Cutty

This year, we are forced to have simple celebrations.  There is no need to stress about the traffic, gift-giving, Christmas shopping, what to wear for parties and performances.  No year-end trips to prepare for.  This year, we have time to focus on what Christmas is all about and to be thankful for surviving the trials that came with 2020.   Simbang Gabi will start this week. I am quite excited.  All my life, I haven't completed the 9-day novena masses.  This time, with a church built right across my home, I just might be able to complete it.   This week we bade farewell to my sons' QC campus.  The school board decided to close it and transfer everything to the Antipolo campus.  It is sad.  We are not only saying goodbye to my sons' second home.  We are also saying farewell to some teachers, guards, staff and most importantly, schoolmates who have decided to transfer to another school.  Hay, ang sakit sa puso.  B...

Two Saturdays ago, Vic left to accompany his Dad to a European Pilgrimage. I've been a single mom for more than a week now. If I was busy then, I doing double duty now. I was doing okay on the first few days. I figured how to adjust our routine making sure there was little disruption to our current routine.  You see, routines are important if you have young children.  Less disruption means less chaos. All was doing well until my one and only yaya got herself a sprained ankle. I guess we were still lucky that it wasn't fractured.  The swelling hasn't gone down but at least she is more mobile now. Superwoman, that's what I call myself when the going gets tough.  But, I couldn't be one if I didn't have an efficient support system. We've been staying with my parents since my yaya got injured.  My burdern has significantly decreased.  I no longer worry about meals. My mother helps giving baths and naps to Joaquin. They also help entertain the older kids ...

For weeks now, Johann has been pestering everyone (me, his dad, his ninangs, his grandparents) to get him a sidecar. He meant a bike with the sidecar attachment. He's been very creative in integrating the word "sidecar" in every conversation. We'd tell him that he has to wait till his birthday. We talk about this everyday. You can just imagine how much he really wants his sidecar. Last weekend, his Lolo Boy found out about this and pledged to get him one. He said he wanted a yellow sidecar. The following day, the lolo called him from the bike shop to see if wants it in another color. The little boy wants it in just one color. Last night, my parents dropped off their gift. The boy waited patiently till 9PM. It came in yellow. I found out that my father's painter labored the whole day to change the sidecar into my son's desired color. Iba talaga pag apo. Johann biked in our lanai till it was time for my parents to leave. Here is Johann with Javi and ...