'Reading' Now
It's your greatest accomplishment and milestone for the month of August: pretending to read by repeating to us the stories we read from your books. Your father is sort of trying to inspire me to finally teach you to read but I still haven't done it. I will do it after your 5th birthday... after St. Michael. After your brain has reorganized.
Plus, a part of me wants to honor this 'pretense' at reading and just let you be... to see which stories have really become a part of you... to see how much you've committed to memory... and how long this will last.
You're back to not liking it going to school and I think it's because there is so few of you now in the half-day class. What propels you out of bed is the idea that getting through a day will get you closer and closer to Date Day and Watch Day (which is Friday).
You've been asking for a skateboard and I have mandated that you have to learn to ride a proper bike first. Pappie is doing his research on how to keep you safe on a skateboard, should that be something you really want to do in the future.
Oh... you also like pretending a lot that you're studying, writing/drawing continuous zigzags on a notebook you got from Oona. It's really quite cute.
And you were so happy gardening with Pappie... so, when the cat pooped on the planter, I just had to give you a new hope in new and more plants. Hopefully, your brother will stop picking them for us to harvest something.
I know it's unfair sometimes when I ask you to model good behavior for your brother... but I also appreciate all the effort I see in you when you try for patience and gentleness. Most of all, I like it that you are your brother's greatest defender.
I love you, Panganay. I really do. I thank God for you everyday and pray that we will always be close.
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Miscellaneous FB updates:
May plano kang layas... magkakasinat ang anak. So, hindi ka na aalis. Tapos yung anak mong may sakit, mas maingay pa sa kinakatay na baboy pag naglalaro.
Ganun talaga.
Kaso naman anak, sa lamay naman ako dapat pupunta.
Next time, ha?
*~*
(annoyed because Yakee kept slowing us down)
Me: Mahal, come on, hurry up please. Mommy has to be somewhere so we don't have much time for our date. Time is precious.
Yakee: No, YOU'RE precious. You are the precious one and you're MY precious.
Shucks... syempre, I extended the date... ako pala si ring that binds them all eh!
*~*
while sobbing)
Yakee: Mommy, when you leave me alone, it always breaks my heart.
(another one)
Me: Are you scared that I might die and not come back when I go away somewhere?
Yakee: Yes, because if you die... then I will keep on waiting and waiting for a long time.
My SIL's mother's passing recently got me thinking of morbid possibilities... and Yakee unfortunately picks up on them like an empath. He kept crying when I went to the wake a few days ago... and couldn't sleep tonight, upset, because I attended the burial earlier.
Hayst. (posted Aug. 19)
He calmed down lang (after a long dialogue and lots of hugs and tear-wiping) when I told him that God calls us all back to His side... and he decided that if he's back in heaven, he will play there.
*~*
Yakee 'read' to us last night by reciting stories from memory... he later told us he could READ because he immitated how I sounded (very Waldorf, right St Michael?). Pappie and I absolutely burst with pride and joy... and that bittersweet feeling when a child crosses yet another threshold. (posted Aug 23)
YES... all the bumps and falls and crashes didn't damage their brains!
(You read Curious George and the Dog Show... and Si Pagong at si Matsing that first night and we haven't really read to you 95% of the time since... I actually really miss it)
*~*
Playing with the birthday ring with mahjong-like movements... hmmm...
*~*
Yakee to Yamee: If you cannot sign or talk, I will not let you borrow my toys.
tsk. pressure!
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