11 Things Sophia Said

My firstborn is quite a chatter. I really wonder where she got it from! Haha, fine, my genes must have something to do with it. In fact, when she was a baby, not even turning a year old yet, she can copy whatever I or her father say. It was the cutest! But now that she's a pre-teen who actually has a reaction to anything that's happening around her, it can be pretty annoying. So yeah, cute isn't exactly a good word to describe it.

But of course, it also means that her responses can be funny just like when she started talking non-stop. And for her 11th birthday, here are 11 memorable things Sophia said.

A Decade of Wisdom

I called her from the bedroom where I was putting her baby sister to sleep. She was in her study table – drawing or might be writing songs and proses, her newly-found interest that keeps her occupied during her free time. She was quite in a hurry, her face was that of shock and worry. In short, exaggeratedly rushing. I told her to change that face and calm down. My tone was on gentle default when I called her since I was lulling the tiny one. So to see her theatrical reaction just made me want to shift to my inner green beast immediately. I did my best to pull out my Mary Poppins demeanor and told her to buy veggies for sinigang that I'd cook for lunch. After she listed it down and got the money, she took off her unicorn headband and got a simpler one (she said she doesn't want attention), a coin purse and her gray uggs. Do you see the irony? It appears in her every moment.

My firstborn, the child I delivered in the midst of personal crisis, has a rather odd combination of complex qualities. No thanks to her emotional, frank, inquisitive, logical, evasive and lazy genes. She did not come from a mediocre family, that is why. Both sides have each quality in its superlative. It's amusing to see a bit of me in her, though. Like, when someone pronounces a word wrongly, that's me right there with the sharp tone and poker face! But when she does it the way I do at her age and stage in life, I cringe. No way my gradeschooler would sound so disrespectful and obnoxious. When it happens, I quickly jump in. I don't want her to grow up thinking she knows better than everyone else. See the difficulty of trying to balance everything in parenting? If you think sleepless nights of having a newborn is exhausting, wait till you reach the double digits. May this serve as a warning, haha. 

Really, Tupperware has Hello Kitty?!

That was actually my husband R's reaction. He didn't know that Tupperware, the brand he knew only as food containers when we were kids, now has other products. He's lucky he has a blogger wife to inform him of these changes, no? Hehe. 

Anyway, apologies for the super short notice my fellow Hello Kitty fanatics but you guys have to look for a Tupperware branch near you immediately! Like after you finish reading this post. 'Cause this paw-retty kitty has a lot of cute items to offer her millions of followers here in the country! 

Few weeks ago, Tupperware Brands Philippines sent us a box of Hello Kitty goodies. 

Sophia Saves Money With Security Bank

In all honesty, I can't say that I had a truly happy childhood. When I was my daughter's age, all I remember was my father's death that resulted to my mother's financial struggles as a housewife, who was left with nothing. Our hardships caused our family's many heartaches. And personally, though it taught me resilience, I never learned how to save for the rainy days. Whenever someone gave me money then, I always spent it all at once. It's only now that I'm a mom myself that I am learning the ropes of budgeting, spending and saving. 

When Sophia received monetary gifts for her first birthday party and dedication, our original plan was to open a savings account for her. But then, Ondoy happened. Our purple rented house got flooded waist deep. Most of of our stuff got muddy and broken. Unfortunately, we needed to use her money to help us start anew. Fast forward to the many Christmases that she received thousands of money from her godparents; she has used it all up for her needs, which we should have given her. We never saved any, not even a single coin. 

I Am Raising a Girl Who Practices Two Religions

I grew up in a Born Again Christian family. My mama said that I was two years old when she and our papa started attending a Born Again Christian church in Quezon City. Inevitably, in most Christian families, we went to church together every Sunday. It was where I first learned how to dance. I also memorized some parts of the Holy Bible because of Sunday School. I love being a Christian and I am proud to be one. 

So when I posted this last night, I got a few private messages about it. 

Why does it sound so easy for you? Aren't you afraid she'll choose to be a Catholic in the future? How come a Born Again Christian mom found it adorable when her daughter looked for a purple rosary? 

I'd like to make it simple but please allow me to share with you this story.

Look what I got from her ear!

Sophia had cough and colds since last week. I've been giving her the appropriate medications; making sure she's well-rested and all. She's still in her usual chatty self even as of this writing so what could possibly go wrong? Why did we have to go to the hospital yesterday?

It was Tuesday evening, right after we prayed, Sophia suddenly kicked and screamed and cried. Her right ear was hurting, she said. I used my flashlight and checked. When I saw a red dot somewhere down the canal of her ear, I heard my own heart pounding. Nakaka-panic! Thank God He gave me wisdom that night to put some oil to soak whatever was there for a few minutes. Then when the pain subsided after she took a teaspoon of paracetamol, there's this gross goo that peered from her ear. I pulled it out with tweezers.

The Underacting Parenting

In my Moved Up, Moved Out post, I told the main reason why R and I decided to put Sophia to where she is studying now. It has been almost a month since she started her new school year and the changes in her young and innocent life were truly evident. So how is she doing? Has it also affected me as a parent?

Aside from how she easily wakes up at 4:30 in the morning to how she fixes herself on her own in a breeze, I can't help but think that my girl won't need me eventually. You see, I don't bring her to school anymore; she takes the school bus along with 15 other girls. She also follows this after-school to-do list to help her remain focused the entire school week. Raising my only girl almost single-handedly is not an easy feat. In fact, I just had my most agonizing week the past two weeks as a parent. We were doing fine but I can't help not to worry; she's obviously having a hard time with all the adjustments. She needs routine but she's an artist, who needs to do things on her pace. So there were days when I have nothing for her but commands in high-pitched voice. I hated myself. I don't like to be that kind of mom; that's not how I want her to see me.

We fought and argued but managed to end it peacefully. After apologies and promises, I asked her what she feels whenever I get mad. In her matured but sweet tone, she said, "I get hurt. And sometimes when I get hurt, I'm thinking if I were like other kids, would you still be mad at me?" *pausing now to wipe my tears* The lump in my throat that balled while she was talking had finally burst into a heavy-on-the-verge-of-ugly-crying sigh. I couldn't said a word. I just caressed her soft, black hair and hugged her tight. 

Moved Up, Moved Out

My girl will be starting her 2nd grade in another school this month. In my That Terrifying Mommy Moment post, I shared the security issue of her past school that sealed my and R's decision to move her out from there.

As for the core reason why, here's the gist. 

Some time in November, Sophia came home with a marken pen stain on her PE shirt's left side. She said a boy classmate stabbed it on her when she got the pen holder from him. According to the teacher and my girl, it was time to pack it away but since the boy was still using the pens, he stabbed the one he was holding to her chest that left a blue stain. I managed to removed the stain with my laundry skillzzz but you know, I think I will never forget the pain it caused me. The incident blew up into something worse when I posted the photo in my personal Facebook account. I didn't know who told the principal about it but I was friends with some of the teachers then so maybe they told her. When the principal called me for a meeting, I thought that she was about to secure me that my daughter is safe in her school or that she has talked to the parents of the boy and that they were willing to apologize in the boy's behalf and all. I was wrong. In the middle of our emotional conversation, I felt like a kid reprimanded by my mom for posting something hideous on my Facebook account. Yes, I know it was wrong to put it out there but for me, she could have not delve on that because that was not the issue. 

That Terrifying Mommy Moment

This narrative is lengthy. I hope you are prepared for this. Grab your popcorn if you feel like it. 

It was the day Courageous Caitie passed away when it happened. Almost all the people in my Facebook feed were grieving, mourning and were left inspired by her story. Her parents' loss became other people's source of hope. I thought, God must have given that kind of trial to Caitie's parents because He knows they can handle it gracefully, faithfully.

SOURCE

It was a different story for another mom, though, who tried to keep her poise but failed. She arrived in her daughter's school to pick her up and learned that she was not there. No one knew where she went. It's inevitable for that mom to be worried. In fact, I asked my Facebook friends - What do you think will be your reaction when you find out your kid was not where you left her? 6 out of 7 respondents said they will panic, will feel nervous and jokingly said will do a Sisa scene. 

That mom was me - I panicked, got really nervous, and almost did a Sisa scene.

"Anong klaseng eskwelahan kayo at hindi niyo alam kung nasaan ang estudyante niyo?"

"Pusa nga kapag nawala hinahanap, anak pa kaya?"

"Don't tell me to calm down."

I was a bit aware of my actions that I can still manage to sit and pray but it was one of the moments that I really cannot control my emotions. 

So what really happened?

Summer Swimming Class

I totally intended to write about this in super late fashion. Surely, there are parents who are now looking for swimming class for their kids this summer. So, here it is!

I enrolled Sophia in Marooners Swimming Program last year. My husband, R and I have long thought about it. We don't want her cooped up here at home doing nothing but watching movies. You know, kids must sweat out their energy so they'd be more behaved when they're out. Seriously, our girl is a water baby. I think her real parents are merpeople! We could have made her take swimming lessons early on but we knew her window of readiness wasn't open yet so we waited for the right age. 6 years old - basically young to have a clean slate of mind for new learning but big enough to follow instructions. Marooners Swimming Program has graduates of Bachelor in Physical Education and Sports from Polytechnic University of the Philippines as instructors and they do their lessons every summer in few cities in Metro Manila. They hold two here in Marikina - one in Palmera Centro and the other in Marquinton Residences. We're lucky that the clubhouse in Palmera is just a few blocks away from home. 

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.

The Day My Daughter Knew That Life Isn't Perfect

We all know that by now - life isn't perfect. It is easier for us adults to face the struggles and trials that come our everyday. We have already explored all the possible emotions that any human being possesses. Experience is the best teacher, they said. Truth, indeed. Sometimes, you wouldn't know how happy you can be with someone until you have lost him. You wouldn't know the importance of something until it was taken away from you. You wouldn't know if you can win or lose until you tried. Life is like that for us adults who have tried, made mistakes, regretted and learned.

What if, all of a sudden, in the midst of your daily mundane house manager activities, your 7-year-old child came to you with tears in her eyes? Mine did yesterday. I allowed her to surf YouTube. Her 4th examinations ended on Wednesday and I knew how bored she can be.

I asked her why. She said, in between sobs, "I feel sad." I probed. "Why does life have to be so sad?" My forehead wrinkled. She continued, "I don't want to lose you and Tatay." Without even thinking where she was coming from, I said, "but you will lose us soon. All of us will die eventually." She cried harder. How stupid can I get? I forgot I was talking to a first grader! I hugged her quickly and figured out it must be a video she watched on YouTube. She showed it to me, sat on my lap and clicked the replay button.

When We Watched Disney Live

A day after my birthday was like a kick-off to my girl's 7th last month. The morning was spent at Art in Island with some of my fellow mommy bloggers and their kids. It was sunny and the wind was a bit cool. The weather was so good for a weekend bonding day with my little BFF. And I thought that that day was perfect, nothing could ruin it. But no, it rained so hard in the late afternoon when we were watching Inside Out at the Gateway Platinum Cinema. It didn't dishearten me, though. After all, we were bound to watch Disney Live at the Kia Theatre. It was just across the mall. No big deal.

I was wrong.

I forgot to bring an umbrella. The lady at the Ticketnet office, named Joanne, failed to render quality customer service. The loot bag from the previous event was super heavy. My daughter was starting to be hangry (hungry and angry, not a typo). And I... I almost melted into humidity. I wanted to scream and punch the face of that bad ticketing lady. I wanted to cry. I wanted to just go home. But when I saw my girl's eyes brimming with excitement, somehow clouded with worry because of what's happening to me, I tried my best to gather my thoughts and become her hero.

I sweet-talked (aka begged) two girls with an umbrella to help my daughter cross the street, while I got soaked under the freezing rain. It was not the wisest idea but it was my last resort. When we got to the ticketing office of Kia Theater, the people there did not have the idea about my free tickets from Mommy Bloggers Philippines. After a call to MBP's Lani (thanks so much dearie) and 30 minutes of waiting, my little lady love and I got in the theater.

Kia Theater is the former New Frontier Theater. It's practically new so it [still] looks really good. The a/c was cool enough and there were no unwanted smell from the carpet (well, compared to some theaters I've been to) but I just didn't like how the chairs were set up. The man in front of us was too tall that we needed to transfer seats just so we can see Mickey and friends. Well, it was not that a big problem because my girl truly enjoyed the concert. In fact, I enjoyed it, too! I got so kilig when Aladdin and Princess Jasmin sang A Whole New World. Le sigh.

Indeed, the obstacles and sweaty armpits that we experienced prior the show were all worth it. Seeing the smile on my daughter's face and hearing her shrieking in delight were the wind to my cape. Thank you, Mommy Bloggers Philippines and Araneta Center for making it happen! I was happy being my baby's hero that day... well, except when she started wondering where Daisy Duck was. Do you know?

Sophia Turns Seven: McDonald's Winx Club Party

I've been meaning to blog about this few days after the event but like what I said on my status on my page, I found no joy in doing so because of this sad cake story. No worries, I have moved on. I realized that what matters most was we made our birthday girl very happy.

R and I originally wished for an out of the country celebration for Sophia's 7th birthday - a trip to Hongkong Disneyland, specifically. Unfortunately, it all depended on my savings since all of R's salary goes to bills, everyday expenses and our girl's school fees. I only had Bebeng's Kitchen then that its earnings weren't enough for the celebration I hoped for. Good thing she chose to have a party with our families and her friends. I think it's the more practical choice that time.

The Sad Cake Story

More than a week after the incident, I'm finally ready to share this story with all of you. Maybe if I will share this here can finally move on from the sad experience. Just like how I said in that terrifying mommy moment, I will try my best not to make this sound like a rant.

July 20, 2015

I told the cake supplier about my plan of getting her service for my daughter's 7th birthday on September. I have helped several mompreneurs in launching their home-based businesses through this blog so I thought of doing the same thing with her. I offered her a blog post and a banner ad on my sidebar in exchange of 50% off on a 2-layer cake (the first layer is made of styro covered with fondant) and 60 pieces of cupcakes. I thought it was a good deal.

The main reason why I got her even if there are better cake suppliers out there was that she is the mom of my girl's bestfriend. 

Learning Through Play with Ogalala World

Three years ago, I decided to send my daughter to a Progressive School. In my judgment as her primary caregiver, I believed that she'd learn more without the concrete structure and routine that most traditional schools offer. Any four-year-old learns best through play. And she did, with flying and sparkling rainbow colors. Now, she'll be a first grader on Monday, in the same school. She can now read a bit, has a good handwriting and is overly excited to learn. "It's fun, 'Nay", that's what she always says. In the deepest corner of my competitive heart, I want her to be on top, I want her to be best in everything. But my mommy heart pounds for something else. I just really want her to have fun and enjoy her daily life as a student. After all, my parenting goal has always been to raise a healthy and happy kid. 

So when Ogalala World invited us to attend a bloggers workshop cum playdate, I nonchalantly said yes. You see, I decided to go to blogging/media events only if it will help me enrich my life as a woman, wife and mom. And my decision was right. 

The Book With No Pictures by B.J. Novak

I've been following a few mom bloggers abroad. And if you are a regular reader of mine, you know that I love this amazing mom from New York City behind Mommy Shorts. Her name is Ilana Wiles. Remember her Evil Baby Glare Off last year? My daughter got in top 6! Anyway, her level of creativity makes me want to be her. As in, when I grow up I want to be Ilana, haha! Of course, I'm kidding. I'm just one of her league of fans. So Ilana posted a photo of this book on her Instagram (kudos to me for finding it amidst her 2,412 posts) and wrote about it on her spectacular site. This fanatic got curious, as always when she posts new stuff. I told myself I'd get one for my girl.

2014 ended just like that and I never got the book for my little bedtime reader. 

Fast forward to one serendipitous day that Amazon put it on a 4-dollar sale. Yay! I thought I can get it and use the remaining money on my PayPal. But then, just before I put it in my cart, I realized the shipping fee will kill my joy eventually. I still didn't give up, though. In the middle of what seemed to be a deep contemplation on how to get one, a message popped on my Facebook. It was from my Florida-based friend who got married this month. She was asking me about the gown as I was one of her secondary sponsors. My friend happened to be my daughter's godmom so I sweet-talked her in buying it for me her godchild. Tee-hee.

Problem solved. 

Selective Sharenting, Please

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I was already a mom when R opened our joint Facebook account. He did it for Farmville. Well, games and our big boys; it's inevitable. Eventually, he opened his own account and I took over the old one. Over the past six years of using it, I regretfully committed cyber sins — I ranted as if I didn't have a friend, spilled out a lot of controversial family issues and shared around a thousand photos of randomness of my little girl. The latter, in all honesty, can cause a dose of eyes rolling from some single humans in my friends' list. In fact, in 2013, The Wall Street Journal coined a term, called sharenting, to emphasize exactly what most parents do in their social media accounts nowadays.

Sharenting is used to describe the overuse of social media by parents who share content based on their children. It is related to the concept of "too much information".

Goodbye, preschool!

I have something to tell you. My system has not fully absorbed the fact yet that was slapped in my face a month ago — my only child is no longer a preschooler. On June, she'll go to class most probably on the 2nd week, along with the rest of the elementary students. Can we say that again? Elementary. 

Sigh. I just can't really make her slow down, eh? 

Easter Egg Painting at Jollibee

So the Easter Sunday happened and unlike most families in my social media accounts, we were (and as of this writing, still are) incomplete. R was at work and it's just Sophia and I, as always. 

Days before that, I was killing time at a Jollibee branch nearby while my girl was at school rehearsing for graduation when one of the crew came to me and told me about the Jollibee Kids Club (JKC) activity for Easter Sunday.