening his doctor, "Do not go to my house!". Was kinda looking forward to spending some quiet time with the hubby after the kids went to bed but fell asleep instead (sorry Jun!).
Felt like I went to the two ends of Metro Manila on Sunday. Wait a minute, I DID go to the two ends of the Metro yesterday! That's the trouble with double booking. Had to go to a baptism in UP and then drive over to a birthday party in Roxas Blvd. Good thing driving was a breeze...going to UP reminded me of how much I love the campus. I was waxing nostalgic while driving under the canopy of acacia trees leading to the AS building. Hmmm...what they did to the College of B.A. bldg was downright hideous. For some reason, it still smells the same. Felt like going back to school, except that (1) I hated Math 1 and 11; (2) Hated Nat Sci 1 & 2; and, (3) I will only go back as my present self and not as the awkward 16 year old I was then.
So anyway, here I am, morning after the weekend, wishing I woke up to Faith squeezing the various parts of my face and cooing into my ears happy to be waking up next to me. With Joshua telling me, "The sun is up Mommy, time to wake up!" instead of waking up at the crack of dawn (4:30 am) and eating skyflakes for breakfast.
But it really was a good weekend. Lots of kid and hubby time, sisterly bonding (and shopping!), with a little bit of ALIAS episodes thrown in. What more could I ask for?
Still, can't complain. Aileene's birthday was fun, it's not everyday that I allow myself to gorge on pizza (five cheese and tomato, yum!) and spend a few hours shopping with one of my favorite people. The kids' doctor's appointment was a riot, as usual, with Joshua threatening his doctor, "Do not go to my house!". Was kinda looking forward to spending some quiet time with the hubby after the kids went to bed but fell asleep instead (sorry Jun!).
Felt like I went to the two ends of Metro Manila on Sunday. Wait a minute, I DID go to the two ends of the Metro yesterday! That's the trouble with double booking. Had to go to a baptism in UP and then drive over to a birthday party in Roxas Blvd. Good thing driving was a breeze...going to UP reminded me of how much I love the campus. I was waxing nostalgic while driving under the canopy of acacia trees leading to the AS building. Hmmm...what they did to the College of B.A. bldg was downright hideous. For some reason, it still smells the same. Felt like going back to school, except that (1) I hated Math 1 and 11; (2) Hated Nat Sci 1 & 2; and, (3) I will only go back as my present self and not as the awkward 16 year old I was then.
So anyway, here I am, morning after the weekend, wishing I woke up to Faith squeezing the various parts of my face and cooing into my ears happy to be waking up next to me. With Joshua telling me, "The sun is up Mommy, time to wake up!" instead of waking up at the crack of dawn (4:30 am) and eating skyflakes for breakfast.
But it really was a good weekend. Lots of kid and hubby time, sisterly bonding (and shopping!), with a little bit of ALIAS episodes thrown in. What more could I ask for?
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