Rayala Dialogues: Epic Gas Release

The election fever has made a lot of netizens pour out their emotions and brain cells in their Facebook walls. There were some who just unfriended their friends because they have different choices. My friends and I do, too. My college bestfriend, for one, is a staunch supporter of Mayor Duterte. But we don't fight (yet, hehe) because we respect each other and we value our friendship more than our political opinions. We respect each other by not talking about it, by not making patol to each other's posts. However, I have to be honest - I have unfriended a few people whose posts are just unbelievably stupid. I don't have personal connections with them so I don't regret it. 

When we arrived here at R's workplace last Sunday, I kind of felt that I needed to take a break from sharing news articles and my opinions about the election online. I have to focus on what truly gives me joy - time with my family and eating together (hello, fatso). There are times when I still comment on others' politics oriented posts, though. Hard habit to break, I know. 

After R's office work, we made chismis about all the crazy stuff we saw online. That's our usual language of affection - social media sharing, lol. And so the inevitable happens. We caught one inside joke that we keep on saying whenever we feel like it fits the bill. Say, I just made an epic gas release (no thanks to eating too much) and this is what happened ---

Rayala Dialogues: Last Year's Conversations

On my previous post about sharenting, I mentioned there that I chose to be selective on what I share in my social media channels. As a mom blogger, flood of photos and anecdotes of my daughter is inevitable. If food bloggers take photos of food first before saying grace, mom bloggers take photos of their falling kids first before they rescue them, hahaha! Hey, that's a joke. Or not? :D

Anyway, sharenting again. This time, these are the statuses I posted last year on my Facebook --

Sophia: You're the best mom ever, 'Nay!
Me: Aww. (hugs her) Really? (fishes compliments, hehe) Why?
Sophia: You always love me, you buy me food, you cook for me, you bring me to school, you read me books... and you tell me the right things to do. 

Ang ganda. Pang-Mother's Day. Touch na touch ako. Pero meron pa. 

Me: (hugs her really, really tight) I love you, babe.
Sophia: I love you so much, Nay, Don't feel sad. You are never alone, you always have me.
Me: (gulat na gulat) Ha?! I'm not sad! Saan mo nakukuha yang mga sinasabi mo?!
Sophia: I just thought of it lang! Ehh you're not talking and laughing eh. When you're happy, you're noisy. 

Take note, D. Always be noisy.

Rayala Dialogues: She's Growing Up

Yay! I finally got to post a new RD! It's been a long time and I super regret that I didn't spend enough time to write about my little girl's crazy, silly, blog-worthy isms. I now realize that more than sharing it with you all, more than making you relate to those funny moments that make motherhood more special, documenting about it is more for me. It's for me to remember that despite her patience-testing traits, she's generally a happy, kind-hearted girl. 

So here it is.

I was in the kitchen when P came to me, holding her chest and said —

Pia: Nanay, sakit my dibdib ko in school kanina.
Me: (eyes widened, stopped and looked at her) Did you tell Teacher S?!
P: Opo, Teacher S said "oh sige, rest ka muna ha".
Me: What were you doing ba when it happened?
P: Seatwork po.
Me: (almost smiled, trying my best not to laugh) Hmmm. Baka naman sumakit dibdib mo kasi ayaw mo mag-seatwork? Totoo ba yan?
P: Totoo, 'Nay! Hindi ako lying ha! Si Nanay oh, kawawa ako tapos you say that. (and she continued nagging in her playroom)

So I went back to my dirty dishes and snicker. Alright, I have one more.

Rayala Dialogues: Brutally Honest

I'm not quite sure if it has something to do with her being an innocent child or it simply runs in her blood, but my preschool diva is one brutally honest little lass. 

Rayala Dialogues: My Little Strength

Being with my daughter every single day gives us so many reasons to talk just about anything. One day, I got curious and we had this conversation ―

Me: Are you gonna get sad when I die?
Pia: Why will you die?
Me: Uhm, if I get sick?
Pia: I got sick, 'Nay but I don't die.
Me: Ok. So you're not going to cry if I'm dead na?
Pia: No.
Me: (feeling a bit hurt) Ayyy. Why?
Pia: Because I will just pray. Tatay lang will cry. And I will listen to your friends and pray with them.
Me: (got teary eyed) I love you, 'nak.
Pia: Nay? Are you crying?
Me: No, I have colds.
Pia: Ok, good night Nay. I'm so sleepy, I have eyebags.

Sigh. Children have the most genuine and strongest thoughts. ♡

Rayala Dialogues: The Sorority Girls

Earlier at school, LB and I were in a serious talk because she hit my face! She was running around and getting messy. I told her before we left home that she can't do that before class. After class, pwede. That's how she got pneumonia kasi --- sweating like a pig then will go inside an airconditioned room. Of course, she got annoyed that I was telling her to stop and sit. Perhaps, she felt embarassed. Actually, I still don't know yet. I will ask her later when I pick her up. Anyway, I was really furious but still trying to keep my cool because I didn't want to make a scene. As I was talking to her, her classmates, all girls named Ar, Al and Sh, surrounded her. It was like her support system, they are actually her "bestfriends". She always mentions their names here at home. They were like a sorority bullying me. Hahaha! Chos.

Clockwise from left: LB, Sh, Ar and Al.

Rayala Dialogues: Tickle Tuesday Edition

I am not at least a quark doubtful that LB is mine. She may not look like me but her character says a lot about where she came from. She really is her mother's daughter --- a mini me in kadaldalan, that is! Here's a sample ---

LB: The Filipino frog says ribbit!
B: I think it's kokak, 'nak.
LB: Noooo. Chinese frog says 'rokak'. Kai Lan said datt.
B: Ok.

Ikaw na ang multilingual. Sakit mo sa bangs teh. o_O

~ ♔ ~

Rayala Dialogues: Weather Forecast

Just a quick post while waiting for my best girl C and her sister to arrive. C will be at the US the end of this month to work as a badass physiotherapist in Florida. So well, as my sole HS realest real friend, we have a little despedida slash birthday (mine and LB) salu-salo here at home over Bebeng's Bonggang Bicol Express and fried eggplant, as C requested. She said she'll bring some desserts. I have a basket full of fruits though, in case my fit and fab sistah won't eat what she brought. ;)

My first ever Queenstagram, April 2013

Rayala Dialogues: Sinister Sisters

OK, my sister N is not a Rayala, so technically she shouldn't be in this segment. But she's a part of our small family that there are times Rhambo and I talk about her. Haha! Why? Because she is such a senior citizen commenter on Facebook! LOL. Alam mo yun, yung wala sa hulog. Minsan pa, flooding. Kakaloka. Here's a sample, when I posted a photo of the buko pie and espasol that our mama gave yesterday ---

Rayala Dialogues: The Girl's Hair

As a wife to a husband who's not always at home, one of my biggest obligations is to update the father of my child on what our daughter's up to lately. It's not a tough job at all. I'm a blogger and a social media fan so I just do the update through FB, IG or here. So earlier, I did a "general sweeping" all over the house; as in every nook and cranny. If you're following me on Instagram (which I encourage you to do if you haven't yet #shamelessplugging), you already know what LB just did. This ---

Grrr-worthy, right? I inspected her hair when I found the bunch under the couch. Good thing the crime was not obvious at all. It did get mixed reactions from my friends on FB, but what stood out was from my solja boy via text. 

Anong bang head?! Stand in the corner!!!

Hahaha! So weird that when I found the poor strands of hair, his common sense got lost somewhere. Can't wait to be with him again, I'm pretty sure there'll be more #kamotulo moments like this. ♥ 

How 'bout your husband, mare? May ganito din ba kayong eksena? ;)

Rayala Dialogues: Remote Control 101

So it's LB's first absence from school today. She has colds; she slept so late and when I leaned over to kiss her, I felt her warm body. Uh-oh, the preschool diva has a fever. I felt sad because I didn't see it coming. Oh well, she's taking new vitamins and she actually has turned to have better appetite because of it, but colds are colds. I haven't make her take meds yet because I don't feel like she needs it. Fluids galore and fresh OJ were her fever warriors. 

source

What makes her fever ironically helpful to me was she's not all over the house and she's extra cuddly. We were on the couch, snuggled, when she wanted to switch channels. I told her she has to switch it on her own 'cause my hands are hugging her. This is how our conversation went ---

Rayala Dialogues: Monique's May Madness

Here's to cap off the merry month of May --- my little crazy firework's take on childhood, profession and happiness.

~ ♔ ~

SO NEAR YET SO FAR

I was doing housework the entire day that I let LB do her thing. We just did the routine. It was too platonic I felt like I'm just her employee. So when I finished, I sat beside her while she was watching Mike the Knight on Disney Jr.

B: I miss you, 'nak. (showered her with lola kisses, yung may amoy factor)
LB: (eyes still glued on TV) Nyehhh.
B: Why?
LB: (looked at me with wondering eyes) I'm just here oh!

Hashtag senti.

Rayala Dialogues: Little Bebengisms

I have collected some of my darling amiga's antics that she said the whole month of April. Some were funny, some were just plain aww-worthy. Enjoy!

~ ♔ ~ 

OPPOSITES

My husband Rhambo and I are exuberant conversationalists. So whenever there's something that really interests us, we tend to raise our voice a bit. Our unica hija, being not used to seeing her folks talk [personally], is always shocked when it happens. One day, we were making chismis. I totally forgot who or what the topic was, when ----

LB: Guys, stop. Stop fighting. You should be NICING.

Ah. Present tense po ng nice. 

Rayala Dialogues Special: My husband can sometimes be a jerk but he's a great father!

Well, we're still here at the camp and so far, nothing so spectacular happened yet; just a few extraordinary moments. The officer's been talking to his men like they're honeymooners. Well, he's doing his job. I love that he's so into it. Guess I'm lucky to have him, right? At least he's not a bum or something like that. Anywayyyy, he has already planned about our Hundred Islands trip. One of the staff has his family here, too, so we might invite them to come along with us. LB and the 6-year-old boy have begun to be playmates; this can be a great chance for the two to play more. I just hope that my girl's cough will soon be gone. I gave her her well-deserved massage while she was watching Little Pony vids on my phone before bedtime, plus some Vitamin C tomorrow; that might do it.

Speaking of my girl, she just gave me a dilem-mom I will never forget.

THE RUNAWAY PRINCESS. We bought her a swimming vest then I looked for my swimsuit. While I was scouring the skimpy bikinis and mustering enough courage to buy one, LB ran away and Rhambo couldn't find her. I threw the black maillot swimsuit I was eyeing and helped him look for our runaway princess. It was the most terrifying 5 minutes of my life (next is a flying cockroach). I was panicking, my heart was beating so fast and I feel cold. Most of what I thought of were bad things I've seen in news. Media, you are killing me. Thank Jesus my husband saw her at the counter! She was paying for the big shovel and rake she picked for her sand castle session she's planning to do at the beach --- only she got no money. Hahaha! It was the cutest sight ever but I was in no cooing state. I immediately carried her and gave her a hug. I wept. I almost died but the girl was not worried at all. The thoughts of going to the beach was all over her, her door was closed for any negativity. The innocence of a child is breath-taking but nerve-wracking. Btw, I didn't buy myself a swimsuit. The husband said something like "pambata ba yan?" I was totally discouraged. And to be honest, my body was not beach-ready so forget about it. Sigh. He's really, really something else of a lover, noh? But you know what? He's a great dad.

FATHERHOOD BECOMES HIM. We were on our way back to the camp when LB asked where we're headed. So when I told her "camp, baby", she gave us an unforgiving crazy wail, nonstop. Rhambo, who was suffering from a real bad toothache, turned to be the most handsome father ever. He asked her princess if she wanted to drive with him. Of course, my adventurous tyke didn't say a word. She just sat on her pop's lap and held the steering wheel like a pro. I'm sure she will never forget that, too, like I can never forget the moment I lost her for 5 hell minutes. Rhambo may not bathe or feed LB now like he used to, but he's doing special things our daughter will surely remember. I'm loving him more because of that. But what can you say about the next paragraph? ;)

MY INNER (AND OUTER) BEAUTY. I was watching Dove's experimental video last Tuesday when I thought of what Martine of Dainty Mom has posted months ago, something like "dressing up for your husband". It said something like showcasing the body parts that your husband likes most; that left us with this conversation:

Bebeng: Beb, anong favorite part mo sa body ko? (while flirting with him)
Rhambo: Eto.. (sabay hawak)
B: Bilbil?
R: Hindi, eto. (tinaas ng konti)
B: Ano ka, masahista?
R: Ano ba, katawan ba?
B: Ay ganun, inner beauty lang ba meron ako?!

We were on laugh trip for the next 10 minutes of our bickering/cajoling then he said "hindi ko nga gusto inner mo eh". I was super shocked. He said he was just trying to see what my reaction would be. Well, I was saying the whole time "a-hole ka talaga". And we just laughed again and again. Natural high, it is! 6 years of togetherness made me realize he likes my curves and behind. It's not as wholesome as eyes or shoulders, but at least there's something in my body that he likes. It's not just an inner beauty. Oh, I don't think I have that anyway, haha!

Rayala Dialogues: Busted!

I don't know, for some unknown reason, LB asked me what my job is. So I answered her in a form of a question, too. This was how our conversation went:

B: Oh, what do I do ba everyday?
LB: Mmm... Cook.
B: What else?
LB: You bat-bat me. (bat-bat: our term for bathing)
B: That's it? That's what I do lang everyday?
LB: You watch Ina, Patid, Anak. (it's not a typo error, she pronounced it that way)
B: Haha! Eeeh, night pa yun eh. How about in the afternoon?
LB: Ooh! (got excited) You wash clothes, Nanay!
B: Right ---
LB: (butts in) And clean room and toys and stairs.
B: So that's what a mommy does everyday. And that's my job, I'm a mommy.
LB: Mmmkaaay. And you play candies in the laptop? 

Uh-oh. Time to hide your affairs with Candy Crush Saga from the kids, alright? ;)

Rayala Dialogues: Wisdom

As in this happened like 10 minutes earlier lang. I can't help but blog about this habang iniinin ang sinaing. LB has chapped lips kasi. She always has it when she's sick. Kulang na kulang sa vitamin C ang bagets.

Source

LB: Look Nanay, blood ang mouth ko.

B: We'll put lip balm later.

LB: Okay.

Then I gave her my compact mirror habang tinutuklap niya ang lips niya. Naawa na siguro sa sarili when...

LB: Nanay, can I have wisdom?

B: Anong wisdom?

LB: It's like lipstick, but it's wisdom.

Hahaha! Until now, tawang-tawa ko habang tinatype ko ito. Remember, when you have chapped lips, ask for wisdom! :D

Rayala Dialogues: Little Kolehiyala & Bathtub

I woke up 2:30am and realized I was still wearing my contact lenses. I really need to buy eyeglasses na talaga. Anyway, nakatulog kasi ako sa pagpapatulog sa bagets. Pero paggising ko, yung pinapatulog ko, gising pa! Actually, nasa CR siya ngayon and may ka-meeting. Hay. Wawa bebetoy.

LB: Nanay, can I go to the CR first?
B: Yes, why?
LB: Sakit my tummy ko...

Masakit ang tummy ng little kolehiyala.

Source

See, 24/7 ang trabaho ng isang mudjey! Lalo ng isang servantless SAHM na katulad ko. Kaya sana may bathtub kami para magawa ko ito when LB's in school. Pak.

Rayala Dialogues: Paper Bus and My Secret Crush

Tulaley sa kawalan, mega boredom kami ng bagets when she asked me to make her a plane out of paper. Dami ko eh, mga rejected certificates when I was still a Sales Trainer ---

LB: Nanay, can you make a bus please?
B: Ay, I can't po.
LB: But why?
B: Because I don't know how (sumad-face pa talaga ako sa kanya para credible)
LB: Okay, boat na lang. Next time, bus ha.

Saan ba may Youtube tutorial ng bus paper-folding? #scratchingmyheadindisbelief

~ ♥ ~

While watching Ina Kapatid Anak in iWantv.com.ph last night ---

LB: Hey, that's Tatay!
B: Who? Where? (baliw lang, akala ko nasa show talaga)
LB: Ayan oh.. Nanay kasi. (points to Ariel Rivera!)
B: Haha! Really? That's Tatay?!
LB: Yes po, they have same eyes.

Hanep. Astig. Oh ayan na, sabi sa KrisTV kanina, healthy ang may secret crush, especially sa mga mommies. Siya na ang secret crush ko. Hahaha! :D

Rayala Dialogues: Nanay, the Loshang & the Poop

LB, who will be turning 5 on September, is now awarded as THE MOST HONEST KID IN THE UNIVERSE. Sometimes, sa sobrang honest, nakakainis na. Eto, I showed her the photo of me and Lola L (my mom) in this post, at ganito ang naging usapan ---

LB: Who's that baby?
B: Me.
LB: Oh, it looks like me, Nanay.
B: Yes. You want to look like me when you grow up? (trying to convince her)
LB: No, I want to look like a princess. I don't want to wash clothes.

Boom! Loshang ang peg ko sa bagets 'pag humu-human laundromat ako. Kainis. :(

~ ♥ ~

LB pees and poops really well now, but still can't wash by herself, of course. So one day, she called me that she's done doing her business, and ---

B: Ooh, it's big and baho (in a tone not offending)
LB: No. Look Nanay, it's you and me.
B: Where? (cleaning her very cute behind and ayaw ko tignan yung tinuturo niya!)
LB: Look first, dali.
B: (tumingin naman) Hunny, it's baho. Ayaw ko na.
LB: Nanay! Beecohs, I love you. We're together in da ow-shan. Hugging, ever!

Anak naman. Sa lahat ng magiging tayo eh jebs mo pa? Ewwness lang.

Rayala Dialogues: The Answering Machine

LB and I were fighting.

                            B: Who's the Nanay here?
                            LB: You. (sobbing)
                            B: O, sino masusunod?
                            LB: Me. (still sobbing)

Anak ka ng Tatay mo. Mababaliw na ako sa'yo.

~ ♥ ~

Before bedtime, LB's still playing.

                             B: Come on 'nak, clean up na.

                             LB: Wait Nanay.

                             B: Haynako ang tagal ha (aburidong-aburido)

                             LB: Nanaaaaaay, bee peyshaunt. Rekeli said her mommy is peyshaunt.

So nanay na lang ng langgam ang ka-level ko?! Dutchmill lang ang may goodness. Tseh.