Christopher's Punchlines During His Kinder Years

This is an old one which I wrote back in August 2006.

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He is indeed enjoying his kinder year.

These were all shared by some mom's in school who knows my son:

Punch Line #1

His Kuya Geosef (cousin in Year 1) was crying during their assembly one
morning and he told my son why (pinaiyak siya ng classmate niyang si
Dustin).
Kaya ang banat ni Christopher ay:

Where is he?! Show him to me, where is he? show me, show meeeeeeee!
(pa-tapang effect pa). Don't worry kuya, I am here.

Punch Line #2

His Kuya Goesef was crying again, as usual, pina-iyak nanaman ni Dustin.
Eto pa ang banat ni Christopher:

(Going to Dustin and told him) What's your problem huh?!

Punch Line #3

While playing at school one lunch time, his classmate kicked and punched
him (not very strong just a playful punch).

Binanatan ulit ni Christopher ng salita:

Hey Matthew, in my game, no punching and kicking and if you will not listen
to me then don't play with me. I have other friends to play with (sabay
alis).

Punch Line #4

One Friday, the kindergarten had a Liturgy at the church and some parents
attended as well to watch their children sang and participated in the
Liturgy. Some parents brought their cameras and videos to shoot their
child's performances. After the Ligurgy, the children supposed to form in
1 line for each section in order to return to their classrooms, but the
children ran to their parents to greet them so their teachers were
calling the students to get back in their line. My son acted like as if he
is the second in command in his class or the "Kanang Kamay ng kanyang
Teacher". After the teachers had called the students, eto namang anak ko
ay parang echo ng teachers:

'C'mon classmates, get back in line. Follow me and get behind me, c'mon
Lachlan, Matthew, Damon, James, Carmina, etc..... ' (ma-PR talaga!)

Well, kanino nagmana ang anak ko? Definitely hindi sa akin.

A Big Step For A Mother Freak

The children had moved to their own bedroom...maybe it is a good age where they can have their own room. They are so excited because they feel more freedom to do things they want to do and having a sanctuary of their own.

When they moved, I felt a bit of sadness as if they are moving to their own home. I felt that suddenly they have grown up from toddlers to 'kids'. They will have more freedom of choice and what to do in their own room. Their bedroom is only a few steps away from ours but it feels like miles and miles away from our home. I felt like it is a big step for me and my children. Geez! I am over reacting too much! I should not be like this and let my children grow, let my children discover life and let my children have a bit of freedom for one day, they will lead their own lives and I should let them go.

I am a mother who freaks. Yes, call me strange and tell me I am frightened. Mothers are so protective, love to hold their young, want to put her children under her wings and protect them, and never gets satisfied that their children are doing well on their own. I fear for their moving
on so fast but I should let them be.

Everytime I watch them at night while tucked in their beds, I see peace and hapiness in them. Their feeling of happiness for the family; great dad and very cool mom. Yes, I am very proud of my children no matter what they will be. However, on the other hand, but and on the contrary, seeing them grow each day, apart from my hapinees and pride, I feel deep sadness. Yes,
I am freaking out.

Moving to their own bedroom is just one step and each day that will come, is a step they will make to their bigger world and deeper meaning of life...going further and further away from me.

I will always walk with them wherever they go and I will always be here waiting for them.

The Price of Children

The government recently calculated the cost of raising a child from birth to 18 and came up with $160,140 for a middle income family.

Talk about sticker shock! That doesn't even touch college tuition. This is if it is done correctly with the basics provided and a nice clean place to live, food on the table three times a day, and nice clean beds to sleep in.

But $160,140 isn't so bad if you break it down. It translates into:

* $8,896.66 a year per child,

* $741.38 a month, or

* $171.08 a week.

* That's a mere $24.24 a day!

* Just over a dollar an hour.

Still, you might think the best financial advice is don't have children if you want to be "rich."
Actually, it is just the opposite. What do you get for your $160,140?

* Naming rights. First, middle, and last!

* Glimpses of God every day.

* Giggles under the covers every night.

* More love than your heart can hold.

* Butterfly kisses and Velcro hugs.

* Endless wonder over rocks, ants, clouds, and warm cookies.

* A hand to hold, usually covered with jelly or chocolate.

* A partner for blowing bubbles, flying kites and walking on stilts

* Someone to laugh yourself silly with, no matter what the boss said or how your stocks performed that day.

For $160,140, you never have to grow up. You get to:

* finger-paint,

* carve pumpkins,

* play hide-and-seek,

* catch lightning bugs, and

* never stop believing in Santa Claus.

You have an excuse to:

* keep reading the Adventures of Piglet and Pooh,

* watching Saturday morning cartoons,

* going to Disney movies, and

* wishing on stars.

* You get to frame rainbows, hearts, and flowers under refrigerator magnets and collect spray painted noodle wreaths for Christmas, hand prints set inclay for Mother's Day, and cards with backward letters for Father's Day.

For $160,140, there is no greater bang for your buck.

You get to be a hero just for:

* retrieving a Frisbee off the garage roof,

* taking the training wheels off a bike,

* removing a splinter,

* filling a wading pool,

* coaxing a wad of gum out of bangs, and coaching a baseball team that never wins but always gets treated to ice cream or pizza regardless.

You get a front row seat to history, to witness the:

* first step,

* first word,

* first bra,

* first date, and

* first time behind the wheel.

You get to be immortal.

You get another branch added to your family tree, and if you're lucky, a long list of limbs in your obituary called grandchildren and great grandchildren. You get an education in psychology, nursing, criminal justice, communications, and human sexuality that no college can match.

In the eyes of a child, you rank right up there under God. You have all the power to heal a boo-boo, scare away the monsters under the bed, patch a broken heart, police a slumber party, ground them forever, and love them without limits. So, one day they will, like you, love without counting the cost. That is quite a deal for the price!

A Friend I Will Always Remember

Although a friend of mine passed away thirteen years ago and she was only 23 years old, I try not to forget to greet her happy birthday on every 9th of Dec. We may not be best friends but she was my very good friend. We had shared many friendship acts and been supporting each other during those teenage mishaps. I used to pass by her house when I had the chance to leave early at Maryknoll College in Friday afternoons and caught up with her and her mom. Although I have migrated here 19 years ago, I have never forgotten a good friend of mine.

It is still very sad for me knowing that you had left us; even so much bitter for me that we never had the chance to say good bye to each other. At least, I always remember you as a young, healthy and very outgoing person who was always care free yet had so many plans in your life.

Happy 37th Birthday dear Sharon and you are always being remembered as a beautiful and true friend.

Trainspotting

I take the train to work and home for the last sixteen years. How good is that! I get to know people who come and go and people I grow old with. There are some who were once singles and now they are married.. and even some have kids too!

Every morning I take the same train, same time and same carraige. Noel and I even have competitors in finding and taking the best available spot. After all these years, I realized my co-commuters in the train have their specific seat and of which time. It is called " their special spot". Most of the faces in train I am now very familiar with for I always see them
almost every weekdays. If I happen not to see someone for a while, I sometimes wonder how is that person?

Noel and I got to know as well, a certain man wears a Drizabone jacket (camel colour) every winter, another man has passion in motor racing as every morning he plays his recorded dvd watching the motor race in his computer, an a young man and a lady gets off at Riverwood station, and a lady reads a particular book every morning. So everytime I get inside "my train", I always try to spot first the people I often see at their special spots in the train. And every morning, Noel and I still compete to the same couples in finding the best spot leftovers.

On the way home, on the other hand, is always a mix bag of people. I am too tired to look at each passengers and put a mark on them...I am very tired and more interested to have a nap and don't care which and who's spot I am taking.

Trick or Treat

Since trick or treat is not a "big thing" in Australia, not a lot of kids go around house to house and knock on the door for treats. Here's what happened yesterday...

When my son, Christopher, came home at around 3:15 pm from school, he keenly put all the chocolates in a tin can anticipating that there will be kids knocking on our door for trick or treats. He wanted to be the one giving away the chocolates so he placed himself (sat down) at the sofa next to the door and waited for the trickers and the treaters. He waited and waited and waited....'.till he fell asleep. Not even one kid knocked at our door yesterday and last night and on the way home, I never seen someone and not even one child was out and about doing the trick or treat.

When my son woke up few hours later and realized it was night time already, he felt that he missed the trickers and treaters so he ran to me and cried. I felt his disappointment as he prepared himself for this event so I went to the door, knocked and said to him, "trick or treat!". I finally saw a beautiful smile back on his face and gave me the two smallest chocolates. Ay! Kakuripot palang magbigay ng chocolate itong anak ko!

Please Don't Grow Old For Me

One night, while watching a movie at home just to pass some time, my son jumped on my lap and said something to me with a very serious face and pleading tone: "Mommy, don't grow old for me." The moment I heard it, I did not exactly know how I felt. The feeling of happiness, sadness and wonder suddenly spun around me like a whirlwind!

I was happy to learn that he wanted me so much to take the journey of life on earth with him and sadness felt knowing that it will not be forever. I could feel the love of a son to his mother and how much this child looks up to his mom. I know that he feels more secure whenever I am around and I am a "very cool" mom. He loves my cooking, adores the art of sandwiches I make for him everyday and he enjoys the way I prepare his milo drink every morning (he likes to watch the milo bits slowly melt in his hot milk, then I stir it fast). He thinks that I know everything and sees everything, I have the answers for many things, I know many songs to sing (in fact, we always compete in singing inside the car), I have many reasons for him to believe me, I can do magic and I have the power to expel the "bad man" (or the big bad wolf) whenever he listens and follows the rules. He loves the "tickle me" games, reading the books with him, showing him how great I can colour the pictures, and have so many conversations with him. Yes, I am a very cool mom.

It makes me wonder, maybe he doesn't want me to get old because he knows that old people do get frail and sick and he has to look after us when Noel and I are old. Maybe because he thinks that looking after old people is very difficult, becoming frustrating and less things to enjoy with. Maybe he thinks that looking after old people requires plenty of understanding, patience and time. Maybe he doesn't want the fun to end , as for him while he is still a child, fun is doing things together and exploring new things together. Maybe he thinks because when I am old, I will have bad hearing and will not hear him. Maybe he thinks, when I am old, I won't be a cool mum anymore. I guess he is quite scared for the time will come that I will be old and frail. It breaks my heart but this will come in due time.

So, I aksed him with almost teary eyes of why he doesn't want me to grow old for him. He quickly answered, "Because I don't want you to have wrinkly skin like Mama (his lola)".

Ah okay, forget what I had written before, held back all the emotions I had few seconds ago and those teary eyes effect. Let me check out the Avon catalogue and invest some of my money on those beauty, anti-ageing and anti-wrikle creams.

What I had dreamed last night - by Isabella

One Monday morning while Isabella was having her breakfast she said
something to me that seems to be very important for her.

Isabella: Mommy, I had a dream last night.
Me: What was your dream all about?
Isabella: I dreamed about my whole life.

Gosh, "I dreamed about my whole life" sounds very serious to me.

Me: What was your dream about your whole life?
Isabella: (Paused for a while and was thinking hard....) LOTS!

Whew! So good to know that she has LOTS of plans, LOTS of adventures to come, LOTS of things to be busy with, LOTS and LOTS of things will happen to her. 'LOTS' sounds good to me.

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Evolution of Christopher's Lunch Bag

I am writing again about Christopher and this time is his lunch bag as he changed his lunch bag four times in the last three terms.

1st Term: 1 Lunch box with three compartents ( 1 for the small drink bottle) - the clip on the cover snapped

2nd Term: 1Decor Lunch box with a divider at the top for sandwich including a small bottle - the cover broke again

3rd Term: 1 Lunch bag with a lunch box and bottle compartment (includes the bottle). He wanted this so he will carry only 1 bag rather than carrying his lunch box and his bottle

Mid 3rd Term: His lunch box was replaced by tupperware sandwich box and the rest of his foods are in the same lunch bag

4th Term: I hope his current lunch bag and sandwich bag will last this whole term!

I did not realise that his lunch box to lunch bag will evolve that quick.