suddenly summer

i knew the first quarter of 2011 was gonna fly by fast, butnotthisfast.


yesterday, i realized, wow, its summer. philippine summer. and today i noticed it was almost 6pm and it was still light outside. 


except it doesn't really feel like it because we are busy getting on with all the things that need doing. lately we have been:


~ buying plants for our garden. our helper E has been using the 3rd day of her 3-day work week clearing the back garden of debris (rusty nails! broken bottles!), trimming the grass and such, and BBB and i have been encouraged to buy some plants to put in. in the back of my mind, i am planning how to dig them up and haul them away for the next time we move. we have purchased a over Php 2000 of various bits like peanut plants, sampaguita, mayana etc. some for blooms, some for color, some for smell, some just because. 


~ trying to get to the LP's pedia to get him a clean bill of health. amoebiasis is not a joke and we wanted to make sure he is all clear. and yes he is, except stool tests indicate he needs to restore his good bacteria. fortunately, he is rediscovering yogurt. he was off it since feb. and he got his booster for the pneumoccocal virus today. jab in the arm. did not cry, but he did give the doc a nasty look to say "what the heck was that for?!" check-up and jab was Php 3500 


~ inquiring about Gymboree's summer program, which is 3x a week (1.5 hours each) from april 25 to may 21. i had thought to make his Gymboree days more frequent in preparation for nursery school (which is 4x a week, 2 hours per). an i guess we are going to do that one. the summer program is Php 9300 for 3 weeks


~ and in preparation for Gymboree nursery school in June, we had to bring LP in for an assessment. which he passed. duh. he is interested in things, can follow instructions, and etc. despite being under 2 years old by june, which is their main requirement.


~ EB the painter/carpenter all around guy has been busy making 2 wardrobes for me and BBB. BBB and i figured that the cost of having 2 custom made is the price of 1 of these store bought ones we don't like. we're talking Php 10,000 for labor and materials for 2 EB custom wardrobes. and because fussiness can be in our blood but dressing out of giant plastic storage boxes is driving me insane, we went for the custom option. it is nothing fancy, but it works. and one day i will post pictures in this blog. 


~ and LP has been busy playing. our helper E has a little boy who is 5 years old, and her youngest daughter is around 10. we don't mind her bringing the kids around (so she can keep her eye on them rather than leaving them home alone) because LP then gets instant playmates! all around fun. and some peaceful work time for me. but i still get up every few minutes to see what they are up to. this house is too big sometimes. 

letter # 040111

dear LP,


sometimes i wish had two lives. one dedicated entirely to bringing you up the best possible way. the other one for me. 


the one for you is obvious now but something you may or may not remember later on ~ letting you pull my hand so you can reach something you want or go somewhere you want to go; catching you every time you spin yourself dizzy or when you want to play rag doll boy; sitting outside with you to watch ants and butterflies; stomping to make big splashes in two inches of bathwater...


but instead, sometimes, my hands are busy cooking dinner or washing the dishes, and i need you to stop being dizzy or being a rag doll so i can concentrate on the phone call i need to make. i need to sit at my laptop instead of sitting with you outside, and i need to turn off the shower taps so we can get on with the day. 


with two such lives, one can always be Mummy, and the other one can be Me. and Me won't have to steal sleep time from Mummy so Me can write the multi-million peso contract that hopefully gets approved. and Me won't have second thoughts about being away on location shoots because Mummy will always be with you. and Me won't have to hurry up on multiple errands because Mummy is looking after you. Me won't get cross when you try to play with the sewing box, and anyway that tempting sewing box full of interesting bits shouldn't be out because really, Me was stealing Mummy's playtime with LP. and you know what? Mummy actually never gets cross because she doesn't have to think about financial independence and other big grown up words like Me does. and Me doesn't have to think twice when a job offer comes her way that requires long hours of concentration doing research and writing, unbroken by things like mixing a bottle of milk, preparing a healthy lunch, and changing nappies. 


and Mummy doesn't cry, like i did yesterday, because i was tired of being mummy and just wanted to be me sometimes. not all the time. just sometimes. 


so help me, ok? and don't bite me when you are overwhelmed with affection for me.