Day 338: Jarred Andrei turns 8!

The month of December is always extra special because aside from celebrating the birth of our Lord Jesus Christ, our family also celebrates the natal day of JARRED ANDREI, the firstborn son.  Eight years ago today, I gave birth to a 7.3 lb healthy baby boy at the General Santos Doctors' Hospital.  It was a challenging delivery since I had to succumb to a caesarian operation after a gruelling 12-hour labor that didn't progress beyond 3 cm.  As a first time Mom, many things were so new, unfamiliar and downright scary.  It didn't help that I had the worst possible recovery period from my operation.  I just thank God that hubby and my Mom were at my side to give me loving support. 

Since birth, Jawed / "Mokong" / Red / Redboy has always been a dark-skinned baby and he revels in this "kayumanggi" complexion even now as a young man. Being the first grandchild on both sides of the family, Jarred was doted upon by his grandparents, aunts and uncles. He was showered with not just love and care but also with lots of tangible goods.  During his early years, Kuya Jawed enjoyed all the pampering and spoiling as an only child.  Suffice to say, he developed a less-desirable temperament as a young toddler.  

Fortunately, things turned around soon after the arrival of a new baby.  At age 4, Jarred was at the ripe age to become a Kuya.  And boy, how he doted on his baby sister!!!  He became a protective and caring older sibling to baby Caitlin.  Kuya made sure he was always around to assist Mom and Dad with caring for the new baby.  

All of the wonderful qualities that a young boy should have, started to unfold and develop rapidly soon after Jarred began preschool.  His academic learning and personal development multiplied tenfold within his year at Kinder 1.  He was growing up to be a charming and articulate little boy.  Jarred also took pride in his studies, oftentimes placing in the class top 5.  

He was almost 6 when another baby was welcomed by the family.  Even though he was obviously dissed with the fact that the men in the family are now outnumbered, he continued to play his role as a loving Kuya to both girls.  He could already do small tasks involving the care of his two younger sisters.  

When Kuya graduated from preschool last year, he made the whole family so proud by finishing as Salutatorian of his graduating class.  He certainly made such a stark turnaround from being a young "bugoy-bugoy" to a young man, teeming with intelligence, wit, charm and love. 

Today, he continues to grow in the love and fear of the Lord, learning day by day about God's plan for him.  He is growing up to be a very prayerful young lad, a responsible and dependable son, a loving and caring brother, and a reliable and affectionate friend. 

At night, while asleep, I peek in on him and get amazed at the sight of this wonderful young man.  I fight back the urge to wish that time freezes so that I could always keep him like this...but I know that time will pass and he will have to grow his wings and fly to fulfill his dreams. 

But for now, he is my little man...the other important man in Mommy's life...

HAPPY BIRTHDAY Son!!!  I pray that you continue to soar in life and achieve everything you set your heart and mind into.  Mommy and Daddy love you so much!

Day 323: Joyeux Anniversaire!

 

Pere...Otosan...Vader...Yeye...Babu...Opa...Pop...Papa...DADDY

Grandpere...Ojisan...Abuelo...LOLO

There are as many different ways to call a father and a grandfather as there are languages in this world.   To celebrate Daddy's 66th birth anniversary, I thought of highlighting some of those ways...

For the past 66 years, Daddy has been the silent rock of his family...first as the youngest in a brood of five, he became the steady support for his brothers and sister especially in their twilight years. Then, most of his adult life was focused on doing everything possible to be the best husband and father. It wasn't smooth sailing nor was life like a bed of roses but he did his best.

Daddy has been my hero for most of my life...well, until hubby took over the role, of course.  Many of the things I know about life and love, I learned from him. He was a wonderful teacher. Growing up, I was a klutz who didn't quite have the right sense of style...well, Daddy became my fashion guru - for some reason, he knew the right colors and styles that would suit me and I always looked forward to our shopping escapades together. As a teenager, he was my protector and sometimes came across as too strict in his ways. In hindsight, this became a blessing as I believe I turned out to be a better person because of Daddy's special brand of discipline.

Now, Dad is doting Lolo to four grandchildren, three of which make up what I call "organized chaos" in my daily life. Whatever love and concern he had for us, his children, has been multiplied tenfold for his apos.  There is nothing he wouldn't do for his children, in-laws and grandchildren.

DADDY LOLO is simply the best in the world! HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!! We love you!!!

Day 318: The Pinoy Priority

This is the main road just outside St. Joseph's Cathedral, Butuan City.
On a normal Sunday, this road would be filled with cars, people and vendors.

We usually hear Sunday mass at St. Joseph's Cathedral at 11:00 am.  It was a particularly peculiar scene outside the church today when I parked the car.  I thought to myself maybe we're just a bit early than usual. Since we usually occupied the front pew, I didn't really notice that the attendance at the mass was abnormally less.  It was only after mass when we were about to ride the car when I realized that there were so few people who attended mass this time. In fact, ours was the only car parked on the street that's usually filled up with vehicles. Even vendors numbered to less than five when there used to be a tiangge-style commotion right outside the church after mass.

Why the seemingly car-less and people-less Sunday?  Today was Manny Pacquiao's big fight with Antonio Margarito.  Most, if not all, Pinoys were at home or some place getting ready to watch the "Pambansang Kamao" show off the fruits of his long and arduous training. Don't get me wrong, I'm a huge Pacquiao fan and all but somehow I don't get the Filipino psyche when it comes to boxing of this magnitude or caliber...we literally drop everything we're doing to watch two men battle it out on the ring. 

Seeing how nearly empty the church was this morning just proved where the Pinoy priority really lies...tsk! tsk! tsk!

Day 315: Surprise in the Mail

This small packet of surprise came in the mail today. It's the 2010 W@W (WeddingsatWork) Wedding Primer. Skimming over the pages made me reminisce my wedding preparation days back in 2000-2001 (civil rites) and 2006 (church rites).

W@W became my best friend in all things bridal. I was able to scout many suppliers through the site and later on developed friendships with other would-be brides through the W@W e-group. To this day, these friendships have endured time and distance as most of us have graduated from being W@Wies to N@Wies, exchanging our wedding planners for marriage counseling, pregnancy tips and childcare concerns. 

It's so wonderful to see how W@W has evolved over the years and continue to assist all would-be brides and grooms to prepare for their wedding and marriage. Thanks to Abet & Benz for making my day today. Cheers to W@W!!!

Day 314: In the morning...

Take a peek at what my three children usually do in the morning before we troop off to school to drop off Kuya Jarred...they're tasked to do the bed and fold up blankets and other sleeping stuff from the night before. Even the bunso helps out by commanding her Kuya on what to do...LOL!

Day 313: Lushness

It wasn't long ago when the green abundance you see here was just a single branch of beauty. Now it's teeming with rich, vibrant hues of green and yellow-green. 

I don't know exactly what this plant's name is but I bought it because I thought it looked good and would fit well into the garden. Well, I guess I was right. 

Day 311: Unico Hijo Gwapito

Unlike CeeJae's hair which seems to take forever to grow, Kuya Jarred's grow long and thick quite fast that's why he needs regular appointments with the barber. 

Today he had his haircut on the way home from church. It took less than 30 minutes for the barber to shave off that thick mane of hair and end up with a neater and more manageable look.

Day 309: Fruits of Labor

After a long and arduous scholastic journey, Jarred Andrei was awarded the highest recognition in his English studies for the 2nd Quarter. I was literally in tears when his name was announced and my heart swelled with so much pride and gratitude. It was a double achievement as he was able to retain his 2nd Honors position in Chinese studies. It was truly a day of joy for the students, parents and teachers as the efforts of the young achievers were duly acknowledged and rewarded. 

Day 307: Storybooks

My children love to read and thanks to generous Lolos, Lolas, Ninongs, Ninangs, Titos and Titas, they are able to enjoy great quality storybooks.

Many of the books are interactive and can really engage the attention of even the most rambunctious toddler. 

Aside from reading, my kids have other ideas in using these books - from props to dividers and what-have-you. It just goes to show how creative children's minds can be.

Day 305: What happens at midnight

Knowing that my brood are nuttyholics (including hubby), I always keep a stash of cracker nuts for those weekend midnight snack bonding moments. Aside from nuts, the entire family also enjoys snacking on "cornicks". It's a good thing these stuff are cheap compared to the usual chichirya fare available in the market. Want some?