Happy Birthday bunso!

I'm trying to recall when I first learnt about you. It seems so far away now... that memory. But what I can clearly remember was how I felt when I found out that a very tiny you was slowly growing inside my womb. I felt genuinely happy because I know that I was about to give your dad another great news!

Today you celebrate your 11th birthday and I sigh... my baby. I know you will always be that to me - the child of my heart. I thank the Lord everyday for trusting me with the role of motherhood, the opportunity to be a mother to you, your ate, and kuya. I would like to think that I am doing a good job of being that kind of mother.

So as you celebrate your 11th, your dad and I continually pray that you grow up in faith, and in the knowledge that you are loved...you are everything to us!

more on Bunso and our "magma"

I just want to share what my youngest son and I say to each other before going to sleep. I don't know and cannot seem to remember how it started but it has gone on for years...

Me : I love you so much Junior/Butbut/Bunso
Allen : I love you so much too Mama. Ang ganda ganda mo Mama.
Me : Ang pogi pogi mo
Allen : Ang sexy sexy mo, Mama
Me : Ang macho macho mo bunso
Allen : Hindi ko ikaw pagpapalit Mama
Me : Hindi rin kita pagpapalit
Allen : (borrowing a line from a TV Ad) Ang sarap Moo!
Me : (also borrowed line from the same TV Ad) mas masarap Cow!

Then we hug each other tightly with matching body wiggle. lol.

We call this our Mutual Admiration Goodnight "Mantra" (if I may term it as such). Coined as an acronym MAGMA... which can also mean Mag mama or mag ina (mother and son). Perhaps it's corny but often it's such memories that bring us back home when we are all grown ups. Will this ruin him? I don't think so. Will this make him a Mama's boy? I hope not! I have no idea. But I'm just hoping that when he grows up he will recall our "mantra" in fond remembrance...

the Promise

I was in terrible shape the last couple of days - I was feverish, my colds kept me from breathing normally, my cough got me into spasmic fits. I found it hard to get up from bed, I felt utterly useless as I was too weak to cook a decent meal for my family. All the sleepless nights has finally taken its toll...I felt blah! There was even a cookie order that I had to refuse. Weeks back my mom would always remind me to take it easy but I just could not stay put. So there...

One afternoon in bed, I woke up to the soft sobs of my youngest son. I asked him why he was crying and pitifully he said that he wants me to get well. I was trying to comfort him when he stood up and came back with his red stool and a glass of water. He said "Mommy drink water..." I felt so touched (he is the only child left who still looks after me that way, while my 2 other kids were tinkering with their cellphones) boo-hoo.  Then he began sobbing again, my youngest told me "Mommy sorry po sa lahat lahat ng kasalanan ko po sa yo" (Mommy sorry for all the terrible things I've done to you.)  That got me thinking if he acquired this from all the teleserye he gets to watch sometimes on the telly lol. So I took that opportunity to ask him the following questions and our conversation went this way:

Allen: Mommy sorry po sa lahat lahat ng kasalanan ko po sa yo.

Mom: (hugs Allen) Aww baby that's okay but promise me that you will be a good boy ok?

Allen: (with matching nods) Opo Mommy (Yes, mommy)

Mom: Promise hindi ka na magla-lie kay Mommy? (do you promise not to lie to Mommy?)

Allen: Opo Mommy. Promise.

Mom: Promise hindi mo na aahitin ang kilay mo? (do you promise not to shave your eyebrows?)

Allen: Opo Mommy. Promise.

Mom: Promise hindi mo na aawayin si Kuya at si Ate? (do you promise not to fight with your siblings?)

Allen: Opo Mommy

Mom: Okay sige panghahawakan ko yung promise mo. (ok I will hold on to your promise)

Allen: (hugs mom and sobs some more) I love you mommy

Awwwww! (how sweet it is to be loved by you!)