I was away for awhile once again for I attende a five-day seminar workshop on Special Progrma in the Arts - Creative Writing in Baguio City. Our speaker, national artist and multi-awarded Mr. Vim Nadera tasked us to write a tanaga, a Filipino quatrain with seven syllables for each line and here’s the poem that I have written:
The River
I become wild to be free
I flow, I seek, I wander
Storms and floods may alter me
But great seas I will conquer.
I nudged my hubby Sunday morning and told him, it’s mothers’ day!
He smiled and went back to sleep. A few minutes later, we both rose up from the bed and since we were staying in my mother’s-in-law house, she immediately greeted me and I did too to her.
She casually asked my husband, her son why he didn’t greet her a happy mothers’ day but my husband in his comic way, just said, “What’s so special about today?”
And that is my husband, he believes that the real essence of any occasion is wasted and abused by commercialism. Christmas, Valentine’s day, mothers’ day, fathers’ day, etc are losing it real meaning because people are after of making money from these occasions.
And to stop starting an argument, I would simply refuse to discuss matter further. Anyway, when he thinks that he has succeeded on annoying me, he would find things to make up for it. But he kept his word, that is, he would never greet anyone on “Mothers’ Day” and he never really did.
While having dinner tonight, Daddy shared his experience in school today. He deemed it very interesting since they are learning about electronics and this is one topic he likes most.
As he talks, I felt that he was just mumbling words and honestly I didn’t understand a bit since I am not interested at all with these things. I pretended to be listening intently, and so since I am more interested in people, I casually asked him about his classmates who are teachers too like him.
“They are all fine,” he said and I always expect this kind of answer coming from him since he is not very particular with observing people until he mentioned something about his teacher.
Dad said that his teacher looks very young but actually she is not. Biologically speaking, the teacher is not that young but physically she looks young.
I told him maybe she got a cosmetic surgery from somewhere so she could enhance her beauty. He just shrugged and said casually maybe she just naturally looks young and pretty.
With this answer, I immediately changed the topic for it might lead us to something that would end up with an argument and so we ended up the conversation.
I love looking at my children sleeping. What amazes me more is both of them sometimes laugh in their sleep. While there are people who talks in their sleep, my kids laugh in their sleep and this tickles my ribs.
As I look at the little girl, I realize that she does look like me, but she is just the fairer version and even the prettier version as those imperfections in me become perfect in her.
The little boy on the other hand is the exact replica of his Dad, although he got my big round eyes, but he got most of his facial features from his Dad. From his hair, to his round face, his lips and most especially his well-chiseled nose. He doesn’t need any nose job or a revision rhinoplasty surgery, because he already got a perfect nose just fit for his face.
I have these feelings that when he grows up girls would probably fall down on their feet just for him. But for now, I know that I am still the only girl in his life.
“Let kids be kids.”
These words from my hubby echoed on me as I started another journey of being a plain housewife and a mother on its third day.
The little boy as usual was on his very high spirit as he woke up this morning, while the girl who was still recuperating from a fever was still sleeping. Well, she got this from me. I used to wake up very late especially on weekends and during summer vacation, but not these days, as Honey needed to wake up early.
And so I tried to be calm and not get affected by the extra ordinary energy of young kids and let them do whatever they want to do – fight, scream, mess up the house – as long as they won’t destroy the whole house that would be fine with me. As what my husband said enjoy motherhood while you still can, for someday when kids will be much older, they would prefer their friends’ company than our company, and so I let them be. Or I would end up exhausted from trying to calm them down or much worse become older as wrinkles are mostly caused by too much frowning. Now, this I won’t allow to happen to myself. Honestly, it would be too hard to maintain one’s youthfulness in the most inexpensive and natural way, that is, to avoid becoming angry always. Although there are other ways of enhancing youthfulness through surgery just like what New York City botox treatments do, but then that would probably be expensive.
Anyway, kids bring so much joy in our lives especially when you feel little arms around your neck and even the wettest kiss planted on your cheeks would surely delete all your qualms away.
It is almost eleven o’clock and my little girl is still sleeping. While the boy is ready for his midmorning nap. While I am free to do anything I want. This is of course blogging. Wow what a way to spend this day.
I woke up feeling so wet since the boy thought I am a comfort room and he had the liberty to pee all over me. He did this three times last night even if he had already visited the comfort room twice before going to bed last night. Well, this is because he drank a lot of ice tea and ate several ice pops yesterday.
Daddy left a little bit late today, but I still needed to drag myself off the bed as there were several things to prepare before he left for school. He kissed the little boy, who was always an early riser compared to his older sister, goodbye. And when I called out how about the Mommy, Dad was already outside the gate and so I just heave a deep sigh an thought that it was probably very late for Dad.
Sitting in front of the tube with a cup of coffee in hand, I heard the sound of an engine back outside the gate and Dad came back rushing. He forgot his cellphone, his watch, and most especially a kiss for me. Hoaaaaaaaaahhh.
This made me have a good way to start my day.
I wanted to stay in bed for few hours, but Honey is in a hurry for his summer schooling and so I was forced to get up from the bed to fix his breakfast and pack his lunch. The little boy cried for a bottle of milk and lucky me that the girl was still in a very deep slumber.
When Dad left, I was alone with a dirty kitchen and a little boy who kept on demanding for the use of computer and so I obliged since this was the only way that he could get out of my way as I tidied up the mess. I heard a girl’s voice trying to dictate something to her younger brother and I knew then that the whole house was already awake. I still needed to feed those hungry tummies and the kitchen was still dirty. But tummies first and then I was ready to begin my day… as a mother and as a wife, which I haven’t experienced for a long time now.
And so I let the kids play in the internet for most of the morning while I was torn between cleaning the kitchen and putting dirty clothes in the washing machine. The kitchen was immaculately clean, well, this was as far as my standard of cleaning is concern, and I was already half way my washing, this included about five blankets, two bedsheets, curtains plus clothes we worn for the past week, when the little boy announced that he wanted to take his bath. Amidst explanation on the coldness of water since it was still past eight but my son wouldn’t hear any of it. He wanted his bath right there and then.
The morning went by so swiftly and almost smoothly except for my constant scream as the kids fought over the use of the computer and as soon as I finished taking my bath, I put them to sleep in the middle of the day.
I had lunch all by myself since the kids were still sleeping. I wanted to cook something for the kids and so I prepared for a delicacy, rice cake. They both love it and I know that when they woke up they will feel that there is some kind of a feast going on in the house while they were sleeping.
We spent the whole afternoon in a battle since the kids seemed to be very happy living in a topsy-turvy place while I was dying to put everything in an apple-pie order. I was not exhausted with the household chores but was definitely pulled down by the energy of these kids.
My spirits lifted up when Dad arrived home and the dinner which I prepared just too early was a bit cold but then Dad said that it was just perfect for his hungry tummy too. And like a little child I enumerate to him all the things that I have experienced today and with an assuring smile he told me to let the kids be kids and that I on the other hand should take things so slowly. I was doing great he said.
Well, tomorrow is another day. Maybe I should consider what Honey said and enjoy the up and downs of being a mother and experience the feelings of a plain housewife.
i never really realized that I have been away for a long time in this place until today. Well, life as a mother and a teacher become too demanding for me that the only thing I could do was to check on my mails and read for awhile. Then the next moment I could already feel my eyes demanding for sleep and my body dragging me to bed.
Although, summer proves to be very productive for me as a mother as I get to have a first hand on taking care of the kids since school is out, but then I am assigned as a trainer for a seminar for teachers and that demands more of my time. I looked after the kids during Monday to Wednesday when seminar is off but during Thursdays to Saturdays I am out early from the house that kids are still sleeping when hubby brought me the venue.
But, one more training schedule and I will be free. Free to write again in this blog.
Mati is probably one of the places I love to visit here in Region XI, Philippines. Why? Going to Mati is never a bore as there are a lot of breathtaking views ones eyes could feast on. Here’s my fave site…
This is the “sleeping dinosaur,” located in Badas, Mati, Davao Oriental. A wonderful work of land formation looking like a sleeping dinosaur (thus its name) from a distance.
We are here spending our weekends in my parents in law’s house. We were supposed to come here tomorrow in time for Sunday service but Lola texted the kids telling them that a gallon of ice cream is waiting for them here.
And so when I arrived home from the market they were so excited to tell me that we have to go to Lola’s house because there was a surprise waiting for them.
The grandparents must have missed the kids so much that they thought of something that will surely lure the kids to visit them. Poor Lolo and Lola and to think that they were the only ones aside from another cousin who are just here in the city.
But we seldom visit downtown because we felt too tired to travel and sometimes weekdays are just too busy that we opted to spend weekends in bed to be recharge for the coming school days.
Anyway, I am glad that Monday is a holiday and that means having longer days to spend here.