Pinay Mom on Motherhood, Etc.

Dinnertime on weekdays and mealtimes on weekends are special because we get to site together as a family.  Weekday dinners sometimes find us having the Lolas and Angel eat ahead of Alan and myself when running late, so it’s always special when we get to sit through a meal as a family.

This weekend was special because we ate all meals with the Lolas.  It meant double the cooking and practically spending the day in the kitchen, but it was well worth it.

It was most touching when Angel offered his Lolas the bowl of rice after he had gotten his first serving, something he repeated when one Lola was busy getting the viand and the other was getting from the bowl.  It was a voluntary and conscious effort on his part, in deference to our prodding and imbibing in him the importance of sharing. 

Little things like this, we hope, will take him through life as an adult.  We take the everyday things forgranted and sometimes get so wrapped up in making sure about the ABCs and the 123s.  These are learned in time, but good manners and the proper values are things that we must begin to ingrain in our kids early on.  Already, our efforts are bearing fruit.  These are truly precious memories of simple dinners with the family.

Although 2007 just arrived, Alan and I have been planning our vacations for 2007.  I ventured to check if THE DAY WITH THOMAS THE TANK ENGINE schedule is already available and I discovered it was.  Believe it or not, the schedules are up and they’re starting to sell tickets to some of the events up to as late as May.

While it’s hitting New York twice during the year, I discovered that both locations were too far from NYC for us to even consider.  It looks like we will go when it hits either Waterbury (CT) or Strasburg (PA) instead, because both New York locations would mean driving from 4-6 hours (!)..

We’re re-evaluating getting a season pass to Sesame Place this year because we want to bring Angel to Disneyworld instead — particularly Magic Kingdom.  And since we are planning to take Angel with us next time we go to France together, Alan and I are planning our next trip to Manila with all this in mind.

We only have so many days to spare, not to mention we have the budget to consider.  But 2007 is here and it pays to plan ahead. 

Eversince Angel started communicating with us, he and his Lola Aida (my Mom) have always had this special dialogue whereby they make faces at each other as if on cue, and then they both break out into a half-giggle after each exchange.  This is the latest one — like an “Erap glare”, then he smiles from ear to ear with his eyes half closed.

Such special magic between the Lola and apo.. priceless..

An early spring?  We hit the 70s today which is rare for a winter’s day.  We’re not complaining.  I took Angel for an hour’s visit to MoMA today.  Here he is with his favorite attraction this visit:  the Maserati on display.  I had to physically restrain him from jumping onto the platform to touch the “nice car”.  He was just completely overwhelmed by the sight of this life-size toy.

I enjoy these excursions into the museum with him, specially when it’s just him and me.  Our first visit here was when I took him a week before his first birthday to introduce him to the concept of huge groups of people.  It was a small party that we had planned but two-thirds of them were strangers to him.  He took to the crowds well, and I know we both delighted in the colors and shapes we saw.

The second time we were here, we had the grandmas with us.  This time, it’s him and me only again.  We plan to do this regularly.  It’s like getting to know your star museum attraction inside out, although with its huge collection, that’s never really going to be possible with a star like MoMA.

Angel’s enunciation has improved a lot.. he can now say “Mommy” and “Daddy” very clearly.  “Whoa,” his version of Lola has now been converted to “grandma” and now an almost-audible “Lola”.  He can’t talk in complete sentences except to mimic his Lola Aida say “Tama na, dami na kanin..” to say “tama na, madami ka ng nakain.”  He can enunciate individual words clearly but misses the words in between to make complete sentences.  It’s such a wonder to hear him trying to make conversation. 

Just a few weeks ago, he couldn’t even say “Water”.  He would say “kawa”.  Now he can ask for most of his food by name — he can even tell us when he’s happy or sleepy. 

My little man is now 2 years and 7 months.  It’s such a thrill to see him growing into a big boy right in front of my eyes.