It's been a dream for me to write. I dreamt of writing children's books, mostly bedtime stories that a mother can read each night to her little angel. But circumstances in my life prevented me in pursuing this dream. But nevertheless, it won't hinder me from writing about my life and stories about my kids who are now listening to all my invented bed time stories. #myhappinessjustbesideme.
Time flies real fast. My kids grew and now they are older. As a matter of fact, our eldest will be 18 this month of June. And what can I say about that? Nothing.
I thought I would just go with the flow, let thing pass and accept the fact that sooner or later we will end up like the ashes where we came from. With or without doing anything with it. But then I realized that my life will just be over without any meaning.
Unlike before, I find happiness in the smallest things in my life. And now, I never really appreciate anything that happens with it. Am I really getting old? And it is not the picture that I had in my head, an old lifeless person. So this year, I promise to do a lot of things that will change me and my family. Join me once again and see what happens...
Here's a conversation between me and my son yesterday. But before that, I would like to explain that it was my day off but as we all know even if all Mom are in their days off there's still a lot to do at home. There's a lot of responsibilities to take and to make.
I was still bed but already awake, taking advantage of my first day off and taking advantage of the fact that everyone is in vacation (except for my husband and me) but nevertheless I don't need to hurry up like every school mornings. Then my son knocked and went in our room to say good morning. He's a sweet boy just like that. My son is an early riser no matter what day it is, be it a school day, a weekend or even he is in vacation. Here's the conversation.
My son: Good morning!
Me: Hi honey. Good morning! Can you please take out Maddie (the dog) and afterwards kindly feed the two (I was referring to our dog and Cookie our cat)
My son: Mom, maybe you mean the three. Ella is already awake. (His sister). No problem I'll take out Maddie for a walk and feed the three.
And he did. By the time, I got out of my bed, Maddie and Cookie are eating their food and our Ella-la-belle is already eating her cereals.
How I appreciate my son's thoughtfulness and sense of responsibility even at age of 11.
We were all sitting around the dinner table, when my son explained that the older the cheese, the better they will taste.
So using his flow of idea, I asked him that if his papa will grow older he will be better? He corrected me saying, even that his papa is not yet older he is already wiser.
Great look of love from son to a father and vice versa.
There are times when you know that you're running really, really late for your work yet you opted to stay a little bit more at home because you know that there are more important things in life other than work or your precious colleagues.
And for me, this is one of "those times."
I'm running late, yet I choose to stay just to spend breakfast with my husband and kids. Plus the fact that my husband, even though he just came home from a night shift, took the time to prepare breakfast before I leave for work. Who could resist that? Certainly, not I.
Few minutes of my time, yet most cherished. Short yet we created memories (and we collected it.)
NB: Who cares if I am late for work? Well, maybe my boss will care but today, I don' care. (Well, just for today.) And aside from breakfast, I got to spent a morning walk with my husband and our little pretty monster. How many times can a woman get lucky?
In our tradition (Philippine tradition), 7 years should be celebrated with the whole family, relative, friends and the entire neighborhood if possible. Meaning it should be extravagant.
The ages 1st, the 7th and the 18th for women or the 21st for men are mostly meticulously prepared and celebrated. With a lot of visitors, food, dancing and a variety of program.
Why do we do this? Well, we all know that the 1st birthday is an important one because it is simply a thanksgiving for the gift of life that has bestowed upon each and every child. The 18th for women or the 21st for men is to celebrate the transition from adolescence into adulthood.
So why the 7th? In the Philippines, we say that this is the age wherein the child is more accountable for their action. An age where they can differentiate the right from the wrong and an age where they are increasingly becoming independent.
And in my opinion, it is the age that we offer thanksgiving because the child already passed through the age of most health related problem and issues. Meaning we celebrate it because we are grateful that our child out healthy after 6 years of living.
But in our family, we don't usually celebrate our kid's birthday extravagantly. It is a personal choice of my husband and I. But it doesn't mean that we won't celebrate it at all. It is just that, it will be just the 5 "us," who'll be celebrating it. And we will be celebrating it in our own little way. (My parents are living in United States together with my sister and family. And we barely have relatives here in this country.)
In every birthday of any of our children, we make it in to a point that they will feel special about it even it is just us celebrating. I make it into a point that I'll be doing their cakes to the theme or flavors that they like. Happy to say that we are both lucky, my husband and I, for our kids are very simple and not hard to please. They don't ask for the sun, the moon and the stars. Not for Christmas, not for any other occasion and not even for their birthday. They are happy with what we can offer them.
She wanted to celebrate it at Disneyland and so we went. (Since I'm working at Disney, we are lucky enough to go there 15 times a year for free. One of the benefits of working at the Walt Disney Company)
I won't put all the details of the things we've done and of things we didn't, but rest assured that through out all the day, she was smiling and enjoying it.
My daughter had an exceptionally simple 7th birthday celebration yet I know it was meaningful for her because we are there to celebrate it with her. I guess, she didn't mind if we didn't have an extravagant party for I can see it in her eyes and in her beaming smile.
We started the day with her blowing her 7 candles on little cupcake monsters and we end the day with the 5 of us having dinner at home with home cooked meals prepared by her father and her blowing candles on her big birthday cake monster. (She calls it "the mama monster cake.")
Who would have thought that even in simple celebrations like this, she would find the same happiness as any other celebration?
That's what changed. My last post was on 2015 and yet here we are, 2 years afterwards in 2017. So many have changed, including the time I spent writing. It became lesser and lesser until I found myself today, wondering "why?"
6, 10 and 16 are now the ages of my kids. How time flies. And 82 is now...my actual weight.
My youngest started "dance lesson." The middle child, is improving his piano skills and the eldest is getting better with his guitar (both classical and steel strings).
So much to write about, so much to share yet not sure where to start. But I need to start somewhere.
Ahhh, I remember. Last year, we had an addition to our family that I haven't introduce to all of you. Well, let me officially introduce to you "Maddie." (Madeleine) Our dog.
She was born on the 10th of August 2016, but we had her on the 10th of November. 2 months after she was born. She was so small when we had her. An english bulldog. And now 10 months after, here she is.
There's always an option for our family. Specially when it's their birthday. I'm not sure if you've read it in my blog that we rarely (almost never) give gifts on our kid's birthday. Instead, we give them options on how or when or where they would like to spend it.
So for my daughter's 15th birthday, she wanted to watch the musical "the Cats."
A good choice. Why? Not only because she wanted to celebrate her birthday by watching this spectacular show but also because she gave an opportunity for his little brother and sister to to watch a musical play in a big theater. (It's both their first time.)
I
was excited for them actually. I've seen plays and musicals alike when I
was younger and it is quite an experience. I'm hoping that they will
feel the same as they grow up knowing they were lucky to have seen performances
like this and that.
Another good thing about this experience is that during the intermission (or what the English people call as interval), you can have your photo taken with the actor that played "Old Deuteronomy." A once in a lifetime experience indeed.
My kids were very delighted about the show. The two little ones were really enthusiastic about seeing another musical. My youngest even asked me to bought a CD because she liked the song so much that as soon as we get out of the theater, she's already singing excerpts of songs that she heard.
It's like hitting two birds with one stone. Our eldest daughter
celebrated her birthday the way she wanted to celebrate it. And our two
younger ones were able to see a musical play for the first time in their
life and they all love it. And my husband and I were both happy for all
of them.
But of course, like any other birthday, we clearly celebrate it once again as a family.
Wow! That went fast. Between my last post and today, I really haven't
been able to write anything about my kids for these past few months and
I wonder why?
Well, most of vacations for the kids
were spent at home for my husband and I need to work. But of course, we
took two weeks vacation from work so that kids will also have a time to
enjoy even if it is too short for all of us. Went for 5 days to
Estartit, Spain and afterwards went home spent the rest waiting for the
audition of my eldest. She was chosen to audition for a singing contest
here in France. (Unluckily, she didn't get in, too bad for them.)
Here are some photos of our tiny winy escapades for summer vacation this year! I'll be writing the whole experience on my other blog.
School
year 2015-2016 started too early this year, last 2 september (Tuesday),
my son is now on the CE2 which means third grade and our youngest
"Grande Section," which means last year of pre-school. Our eldest is now
on the 3ème, which means 9th grade. But her school will still starts on Thursday. Wishing everyone in France to have a great school year ahead!
She's now 14. Time for me to be nostalgic about everything. It was a "rewind" from the time she was born. How time flies! And adding to the fact that she's now 14 is the fact that she fell in love for the first time. Yup! Only at 14. Too early for my husband and I. But as I always say, who are we to stop her from making her own mistakes. For my husband and I believes that mistakes are learning experiences. And if we always say "no," to her or her siblings how will they find out what will happen next to their own decisions. So from time to time, to create balance, we say "yes," and as parents, we learn a lot in the process too.
Well, if you could just stop the time from moving and for them from growing up. If you could just hold them a little bit longer and never let them go, but we just can't.
As a parent, we can't own them. One day they will discover that they have wings and those wings can make them fly and take them places. One day, but not yet.
This year so many changes will come our way but what ever those changes are, we as parents wish that it's for their best. We can only help and guide them walk that path of righteousness. Hoping that when they journey on their own each fall that they will face, teaches them to pick up themselves each time it happens, that each tears that fall, will make them stronger, that each mistakes that they will make will make them smarter, that each experiences, bad and good, will make them into a better person.
How lucky I am for she was my first born. She grew up to be a responsible daughter. She help me a lot specially
for the times that I can't fulfill my role as a mother or as a parent,
she's there not to take my role or of his father, but just to be a sister to
her siblings. She taught me all the first as a mother: how to hold, take care and love a child, how to endure and to enjoy, taught me the importance of creating wonderful memories, taught me everything a mother should learn. I might not show it to her every single day, but I am grateful for her. And the love I have her is unimaginable and unmeasurable. She was the one who taught me how to love without expecting anything in return.
We are lucky for our kids didn't grew up materialistic. Never did they asked for a gift for their birthdays. They only receive gifts from us during Christmas. So they are allowed to celebrate their birthday in anyway that they want. And she didn't even asked a lot, just to celebrate with some friends at Disney and that's it. (Don't get me wrong, you might think Disney cause a lot, it free for me, I work there, so it wouldn't also be an extra expense at all.)
And so for her 14th birthday, I wish her a clear path towards her destiny, wishing that her talents and potentials will one day fulfill her heart's desires, wishing her lots of blessings, wishing that she will create lasting memories of joy, friendship and love, blessing her with success in whatever endeavor that she pursue and most of all wishing all the happiness in the world for even at young age she deserves it. I wish her everything! We love you! I love you infinity times infinity!
Today is the 8th birthday of my son. I always feel grateful because I have my kids around me, everyday showing their love for me. I always feel blessed because of that. But having Vance as my son, is like opening an extra ordinary gift each and every day. It is an honor having a son like him. And I won't get tired of saying it everyday for the rest of my life. Let me just explain to you how I felt today as he blew his 8 candles away.
I took a day off today because I promised my kids, that no matter what, I will never work on their birthdays. But since my husband is also working in the evening, a party for him together with his friends and classmates won't be possible. So I talked to him weeks before his birthday and explained that if he wants a party, it wouldn't be possible. He told us, he don't want that. All he asked is for a strawberry cake, made by me. I never done a strawberry cake before. And I only have one recipe that I kept on doing again and again. But since he didn't ask for anything else I said I will do it.
He didn't even ask for a birthday gift. All he asked is that we spend the day together as a family. And that, I can give him with pleasure.
In the morning I was busy preparing the cake, together with my husband. While all of our kids are in the living room watching TV. Then, we called our two daughters and surprised him with a song and his cake. How his eyes shines! You can almost see the stars in them.
We don't have any other thing on the table, just his cake. But when he saw what I created for him, with the help of his father of course, his eyes shows the excitement for his birthday. With just a simple cake, he kept on thanking me through out the whole day, saying that it was his best birthday ever as he says each year.
Realizing all of these, I said to myself, that I am the luckiest mother in the world for having an extra ordinary kid like him. He is very simple, loving and he understands the situation even at the tender age. He won't ask if he thinks it wouldn't be possible, he wouldn't push if he thinks that he'll be crossing our limits. How can you ask for anything more.
But of course, it's his birthday, so we told him that as a birthday gift, we'll be spending it with the animals at the zoo. Some kids will be disgusted about our idea of spending a birthday together with the whole family at the zoo but not my kid. I'm sure most of the kids now a days would like to spend it in a party mode together with friends. But our son, he loves the idea. Of being with me and his papa and his sisters. Nothing will complete his birthday more than this: his strawberry birthday cake made by his mother and his family.
Do you still want me to explain how lucky I am?
NB: (This is the message I wrote on my face book, I hope one day, he'll be able to read it and remember.)
You woke up this morning not remembering that today is your birthday, I greeted you, "happy birthday," and you were surprised and said, "Wow! It is my birthday, I forgot!" As you thanked me, you told me words that will remain forever in my heart. I'm writing this down here so that one day you'll be able to read this and remember. You told me that "my greetings already made your birthday complete." With those words, you made my heart complete.
You didn't ask for any gifts nor a party. Your only wish is a strawberry cake, not bought, but made by me. That and only that can already make your birthday so special. (Now, I'm wondering what's in my cake that can make you this excited. I don't even have the gift of baking. Did I put a lot of sugar? Maybe for you it is because it was made by your mother's hands). It's been 8 years and you're still exceptional. A unique, loving, responsible, grateful, happy and simple boy. Not to forget a handsome one too. Simple pleasures makes you happy. All things that life gives you, you were always thankful. Spending time and talking with me makes your eyes shine the brightest. Cloud-shape guessing, long walk, joy ride or appreciating nature and your surrounding made you, for an 8 year old boy, "the rarest.' Of course, you're still an ordinary boy who loves to play or watch TV or DVD. But for you, responsibility comes first. That made you the little man who's out of the ordinary. I always say this and will continue saying this, "I might have done something good in my past to deserve a son like you." Happy 8th birthday my Bixy, Vance!!! I love you beyond infinity times infinity.
Time flies real fast. My kids grew and now they are older. As a matter of fact, our eldest will be 18 this month of June. And what can I say about that? Nothing.
