Gats: Anak, okey dito noh?
Manu: Oo, dad! Ayos!
Manu: Yikes! My virgin eyes!
Gats: Kaya pala ang laki ng ngiti ni Chubbers eh! (oy, chubbers, kamay mo!
)
Kelly: Hoy, Gats, sino kaya mas malaki ngiti sa inyo ni Chubbers?
Our little boy is just so crazy about his dinosaurs. My husband recently gave him a dinosaur book from back he himself was just a grade schooler (circa 1980’s) – and still he loved it! His collection is so varied that I can’t pin down a specific author (or Book Publishing Company) that we prefer. We literally just end up buying him books as long as we feel that there are enough knowledge content and kid-friendly drawings/pictures for him to enjoy. This gets me thinking, what will his next subject of interest be after this dinosaur craze is done?
slippery fish, slippery fish
swimming in the water
slippery fish, slippery fish
gulp! gulp! gulp!
OH NO!!!
it’s been eaten by a —-
tuna fish, tuna fish
swimming in the water
tuna fish, tuna fish
gulp! gulp! gulp!
OH NO!!!
it’s been eaten by an —
octopus, octopus
swimming in the water
octopus, octopus
gulp! gulp! gulp!
OH NO!!!
it’s been eaten by a —
great white shark, great white shark
gulp! gulp! gulp!
OH NO!!!
it’s been eaten by a —
humongous whale, homongous whale
swimming in the water
humongous whale, humongous whale
gulp! gulp! gulp!
~~~
*manu’s favorite poem to recite during circle time
Na-pressure ako ni Jane eh! Eto na po! 
As you’ve read on this post, Manu wasn’t able to attend his school’s official first day of classes since he nursed a fever the weekend before. But his health came back to normal immediately after his check up (thank God!) and so we got confident to send him to school the second day of the pre-nursery class.
It was no surprise that we almost arrived late at school (blame it on the mom! hihi). We were just so lucky that traffic was ultra smooth from our place to the school’s. In less than 15 minutes, we were already at the school’s gate.
I thought that his first day is going to be tough as he didn’t want to leave the car. Well, not until I carried him. I was only relieved when he let himself free and went roaming around the play area once we got inside the campus.
Since this was the school’s first week of classes, we were allowed to come inside the classroom with our kids.
Circle Time with Lead Pre-Nursery Teacher Marla. Here, they’re singing the “Hello! Hello!” song. Manu’s not singing though; he’s just doing the tapping thing that goes with the song. It would probably take him daysss before he sings this song (and the rest of them) the way he sings it at home 
My little boy has been very affectionate these past few weeks, especially to me! I was actually surprised by this behavior as he usually favors his dad over me (kakaiba noh?).
Sunday night, was one of the sweetest nights of my life as he said, for the first time, the three sweetest words to me without any kind of coaxing whatsoever (with matching hug and kiss pa!):
“Luv you, mommy!”
Cry na ko nyan tuloy. Sabay sabi sa kanya, “Anak, sasabihin mo pa din sa’kin ‘yan kahit may girlfriend ka na ha.” The husband just smirked
I was really looking forward to this day as it will be my very first parent’s orientation (Manu is an incoming pre-nursery student). I was hoping to talk to my fellow TBS parents and bring home a few good photos of the meeting. Sad to say, I wasn’t able to take a single picture! Most probably because I had a lot on my mind even before the meeting began…
It started around 2am when I noticed that Manu’s yaya hasn’t come home yet from her supposed meeting with her husband. I specifically stated that she should be in by 11pm, and to find out that she wasn’t there just made me lose my cool. I tried to shrug it off by returning to sleep but then Manu has just woken up for his medicine because he was nursing a 37-38C-ish fever. I had to tend to his needs and demands (”Mommy, Pooh! Mommy, watch Pooh!”; “No! I choose”; “Mommy, feyd (afraid)”; and so on ) which were never-ending! Two and a half hours after, I finally got that needed rest.
I woke up feeling excited (because of the parent’s orientation) and stressed (because I had to do an early morning sermon to the maid) . I wanted to do away with negative feelings asap so I went and did the talk. Just as I was in the middle of the lecture, I noticed that my other helper (who goes home on a daily basis) hasn’t arrived yet. Great. Now I have to go to the parents’ orientation all by myself as I don’t want to leave sick little boy with his yaya alone in the house. Did I mention that the carpet cleaning company has just called to say it was on its way to our place to shampoo our sofa and dining chairs? (This reminds me to have my roman blinds changed to wood blinds) Stress! I have barely an hour to get pretty I was still lucky that I was able to leave the condo 15 minutes before the orientation started.
I arrived at the school just in time. I still had a few more to put on my favorite blush, in fact . Anyway, we were led to the older preschool classroom where the 30 minute orientation was held. I liked the way they opened the meeting - they had us sing the “Hello! Hello!” song (which by now I know by heart). The following discussions just went by and by 30 minutes, we were out and making chika . I really hate myself for not taking pictures of the moms I’ve become friends with, and of the nursery classroom. It was adorable since the room was full of pictures of the kids and their families, the learning centers were properly set up, and the materials were already in place. Anyhoo, no sense in crying over spilled milk so I just promised myself to take photos, as if my digicam’s battery life would not die, on Manu’s first day at school.
Sadly, Manu’s pediatrician confirmed, during our earlier check-up, that he has the flu, advised us to observe him until Monday, and if the fever still persists by lunchtime that day, we should have him undergo CBC test (to rule out dengue and typhoid fever). I pray that what he has is just the flu. No mom wants his child to go through anything more serious than the flu. (Update: as of the moment, his temperature is normal. Thank you, Lord.)
So. This means that Manu will be attending school not on the school’s official first day. Sayang, but never mind because what’s most important is that he gets back to his normal healthy self.
The little boy’s calling me now. “Feyd” daw sya
Manu: “Yaya, paki linisan din ang kotse ko ha.”
It’s just been a little over two years that we have lived in the condo, but my cabinets and shelves look older than their age. Thanks to Manu and his motorbike, which slams into everything at home, my furniture is full of cuts, nicks, and scratches. Now I’m thinking of having my some of my wooden furniture refurbished and my cabinets refaced which is a much cheaper option compared with full remodeling (see American Home Craft for details on cabinet refacing). I hope the cost of revamping would still fit in my budget as I already plan to have the little boy’s bedroom fixed and fully decorated when he turns 3.
1 school tour, 3 weeks of summer camp, and 38 questions later, I finally decided to send my little boy to preschool. So, it’s official! Manu will be a preschooler this incoming school year, and the mom can’t help but be excited! I’m already looking forward to the parents’ orientation which is happening in the next couple of months, and the teachers’ home visits which are due this month (which reminds me to ready my humble abode; do this year’s spring cleaning by starting off with Manu’s bedroom a.k.a stockroom where the Electrolux vacuums will be heavily used). Am counting the days!
