Pippi Longstockings

(Photo: Pippi for a day)

Kahapon, birthday nung bunso ko. She turned three.

Isabela is, at this time, so crazy over Pippi Longstocking (a character of a little girl with fiery red hair worn in braids that are so tightly wound that they stick out sideways from her head).

I crammed to create a Pippi Longstocking birthday party for her. I browsed in the net and printed dozens of Pippi photos. I tacked them around the house. I piled them up as flags. I tied them in balloons.

Then I baked brownies which I turned into a Pippi cake by adding worm gummi candies for the braids and the mouth and the eyebrows. And pinched egg chocos for the eyes. She's happy with it. Though she and her sister almost ate up the dough before I rescued the cake by putting it in the oven. Kahit na di pa dapat!

And then on her birthday, she run around wearing a Pippi costume complete with a wig and freckles. We had to shop a bit in the morning. So most of the people who saw her just had to take a second look. She was a hit! Most people smiled. Others cant help but exclaim, 'how sweet.' The elderly just had to talk to her. Other moms pointed her out to their kids. The kids just stared and stared. And we just let her enjoy it.

She lived her dream. To be a Pippi Lam (she still cant pronounce Langstrumpf (German version of Longstocking) on her birthday.

Happy Mother's Day

On photo: these are the two surprises given to me by my kids, done in kindergarten.











A Mother's Day Poem

dear mom,

i know for sure, that i love you
and not only because it's mother's day.

everyday i realize
that i am so happy
simply being with you

i feel how much you love me
for accepting me as i am
and for that i am blessed!

p.s. i translated this poem from german, which was included in my mother's day surprise done in the kindergarten by my two kids. i hope you enjoyed it too!!

Magic Wish

Last Thursday, nabulabog ang masayang kwentuhan naming mga nanay at mga kiddies sa kalye nang may tumigil na police cars. Yes, police cars! Akala ko may itatanong lang, ayun na nga, may tinanong nga.

At may kasamang picture pa. They were looking for a little boy, 5 1/2 years old. When they stopped to ask us, it was around 5 pm. And the little boy's been lost since 13:45 -- As I was with another mom, our reaction was a hope that the little boy just cant find his way home or that he just got busy playing and he forgot the time.

Hoping, hoping, hoping. Na sana walang masamang nangyari. Kasi ayaw din naming isipin -- especially at this time, feeling summer na dito. Most kids would all be out -- riding their bikes, rolling with their in line skates, bumping with their rollers, jumping with their skateboards all over town. Or even just staying in the garden or spending time sa playground. We dont want to think that there would also be danger lurking around. Nope, we wouldnt want to think about the possibility at all.

Anyway, our kids got curious and asked about it. So we had to explain. They also added their theories - baka nga daw the little boy simply cant find home. Maybe he is with a friend or he fell asleep somewhere. And of course, when it is dark, he would be afraid. Then he would be hungry, and thirsty. We just have to nod our heads because they are simply stating facts.

And then Michaela said, 'Mama, I wish I could really do magic then it would be easier to find the little boy. Then he would not be afraid anymore.'

And I told her, 'Oh , how I wish that, too. But caring and praying for him would also be magic.'

'Ok mami, then let's pray for him before going to bed.'

P.S. One week after, we still have no idea about what happened to the little boy.

P.S. After more than two weeks, I finally cornered a mom who told me that the boy being missing was not even mentioned in the kindergarten. Just because those things are not good 'talks', huh!! But am glad to know he is back home.

Fantasy Friends

Rulamuna for Michaela. Cindy for Isabela, and now she's got Pippi Lam. These are the names of my kids' fantasy friends.

Michaela introduced Rulamuna to us when she was two years old. As she was an only child until Isabela arrived middle of 2004, we were used to her playing and talking to herself. Until one day, she simply said, Rulamuna sits there.

I asked her to repeat it, as Rulamuna is not a common name. She said her friend, Rulamuna, is sitting with us for dinner. We went along. As with fantasy friends, Rulamuna gets blamed for almost everything that went amiss or something done that we dont really approve of. But Rulamuna was also taken and driven everywhere, gets to eat with us most of the time, and of course, she gets to play with Michaela day and night. Nope, Rulamuna isnt allowed to stay and sleep in, simply because, Michaela is also not yet allowed to do the same.

She continued playing with Rulamuna, even though she joined kindergarten when she was three years old. Having playmates didnt lessen Rulamuna's visits. Sometimes, when she tells her playmates that Rulamuna is there, they just ignore her. Or sometimes, they tell her that she is not true. But Michaela doesnt care. For her, Rulamuna exists. She even knows where she lives. She sees the car and the mom and dad of Rulamuna all over.

When Isabela, her younger sister learned to speak when she was a year old, she got to meet Rulamuna. They both got to play with her. But the problem is, Isabela wants to play alone with Rulamuna, too. There were fights and tears. If Rulamuna is real, her arms would have been bruised and scratched for the pulls given by the kids.

Then Michaela had an inspiration to give Isabela another fantasy friend. She called her Cindy. Cindy joined them when Isabela was two years old. And now they have Rulamuna for Michaela, and Cindy for Isabela. When they both play, you get to hear both names repeatedly mentioned. But they also have Lisa, Lila, Vivi, etc. - many other colorful names that I sometimes cant say or spell.

Isabela was introduced to the character Pippi Longstocking this February. And is since then so obsessed with her, that you cant hardly hear Cindy being mentioned anymore. As for Rulamuna, when her Papa asks her about her fantasy friend, Michaela just kept on saying that she's still on vacation.

These fantasy friends are so real for them. But, until when?

Ang Pikon, Talo

Ah basta, ang pikon talo. Pero minsan, wala akong paki-alam. Lalo pa kung sa mga anak ko ang pag-uusapan.

Eto na nga ako. A mom trying to catch up with the dramatics of two small girls. Nakikipagbunuan between being just protective and being overly protective, tapos sasabayan pa, hmmp.

Ang tukoy ko e eto. Si Michaela, ang aking 5 years old. Masyadong selosa yan. Kahit na ngayon, medyo nakakapit pa rin yan sa saya ko. As if naman nag sasaya pa ako ano. E alam nyo na ibig sabihin ko.

Minsang hinatid ko sya sa isang kalaro nya. Medyo yata di maganda ang hangin. Lalo pa at dalawang malalaking, dambuhalang mga aso ang biglang nag hello sa kanya. Super ingay talaga ng kahol nila. E dahil late na kami (ihahatid ko naman si Isabela, 2 1/2) sa kanyang gymnastics; di ko na masyadong napansin. Basta say bye bye, a big hug, a small kiss and then run away na kami. E kasi nga, late na ano.

Akala ko okay na. Di ko sya sinundo kasi usapan at 5:30 pm, that was around 3 pm. Yun pala naman, ang kawawa kong anak, super nag iiyak. Hagulgol daw na akala mo eh ano nang nangyari sa kanya. Mga 30 minutes daw bago napatigil at nagpupumilit na umuwi. Kumbaga, naghalong takot sa mga lintek na aso at takot na baka di ko sya sunduin.

Ayun, na trauma ang anak ko. Kung dati na hilig nyang mangapit bahay, ngayon ayaw na. Dapat yung mga kalaro nya, sa kanya na pumunta. Di ko na realize to what extreme, until after two birthday celebrations. As in ayaw nyang pumunta. At kung pumunta man, di sya mag stay alone. As in either we stay with here or we all go home together. Kung dati e all out sya sa lakwatsa, ngayon naman, you need to push her out. Na minsan, kakapikon na rin kasi di mo nga maintindihan kung bakit naging ganon.

Pag tinanong mo naman, ang sagot, 'basta, I just want to stay with you, mama.' Buti sana kung ganon lang kadali para sa ating mga nanay yong sagot na yon ano.

Medyo may konting nerbiyos na sa aming mag asawa. Anong dapat gawin? Anong nangyari? Saan, saan, ako nagkamali?? Na umabot na pati sa kindergarten, ayaw na rin magpa-iwan. Kung dati e pinapalayas ako agad, ngayon naman, kapit tuko.

Di ko naman pwedeng parating bitbitin pauwi kasi sabi nga, dapat nating ipakita na alam natin kung ano ang tama para sa mga anak natin. Never give up. Aba, sempre, ako ganon din. Kahit na nagdurugo ang puso ko kapag everytime na iiwan ko sya. Kahit rinig kong nag iiiyak sya. Pero kasi naman, kapag di na nya ako nakikita, okay na ulit sya. Sempre alam ko yon dahil yung kindergarten tinatawagan ako to let me know that she's calmed down.

So teka, ayan na ang ang drama ng buhay namin for almost two months. And then last month, birthday nung kapitbahay namin na fave nya ring kalaro. So sabi ko, punta dapat sya. Kundi, baka di na sya imbitahin pa ng mga ibang kalaro nya. Dahil nga ayaw nyang ma iwan mag isa at iyak lang parati ang bitbit nya. At sabay pang, sabi na, papano na kapag ikaw may birthday? Tama man o hindi, ganon ang lumabas sa bibig ko kasi nga desperate na ako e.

Talagang almost one week ko syang tinutukan. To prepare her emotionally dun sa birthday party. Handa na yung gift na binili nya. Ready na yung costume nya. Pati extra props, gumawa pa kami. So, birthday na. Hinatid sya ng papa and ni Isabela. They stayed a bit kasi nga may konting alburoto pa rin. Pero at least, she stayed.

As in, royal celebration talaga. May nabunot na tinik! Ayan, tuloy, nasipag akong maglinis ng bahay. Pero ibang istorya naman yon.

At pati sa kindergarten, dahan dahan e nagiging balik na rin sa dati ang aking anak. Optimistic na rin sya at happy na rin kapag hinahatid namin sya. Di na sya clinging vine.

Kaya naman lintek lang ang walang ganti. Nung isang araw na narinig kong yung katapat ng bahay namin, na kaibigan nya. Aba, e nag celebrate ng birthday, ng di man lang sya invited!!! GRRRR.

Kayong mga nanay, na experience nyo na ba yan?

Sa akin, okay lang na di sya invited. Pero alam naman halos lahat ng mga nanay sa kindergarten kung gaano ka sensitive si Michaela ko. Tapos ngayong she's almost back in her feet, biglang ganyan? I simmered and boiled talaga. Since both kids are also in the garten, they can hear the party going on.

Sabi ko sa sarili ko, meron revenge of the nerds. So I stayed with the kids in the garden and played with them until their laughter could be heard over the party. I just have to show them that we can also have a good time while plotting my revenge. Inis. Inis. Inis talaga.

Pero sa totoo lang, I dont really know what I would do. Esp. kapag napansin ni Michaela that they are having a party with all of her friends there tapos di sya invited. Pero anyway, I kept on calling Michaela's name while playing with her so that they would know that my Michaela exists. As in, GRRR ulit.

Ayan na nga, biglang nagtanong si Michaela. 'Mama, ____ (name of the girl) have some friends with her.' Well, sagot ko naman sa kanya: 'It is okay. You have your sister with you and we are having a good time, too.'

Mabuti na lang di nya nakita yung balloons and the kids. Kundi sasabog ulit ang Pinatubo but this time ang ashfall concentrated sa Alemanya.

Ayan, pag uwi ng Papa nya sinabi ko agad. How I hated it that they didnt invite Michaela to the party. At least he joined my irritated mood. He answered, 'then dont invite the girl to Michaela's party, too.'

Simple. As if yun na ang solution. Pero at least nahawa sya sa inis ko ano. Kasi if he took it slightly, sya ang magiging punching bag ko talaga. Hanap talaga ako ng away.

Medyo nag cool down na ako after dinner. I asked Michaela then: 'Would you go to ___ (girl's name) if she invited you to her birthday party?' And she answered as I know she would, 'No Mama. I dont want to go there because she's got a big dog.'

Ayan. It just confirmed my suspicion. They could have pre-empted Michaela rejecting the invite because they know she don't like the dog. But they could at least give her the option to say yes or no, right? Kasi kung ako ang nanay nung bata, I would definitely would want to still give the invite despite knowing about these things. It is a kid's prerogative to say yes or no.

Tama ba ako? Kung mali ako, wala akong paki-alam. Wala silang karapatan. Basta ang sa akin, I am protecting my child's self confidence.

My girls are loved. Protected. Kahit na minsan, admittedly, talo ako. Dahil napikon nga!

Ang Tabo

(Photo: I am ready, Mama.)

First day ni Isabela sa kindergarten kahapon.

Super excited sya. Actually, halos buong pamilya excited. Si Ate nya excited na di maintindihan. Si Papa nya excited na lubos lubos. Si ako naman, yipee excited kasi biglang alone at once ako sa bahay.

Ayan na. Gising ng maaga. Run to the toilet. Had breakfast. Brush the teeth. Cleaned up. Dressed up. Plus, hair do pa. Nung paalis na kami. Biglang di mapakali ang Isabela.

'Mama, I must go poop.' As usual, kapag tapos na at ready na ang lahat, hay... So I told her to run to the toilet and do her thing.

But she was back in a second saying, 'Mama, I can go poop in the kindergarten. They also have toilets there.'

And I said to her, 'ok, then we must go.'

Pero teka, di pa sya tapos. 'Oh but mom, don't forget to bring a tabo for me. Because I am sure they don't have one in the kindergarten'.

Ganun, tabo in kindergarten? Mwahahaha!!! Am sure ma shock sangkatauhan sa magic na nagagawa ng tabo na yan. At sempre, biglang labas din ang secret ng aming pamilya.

Although I am really thinking, should I bring one? It wouldn't hurt to have a big laugh. And maybe, start a new toilet tradition. A vote, anyone?