The Big C and the Picky Eater

I did not expect her to be asking about the missing boobies this early.

But this morning while she was waiting for me to finish dressing up for work, she popped the question: "Mommy, san na (pointing to my left chest)?" (Mommy, where did it go?)

When we were in Antique, I was amazed at how my sister trained my nephew, Gogol, to eat his veggies and fruits. It turns out, she always tells him he'll get cancer if he doesn't eat healthy food. So Gogol does what he is told. He's a very good boy at the dining table. :))

It was a light bulb moment for me. When I heard the question I grabbed the opportunity to inject just enough scare factor on her so she can start eating right. Guess what, it worked! Right after our conversation she moved out of the room, pointed at the fruits on the table and asked for a serving. Talk of taking drastic measures. But a mom's gotta do what she has to do. Hehe.

Here's how the conversation went (sorry I had to share them in Tagalog):

Maia: Mommy, san na?

Me: Inalis ni Doc 'nak. Kasi nagkaroon si Mommy ng cancer kailangan tanggalin ni Doc para mawala na at gumaling si Mommy.

Maia: Ayaw ko ke doc, Mommy. Ayaw ko.

Me: Naku wag ka matakot ke Doc 'nak. Pinagaling nga nya si Mommy eh. Pero para ikaw wag magka-cancer dapat kumakain ka ng gulay at fruits. Si Mommy nung bata ayaw sa mga yun kaya ayan nagka-cancer.

Maia: (labas sa room) Mommy o...mangoes. Kain ako!

You should have seen the silly smile on my face. I just hope this conversation sticks to her memory long enough till her taste buds get use to them veggies and fruits.

Homecoming treats

I come from a family who is quite liberal when it comes to religion. So holy week is never really holy in our household. But what we really look forward to during these times are our mini-reunions. Since my sister and I both had our own families and have been living away from home for quite sometime now, holy week vacations have become a much bigger treat for my parents and siblings. Of course, more than the idea of having the big sisters around it is the kids who really make these vacations extra special.

We are not big on home parties but we always try to find something special to do. Last year we checked in to a newly opened resort in Guimaras and toured the kids around the island to sea starfishes and sea anemones and various corals. They had a blast! This year though we did not have the luxury of time to go somewhere else other than Antique so we settled for a nice swim at a nearby beach. Kids still loved it!

I'm sharing some photos from our recent trip home. I can't wait for next year. I hope we'll have more time to bond by then!

(Yay! I'm learning to navigate picasa and am really starting to love it! It's a very useful tool for people like me who will never learn any photoediting software) Collage sidebar (counterclockwise from the top: my dad teaching Maia how to ride the tire swing while my nephew Gogol makes his crazy pose, kids enjoying an al fresco brekky with my centenarian grandma - 101 and counting!, Maia shopping for her own clay made cooking set, Huwadhuwad and Ibus from the Friday market, Maia and me by the sunset, Beautiful sunset at one of the nearby beaches, Maia's flower bouquet (yes she did the bouquet all by herself), Welcome to Antique sign!

I am Blessed

If I can get away with it, I will choose to rid of all the drama.

But I don't think life has offered me that as an option. It was always either about learning to dodge them or making it through them.

I've always made it through. But that does not always go to show that I chose to fight to make it thru. It always just seem to happen that I get the extra energy boost at that point when I feel like letting go and giving up. I always end up prouder of myself though. And probably that is why somehow someone up there took upon himself to send me the extra boost to make it thru. He wants me to feel triumphant after every drama. He wants me to savor that moment. He wants me to count my blessings.

So everyday, I end up counting and counting. Yes, I am blessed after all. Always am.

Hello There!

I've taken a hiatus far too long from writing. And I miss it so much.

I hope to be back on my feet from this day on.

Early this week I had a light bulb moment. And I'm hoping to make that light bulb moment translate into something more realistic soon.

But for now, please bear with bulleted updates of my boring life. That I will try to do at least weekly if that would help me get back into writing mode.

Health-wise I've just gotten over my beginning of the year C-blues and I'm hoping the last few bits of them are finally gone. It seems like I always begin the year with a cancer scare. I hope next year it will be different. For now, I end this short welcome post for me with a very grateful tone. Being around to welcome the new year is always a good sign for me. Knowing that I still have a full year to make things right and make good, wonderful memories with people I love makes me feel very, very grateful. :)

One day more

I woke up feeling a little woozy. I would like to think that this was because I was overworked the other day and went home around 9pm already. For the past few months now, my eyes have been sending me signals of how abusive I have been of them. I've always taken for granted my eyes. And many times, I've thought of stopping on some eye center to have them checked but I always tend to forget the last minute. Anyways, my point is there are days when everything just seem blurry and the nausea just intensifies. I just close my eyes and it goes away.

My doctor told me another reason why I've been feeling nauseous is because I've been spending nights and nights and nights thinking too much of things that are still too early to worry on at this point. But I can't help it. Can you blame me?

Last week, I wanted to shut myself out from the world. This week, I've improved a little. I started talking to the hubby already. The burden lightened a bit. But the worry didn't go away.

Tomorrow, Thursday I will take that test again. And I can almost picture what I will see. I am ready. But again, if it turns out to be the thing that I worry the most these days I would like to be happy. I really do. I hope I will be.

Dear God, I already lifted everything up to you. I know you will take care of us. You always do.