We live separately from my mom.  Husband prefers it that way in order for us to be independent as well as for my mom to enjoy her quite space.  She requested though that firstborn stays with her.  For years, we live in Marikina while my mom and firstborn stay in our Novaliches house.  Now, we transferred to Novaliches and got a small space near my mother.  Firstborn sleeps at momi’s place still but stays with us during the day.  Among my boys, I seldom spend time with my firstborn.  We often call each other, though, when we were still in Marikina.  Below are some mom and son moments –

mom and son moments on GENEROUS KUYA

March 27, 2010/ 2:25 am

Morning.

School break starts now.  Second son stays with my mother for a week.  Firstborn and Bunso stay with their parents at the small house.  Bunso is disgusted with the idea of not going at the big house*.  Big house means they could also play with the Gameboy.**

He cries so hard it makes me want to cry as well.  Firstborn, on the contrary, isn’t like his mama.  “Stop crying baby brother.  If it’s my turn at the big house, I will leave the Gameboy with you,” he says.

“What will you do at the big house instead?” I ask.

“I will play with my other toys then,” he quickly answers with a big smile.

Merienda time

Firstborn asks for two slices of cake while Bunso opts for a piece only.  Turns out that Bunso’s cake has no big chocolate dressing on top unlike kuya who has two on his big cake.  Bunso asks me to give him a big chocolate on top of his cake, but I refuse.  Firstborn  immediately counters and lovingly says to his brother, “You may have mine.  I got two anyway.”

*  my mother’s house.   Big house because it has three levels.  Ours’ is a simple flat.

**  going at the big house is bringing the Gameboy with you.  The television set at the big house needs more than an hour to warm up and the Gameboy will kill the agony of such long wait.

—

mom and son moments on EYEGLASSES AT 8yo

7 June 2010

 

Last Saturday, mother phoned me and mentioned that she and firstborn son went to an eye specialist.  My boy’s tutor insisted that firstborn’s eyes be checked.

The eye doctor recommended that my son wears eyeglasses. I remember when firstborn was still at the small house, he religiously reads books at night.

At age eight, firstborn son has to wear eyeglasses.  From then on, I stopped using my contact lenses; I prefer to use my old glasses back.

mom and son moments on OUR YOUNG COMPOSER

August 29, 2011

Firstborn son was assigned to be their group’s leader in a Civics project. Their project was to compose a song about primary directions.

He composed this song in the tune of “Leron Leron Sinta.”

mom and son moments on PHONE CONVERSATION WITH SON

December 6, 2012

Firstborn and I had a long telephone conversation.  And one topic we had that he enjoyed the most was bugtungan.

Momi:  Here, I have one.  hindi tatay, hindi nanay, nagbabantay ng bahay. (Not a father nor a mother but looks after the house.)

Firstborn:  hmmm…

Momi:  Siret?

Firstborn:  Yes.  It’s too hard.

Momi:  E di aso. (Dog is the answer.)

Firstborn:  Ay, akala ko anak. (Ow, I thought it’s a child)

It hurts!

More often than not, Firstborn is alone at the big house as my mom arrives late at night.

—

mom and son moments on I LOVE HER

August 24, 2102

Thank you, Firstborn. And I love you, too.

mom and son moments on THE GOOD NEWS AND THE BAD NEWS

June 11, 2013

Momi:  Firstborn, I have good news and bad news.

Firstborn:  (clueless but trying to smile)  Good news first.

Momi:  I am done with your uniform badges.

Firstborn:  (in a very slow and careful manner of asking the question) And the bad news?

Momi:  I forgot the pocket.  I sewed the badge with the pocket on it.  Sorry (with an apologetic smile)

Firstborn:  (didn’t move for about three seconds and said very blankly) Ok.

Then firstborn left.  He returned and asked, “How can I use the pocket then without any hole on it?”

Momi: I don’t know either.  So sorry.

Firstborn left again and went to the kitchen to make some bread.