A Good Mom!

Conversation earlier:

Me: Both of you made me feel so proud you were behaved the whole time you waited for me. Thank you for waiting so patiently.

Forest: Ganyan talaga yan pag mga mabait ang Nanay!

Me: Huh?

Forest: Kasi mabait ka nung bata ka kaya mana kami sa yo. At dahil di mo kami ginapasanay sa mga gadgets!

Hahaha and so the lecture about use of gadgets had sunk in more than I thought, huh? :p It's an on and off negotiation (battle) though. They are not always so 'unfriendly' with gadgets :p

To Whom?

Forest handed me a rose petal saying, "Wish ko sa 'yo, 'Nay..."

Then muttering more to herself looking at another petal in her hand, "Haay, napisat na yung para kay Tatay!"  Then turning to me, suddenly said, "O, ibigay mo sa asawa mo!"

Ganun? :P

Is it Shameful?

Yesterday, we went out with the kids to buy their requirements for school.  As there was no parking available, Tatay only dropped us and asked that we call him when we were done.

I felt pride swell in me when I saw Rod looking at his list from school and looking for what he needs all by himself.  When we're done, we went out to the parking lot and waited for Tatay.  All of a sudden, Rod turned to me and said, "Nanay, I have a question."  I looked at him and wondered what it is this time and asked, "What is your question?"

He blurted out, "Is magpadede in public, bad?"  (Is breast-feeding in public, bad?).  I tried looking for what he was referring to and spied a woman sitting at the front seat of a tricycle, feeding her baby.  I immediately replied, "Of course not.  It is the most natural thing in the world, feeding your baby."  Then I pointed to him, "There are other women wearing revealing tops for no other reason but, whereas, a Mom breastfeeding her baby in public is only easing the hunger of her baby.  Is there anything bad about that?"  He then smiled sheepishly at me and replied, "None.  You are right, Nay."

I'm really grateful that he still turns to me for questions like these.  It makes way for good conversations between us and an opportunity to share with him values I hold dear to me.  But, just to be clear, I am in no way obligating him.  Later on, he might have different views on some things.  As long as he is in the right, not harming other people, not being prejudiced in any way, then that should be more than fine...

How Come?

Conversation at the breakfast table:

Forest: Nanay bakit nung baby si Kuya, wala siya buhok, si Tatay mahaba ang buhok? Ngayon malaki na si Kuya, marami siya buhok tapos si Tatay konti na lang ang buhok niya?

(Forest: Nanay, how come when Kuya was still a baby, he had no hair but Tatay had long hair? Now, Kuya is big and have a lot of hair and Tatay only has little hair left?)

Tatay can only smile while I almost spurted out my tea hehe

Bad word!

Bedtime conversation:

Me: So what are the things you are grateful for today? Or the weekend in general?
Rod: Hmm... Wala man... None really.
Me: What?! The fact that we were able to go on an outing is...
Forest: (interrupting me in an irate, sleepy, tired voice) Nanay! Sabi mo bawal magsabi ng bad words! (You said, it's not alright to say bad words!
Me: (perplexed and don't know what I said exactly) what? What did I say?
Forest: f**k.

Rod doubled over in laughter.
I was aghast! And asked,  "How come you know that word?!" But explained I said, FACT and what it means exactly.
Rod who was laughing the whole time helped explained as well.

My gas!

Earrings

Forest, noticing the new earrings I was wearing quipped, "Gusto ko rin ng bagong earrings, Nay (I want some new ones as well, Nanay)."

Me:  Okay.

Forest: I want it as long as that... Oh! Even longer like this size (holding out a triple A battery.)

Oh, oh! Time is flying so fast.  Our baby now has some fashion sense (though she always had even when still a toddler).  Can you wait for a little longer, Anak? I'm missing a lot of your growing up years as it is!

Rod: What I Want to Be

It's been awhile but finally, we again had our usual soul-to-soul conversation:

Me: At ten, Rod, I somehow knew already what I wanted to do... (describing the historical event that led me to my realization)

Rod: I want to be like you, 'Nay (my heart stopped and I immediately became teary eyed). But I might become a vet as well. I feel for people too. At school when there are vendors who do not get a sale, I buy their food even if I don't like them. But I feel for dogs and animals also (describing to me a story he read about someone who decided to become a vet after losing a dog).

Well, you could be anything, Anak. As long as you're not hurting other people to become what you want to be. Nanay and Tatay will try our best to support you all the way. I love you to the moon and back.