Almost eight years after

 Imagine.

I have not written in this blog for eight years.

I still had two kids then. 

Now I have three. 

The youngest almost turning six. 

I'm bad with keeping to a blog. Seriously. 

Alab's glossary

Life has been happening so I haven't really had much down time to just chronicle much of my or the kids' life nuggets.

Sigh.

Oh well. Here's a go.

Alab is now 17.5 months. His first word was at 11 months, which was "tak" referring to "clock." Interesting that Alon's first was "lat" for "light."

In the course of a half year, he's picked up quite a few words. His pedia, during our 15th month check-up, said he was advanced with speaking.

His first batch of words included "tah" (star), "tata" (tatay or nanay[!]) and "papis" (dog or any four-legged animal).

Now, his vocabulary has just grown!
Nanay = me!
Tatay = tatay or kuya Alon (!)
Pis = please
Caht = cat
Buh = ball, balloon
Muh = moon
Te = ate
Cah = car
Bats = bus
Bee-bee = jeep (the horn of the jeep goes beep-beep-beep, just to explain)
Oto = motor
Eypen = airplane
Buh (with flapping motion) = bird
Taki = taxi
Oos = shoes or slippers
Up = carry
Baba = go down or put me down
Pis = nappies
Puhpuh = i'm pooping
Bas = labas
Nana = banana
Apo = apple

I know I'm missing some words, nonetheless, I'm quite happy that he's as daldal as kuya. And boy, do these two chatter when they talk and play.

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Christmas traditions

Last night I was thinking how much my Christmas tradition has changed since I had a family of my own. I was a little wistful. I did enjoy getting ready for Misa de Gallo then going home waiting for 12:00 to greet every one Merry Christmas and the opening of gifts begin.

The past Christmases, we had to have the Noche Buena and opening of gifts earlier in consideration of the sleeping time of the kids.

As I cleaned up the torn gift-wrappers, I was missing that old tradition. But then I flashed back a little and recalled Alon's excitement of opening every gift.

"Awwww! Nice. I like it." He hasn't really given it much look.

"Ay, so sweet!" to every time I tell him who gave the gift.

"Ako na mag-open. Kaya ko na kasi malaki na ako." This is when we offer help.

I realized, this is my tradition now... to enjoy the look of anticipation on the faces of my sons. While they are still young, I will have to relish that unconditional joy from just opening gifts, of seeing their pile grow. 

When we were settling for bed, I asked him if he was happy, He said he was. I gave him a little reminder that it was the birth of Christ and that people gave gifts to each other to show their love and to honor Jesus. He was scratching his eyes, nodding his head. I don't think he absorbed what I was trying to say. 

I doesn't matter though. There is always every day to remind him.

Merry Christmas folks! May we all rejoice in the joy of the season.

Not SW7 spoilers

I am fascinated by how noble the people on my FB feed have been with regard to Star Wars: The Force Awakens.

1) I have quite a few honest-to-goodness eager fans who watched during the first two days of showing.
2) They have shared their excitement but have kept mum on the movie itself. Which just validates their honest-to-goodness fan-ness because they know how awful it would have been to be deprived the experience of going through the SW journey again after more than 30 years. (Obviously, I'm counting from the original series and not the prequels. I'm still baffled by its existence.)

With that, I'd like to note down my thoughts on the movie. No spoilers.

1. "A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away...." appears on the screen. I wanted to cheer and clap and wolf whistle (if I could) and whoop. But the theater crowd was the prim and proper sort so I had to content myself by squeezing Jan's biceps to express my giddiness instead.

2. "Episode VII" and the rest of the text scrolls up the screen. Goosebumps! A little bubble of childish joy was welling up in my chest. I'd have whooped and cheered but...

3. It's the sphero-droid!

4. Aha! Sense of humor in the lines. I'm going to like this.

5. BB8 is so cute! How can a series of beeps sound so adorable! He's the ball version of Wall-E!

6. Brienne of Tarth! Yeaaaaah.

7. OMG. International Humanitarian Law violations! But would it apply to another planet? Shall we call it Intergalactic Humanoid Law violations? Why so much violence in the galaxy? Oh wait. The movie's title is Star Wars. But even wars have limits, noh. Sigh.

8. This Storm Trooper angle is a welcome one.

9. The girl is cute and likeable. She's not so graceful which makes her more bad-ass! Bad-ass.

10. BB8!!! Does BB mean BingBong? Cuuuute! Like my son, I now want one.

11. Is that THE ship? It's the ship! Pew, pew, pew, pew!!!

12. Waaaaait! It's that guy from "About Time." Oh dear, I can't take him seriously anymore.

13. Ah. "The I'm bringing bad news to a Sith Lord, I will most likely die" face. Still there. Awesome.

14. Matt Parkman is in the movie!? Matt Parkman is in the movie?!

15. Did that just happen? Noooooooo!

16. Original cast appearing one by one. I want to whoop and cheer and clap but... Han, Chewy, Leia, etc. Aaaaaaaaaaaah!!!

17. I still can't get over Matt Parkman and the Gleeson guy. They're in effin' SW.

18. Andy Serkis is in the movie too! Whu-whut!

19. That thing that happened really happened, noh? Shite.

20. Jan's biceps must be really sore from all the pinching.

21. I need to remember to breathe. I held it too many times since we watched.

22. The Storm Troopers must have had a LOT of gun training. Their aim has improved. Dramatically.

22. Hmmmmm. More theories, which will remain theories until the next movie.

And a few more which can spoil it. So hah! What an exhilarating ride for those who loved the original series. I did not leave like I did during the prequels ("what the hell was that about?! why ruin it!). I left with theories and questions and anticipation.

You go, JJ Abrams!

Alon takes my photo!

Ta-daaaaa!

It's a fluke. The rest were blurs. :)

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Godzilla

Alon has developed quite a fascination with Godzilla.

These past few days, he has been requesting to watch Godzilla videos. His favorite is video of stills of Godzilla over the year. Another is just his various roars. (find his attention span fascinating when he is truly interested in a particular thing.)

When Alon was a year and half, his cousin Eo generously gave an old Godzilla toy he no longer played with. He has renewed fancy with the toy at three years and four months.

One day, I arrived home finding Godzilla with double-sided tape plastered over him. Apparently, he got hurt so Alon put band-aid on him.

The photo above also has a corresponding story, as told by Alon.

"Ito si Tatay Godzilla, Ito si Alab Godzilla. Si Alon Godzilla, nasa day care."

I asked him, "asan si Nanay Godzilla?"

"Nasa office."

It seems Nanaz Godzilla is a working mom like myself. :)

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First gift for 2015

I asked Jan for an iPad mini keyboard for Christmas. Somewhat inspired from having bought him a bluetooth headphones he wanted. I figured I might as well get a gadget for myself too. 

Today, we received the delivery from Lazada.com. (Wheeeee!)

Right now, I am trying it out.

I am kinda hoping this will allow me opportunity to write more. I do so miss writing. I haven't really given it much time and effort since motherhood and Facebook. Hehe! I find it tedious to boot up the laptop. I've had so many journals which lay forgotten once I get to the middle of the notebook. I have become one of the unfortunate ones who developed the preference for a keyboard rather than the pen. This is probably because my penmanship is awful. 

I'm liking this keypad thing. 
I'm still getting the hang of it. I do like the fact that I still feel like writing despite not having any particular thought. I'm just rambling on through the keyboard. Exactly what I was hoping for when I asked for this. I'm quite rusty so I need a whole lot of work. I sincerely think it will take while to get the groove back. Just writing is a start. 
So, wheee! It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas!

First step

First independent step! Alab took one step forward, then another, then the third one was mostly gravity. And this was after he stood the longest unsupported. 

Next thing I know, I wouldn't know which way to run since I have to run after two wild horses. Haha!

A gift from dad

The gift tag would always say "Mommy and Daddy" but we all know who really thought about what gift to give. It was the same person who bought it and wrapped it. I think my dad found out about their present to me the same time I did.

One time, my dad brought home a rag doll with blue hair for me. I knew that it was him who chose it, it was him who bought it and that my mom had no hand in it whatsoever. And so I love that doll very much. It was special because I knew my dad took time for that gift. I really felt sad when I discovered that my mom donated it to charity without my knowledge. I would have wanted to keep it until it was hardly recognizable. However, to make myself better, I just imagined that doll making another child happy, and at least, I will always have the person who gave it to me.

In college, Daddy gave me a shirt which had an art contest winner for Coca-Cola Foundation. I loved that shirt as much as I loved that rag doll. Unlike that doll however, I still have that shirt with me. It's at least 17 years old already! That shirt was with me when I became a Jesuit Volunteer in Mindoro and Bukidnon, when I did field work for JVP and for Assisi, when I studied in Netherlands and whenever I travel for work. That shirt has been places. It was my way of having Dad around and reminding myself that he will always be there.

I probably would not be able to let go of that shirt. I'm a hoarder that way. I'd rather keep my old stuff and get rid of newer items which I have less emotional inclination for. That shirt, in particular, is too special. 

But even if I no longer have that shirt (I hope because one of the boys swiped it), Dad will always be there. A big part of me is from him. Things he taught me without knowing he has taught me. Like, even with the bad rep men have, good men are capable of loving a woman beyond what she expects, therefore there is no point to settle for less. He taught me dedication to duty. He has taught me love for family. He has taught me compassion for others. These were greater gifts none could take away but something I hope to pass on.

He was gone too soon. Physically. But his spirit has never left. I thank the Father for giving me my father.

Happy Dad's Day, Dad!

Monster Jam

Back in March, Metrodeal had a deal for Peppa Pig and Monster Jam. My instinct told me that Alon would enjoy Monster Jam more. He is obsessed with cars. The bigger the cars, the better he liked them, too. And boys will be boys, I guess. He took particular joy when the trucks would topple, burn or crash.

We didn't buy the tickets then because the event was still this June. We weren't sure with our schedule and we had to be extra watchful of our finances then.

Metrodeal relaunched the sale of the tickets at 50% off.

I asked Alon what he likes more, Peppa Pig or Monster Jam. He answered Monster Jam.

Yey! Because we already bought the tickets before I thought of asking him.

I think I'm more excited than he is! He doesn't know yet, of course. But I'm really, really, really excited. Tatay, Nanay and Ninong Roy with Alon. I'm a bit sad that Alab won't be able to go but it might be too noisy for his tender ears for now.

Alon's first live show will be bad ass! I saw on TV that his favorite monster truck, Zombie, will be coming too. He likes the wobbly hands whenever it flips.

Zombie. Photo taken from here.

I can't wait to see his excitement! :)