THANK YOU CAFE BY THE RUINS

It hurts and we feel helpless as we watch all the videos and pictures of the devastating and tragic aftermath of the recent typhoon that struck the Cordilleras, our home in the Philippines. Aside from this flu, maybe thinking of my hometown, is one of the things that is not making me sleep.

I wanted to write a long entry for this but my eyes are burning and I can feel the fever taking effect. For now, I'll leave you with the videos taken by the Cafe By The Ruins, a cafe and restaurant in Baguio who had been updating us at Facebook. Our forever gratitude to their heroic help to our place in Tublay Benguet. They even reached as far as Labey, the boundry between Bokod and Tublay, by foot.

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WHEN SHE'S NOT WELL

The very last time I had a high fever was when Boogs and I are starting as married couples. That was 12 years ago to be exact. We went home to Tublay and Jenelyn, our boss, had to open her shop for the days that we were not able to tend it.

Aside from the body pain, head ache and all, the realization that its no longer my Dad taking care of me when I am sick, made me cry more that time. I'm an adult, already married and the responsibility of taking care of the "unwell me" is now given to my husband Boogie. Don't get me wrong, I was in tears because of the big change and not because I prefer my Dad from Boogs hehehe...

For three days now, I've been sick with flu and if I don't take my Advil, all my bones will scream in pain. This is the worst so far when child birthing is not included. I can't even sleep because my nose feels strangely dry when I breath and my throat hurts like I have tonsillitis when my tonsils are not really that swollen. Its like I'm always thirsty and my ears seemed to be stuffed with something. Arghhh, when I cough, I'd trade anything for a sleeping pill or pills to knock me down.

First it was Dylan 6 days ago. Then Lukie and I had it the same day. It was Boogs who took all the worries of taking care of us. Yesterday, he was suppose to sleep in the afternoon because he is working night shift. I was on bed with Dylan and my poor husband didn't have his long power nap as he keeps checking on Lukie who was sleeping in his room after taking his paracetamol.

We didn't only have a "Papa nurse" "doctoring" us, we also had a cleaning Papa dude. He cleaned the house, bathroom included hahaha... cup boards and dusted the divider that was long "abandoned"(lols). Dishes were readily washed too. The sweetest part was him shoving a cup of water to each of us specially to Dylan who drinks it in "burden", if he will not stick his whole hand into the cup and play with the water.

We hope Boogs will not catch it too but signs are showing that he will. The virus is just waiting for us to be a bit well for the next patient.

SAND ART

Such gifted hands...

ILANA YAHAV





AKO TSUBAKI





DAVID ALCALA

'SCOOOLL'

Click the previous post for this update:

1. Baby "D", The Explorer

2. THAT CHRISTMAS TREE

3. MIRROR,BOOKS AND STUFF

4. DYLAN'S SECOND SUMMER

5. ANYA UNO!

Our little Dylan had his very first day at school last Monday, 14th of September 2009. At two (2) years and nine (9) months old, he and his cousin Noemi are among the youngest to join the class of Materna(a three years preparation for elementary). Still not aware of what 'scoula' is, he was just so happy to be there. With so many kids and toys, we know he thinks its another play for him.

Slept early the night before, a fresh and enthusiastic boy he was the next day, even though he woke up 3 hours earlier than his usual time. Dylan was already in bliss when we first took Lukie to his first day in second grade. Another pretreat for our second baby - the sight of noisy and happy kids with his big brother.




While we were waiting for the gate to open, almost all his classmates were holding on to their moms. Scared of the newness of this adventure and unfamiliarity of the place. But not Dylan, he was there walking around and posing for his Papa's camera. Its not because he was a brave boy but we think he can't understand yet that 'scoooll'(as Dylan says it) will be long hours away from Mama and Papa.


We entered the building and the teacher put on his red name tag. He was a bit puzzled but when I showed him the letters of his name, he didn't mind the red fish tied around his neck anymore. Boogie and I, along with other parents stayed with our babies on their first day. An hour and a half to just play and explore the new place.

When Dylan got to the clays, he tried to eat it. A teacher gave him a handful of blue colored clay and he was about to bite it like a bread before I stopped him. Its good he knew how to use the paint and paint brush. My mistake, I forgot to let him play with clays. Unlike Lukie who had it when he was a year and a half.

There was this sort of Abacus with it's rod complicatedly twirled that you'll have to delicately follow before you can move the beads. It was Dylan's favorite toy, the very first thing he looks for every morning. The teacher said in Italian, "Look how precise and moves the beads perfectly considering his age", when she was observing our son for the first time.



When it was time to go, I took Dylan to his locker and again showed him his name. I told him we have to leave his red fish name tag there and his flag so that he could use it tomorrow. The next day, he first went to the locker and got his red fish and flag, what a clever boy! I think, if I were 2 and 9 months old, I will be confused with the many lockers looking all the same.

It was raining when we went home. Great! No umbrella. Then Papa, Mama and Dylan on the push chair run like mad. Dylan was still smiling while the rain is keeping his eyes close..... "It was sure a fun day!", Dylan would say out loud IF he only could already talk clearly.




THE FOLLOWING DAYS:

1. The whole week went well. Almost all of Dylan's classmate cried and would NOT like to stay.....

2. My sister said that Irven, her husband, saw Dylan going out of their room while the class is going on and a teacher was following him to get him back inside hahaha....

3. I was scared of Dylan wetting his pants. We just started to toilet train him 2 months ago. So far, its been 2 weeks now and he goes home with the same pants.

4. Friday night on his first week, he had a flu, had a fever on Sunday causing him to have a poor appetite until now. He stayed home till Wednesday and back to school Thursday. When I went to get him, he was crying and was relieved to see me. He has a small cut on his lips that had put him in a bad mood till we went home for lunch.

5. In the 3 classes of 'scoula materna'(red, blue and yellow), small kids are mixed up with the big ones. Ages 3 t0 6 with 2 teacher in every room. 26 or 27 children in each class.

6. Dylan's teacher was still in class with the bigger kids who will be dismissed 2 hours later so I wasn't able to ask what happened to Dylan's lips.

7. Friday morning, I was waking up Dylan and telling him he has to go to school. On the bed, still sleepy and eyes squinting, he said, "Ooooch"(meaning - OUCH) while pointing at his chin.

8. We decided that this year, Dylan will just stay at school for 3 hours and a half only. He will not take the school bus and the school lunch too. He still can't follow rules, understand danger and eat well on his own. Till then, we hope to enjoy more Dylan's remaining 'babyhood'. Something that will surely pass swiftly. Just like Lukie who is becoming a "bigger boy" everyday. Oh, you'll just miss their small hands and feet before you'll know it!

CLICK HERE: Mama's Famous Gate and Did I Get It Right This Time? for Lukie's 'scoooll'.

LUKIE SAYS...

What Lukie just said now or last week, last month or maybe a couple of years ago... I hope to remember them all and will not forget to write even the least profound thought he had and would blurt. We just can't get enough of him now that he is starting to think big or "bigger", like his shoe size, doubling almost every season.

So, Lukie said...

"Mama, why don't you and Papa dance the Tango? Its romantic and the dance of romance(read as rrrrro'mance)!" ..... Not to make you wonder where he picked those lines, his Garfield show taught him that.

"NO! YOU, SHOULD LOOK AFTER HIM!" .... referring to his little brother when the chair (put on the table so Dylan will not climb up) fell on Dylan's head. I went to throw the garbage and I asked Lukie to look after his brother for a bit. I came back and they were both crying while my eldest was massaging Dylan's big bump. Adding salt to the wound of my being irresponsible, I said, "Lukie, I told you to look after him" and I got my answer in big letters.

"The water is cold, e finito il state (summer is finish)"...... Simple and true. This is when my husband called our son to go and have their last swim on the last day of our village pool. Lukie loves the water but he knows when its cold - its cold and its over when its over.

"PAPA, MAY YOU STOP PLEASE!"..... its becoming a pain now hearing my son say this but its more irritating when the Papa doesn't seem to understand what the little boy is asking or sometimes "pleading" for hahaha.

"Mama, you're sexy."..... (I have to LOL here again) .... when I dress up and walk around with my high hills. Makes me laugh for his building definition of sexy - a typical Igorota unblessed with "elevation" hahaha. Oh noo, Lukie, Mama wouldn't mind taller grand-babies, ok?...

"... because its cheaper, its only 70 cents."... He said when we went to buy his school supplies for second grade. I asked why he chose those notebooks over the ones I did with his favorite characters on the cover - its of his animated cartoon show, Dragon Ball Z. Then I can't help but cry, in the middle of the mall, hugging my son, all because - he was right and I was very wrong.

NEL'S UBE CAKE

I just wrote an entry remembering my first year in high school. I was already editing it and I clicked the "back" arrow. BAD, I didn't save it first. Gone for nothing - my 3 hours lost sleep.

Since cakes make me feel better, even just with the sight of it hehehe, I'll post a guaranteed 'bouno'(yummy) recipe from my friend Nelly. I tried last Wednesday and it didn't come close to Nel's cake. Join me as we try and perfect this treat. Let me know of your success... flops too, but I'm hoping not.

UBE CAKE:

2 1/4 cup flour

1 tbs baking powder

3/4 cup sugar

1/4 cup ube powder

1/4 cup oil

1/2 cup water

7 egg yolks

Mix all to make a batter.

Then in a bowl, 8 egg white beat until soft peek form.

Add 1/2 cup sugar slowly.

Fold in batter n egg white together.

Bake at 180°C

For the frosting:

3 tbs ube powder

1/2 cup sugar

3 tbspn cornstarch

1 eggyolk

3/4 cup milk

cook in low flame until spreadable...

WHAT A WONDERFUL WORLD

Do you have it too? I mean, when you hear a certain song and you're reminded of an event, a place, something or someone? This song always takes me back 15 years ago when we were taking my cousin, Manang Susan, to the airport. She was to go back here in Italy from a short vacation in the Philippines.

I was at the back seat of the car as we pass by and seeing the stupendous sun set of Manila Bay. "What A Wonderful World" was being played on the car's radio. Every word from Louis Armstrong's song was drawing out tears I was trying to hide from everyone. Specially from my cousin who'll soon be boarding the plane. Its heavy enough to say goodbye and I don't want to make it worst for her.

What really made me cry that time were the street children begging from cars stopping by. Not that I pity them or the danger they were willing to risk. It was their courage and will to pursue that danger in order to survive made me think, they too believe that this is a "WONDERFUL WORLD" after all. Who are we, whom all blessed with homes, parents providing for us and had all the opportunities of being a child, to disagree?