My 13 Thoughts on Your 13th Birthday This August 13

13. I've been a mom for 13 years now. (Who would've thought i'd get this far?)

12. This is a new chapter for you and me. Everybody says the teenage years are the most challenging for parents but the most memorable for their children. I hope we could get through this together and you arrive at your adulthood and my senior life both of us unscathed. (So help us God.)

11. I'd appreciate it if we could stay friends throughout. You did promise me when you were 4 years old that you wouldn't keep secrets from me. So let's take it from there, shall we? It's best to tell your ol' mom your joys, sorrows, triumphs, problems and I promise to be the best listener. Ever.

10. Your sister is your friend as well. I hope and pray that you nurture your relationship with her. Make her feel that she's protected and loved by her older brother. Remember that your future girlfriends will take particular note of how you treat your mother and sister.

9. Though your Dad is not physically present, know that he loves you very much. And you know you can always ask him for guidance and advice on things you cannot ask me. ('Cause he is still the best Dad in the world.)

8. Learning in school is the most important thing to do during your teenage years. It sets the foundation of how you will turn out in your adult life. You wanna be successful yeah? Study hard. It will all be worth it when the time comes and you will be thankful.

7. Independence is something you have started wanting for the past year. The more you will want it in the next years. I'm giving it to you. I give it to you and I trust that you will make sound, reasonable and  balanced decisions. I will always be here to give you advice and guidance. (Just put down your phone and talk to me.)

6. What do I always tell you? Your character is what you do when no one else sees you. Even when no one sees you, always do what is right. And kind. Pray wherever and whenever. There's no limit.

5. Your success in life will be all your doing. No one else's. You define your future. And even your present. (I mean, your now, your present. Not gift. I know what you're thinking.)

4. Don't worry about your height. You'll grow much taller than you already are. Believe me. (I know.)

3. Hugs and kisses and "I love yous' should never EVER run out. You hear me? It reassures me that I'm doing good as your mother.

2. All my promises, I will fulfill them. Not always immediately, but rest assured that I'm trying everything to keep them. I hope you fulfill yours too. 

1. Enjoy your teenage years, my son. How you will live your life at 31 will depend on how you will live your life at 13 onwards.

"There's this boy who stole my heart.

He calls me Mom."

12th

The little big man is turning 12 years old today. I can't believe I've been a mother for a dozen years already. We've had a lot to go through as mother and son. He's my little knight who gets me through my down days, inspires me to go further who hugs and kisses me at just the right moments.

Like last night, i posted this picture on my instagram a few minutes before midnight. Then I turned off the lights and cozied up in between him and the little girl. At exactly 12:00, officially his birthday, I nudged him and whispered in his ear, Happy birthday.

He was in deep sleep i know but he moved a bit and he kissed me on the cheek and hugged me to him and whispered, I love you too.

That teared me up.

~~~~~~

"Son, you outgrew my lap but never my heart."

~read from somewhere

happy birthday little big man

dear little big man,

today is your 10th birthday.  i am so happy to see how you've grown so well into your 2-digit age.  you've brought a lot of pride and happiness to me and your dad  these past century of our life.  i want to thank you for that.

i only wish you to fulfill your big dreams.  learning everything you can in school, becoming a taekwondo black belt and competing and winning in your sport.  becoming a loving kuya to your little sister and an obedient son too.  often when we're praying silently, you would ask me what my prayer for myself is.  and i'd tell you that whatever you prayed for, i prayed to God that He give it to you as long as it is what He intended for you.  eversince i had you, i only wished for nothing but your complete happiness.  for it will make me happy as well.

son, please grow up to be a better man.  let's overcome life's obstacles together.  i'll be in front but please promise me that you will be behind me -- my back-up.

i love you, today and always.

mom

6th on a high

the little girl celebrated her 6th birthday yesterday.  the occasion fell on a maundy thursday and weeks ahead, i already had it figured out that we'd just go to the mall, eat at a nice resto that she's never eaten in before, get her birthday cake and go shopping.

a lot of things did not fall into place though.  

we realized a few days before that the car registration has expired at the end of march so we had to commute.  well, we rode a cab.  

it turned out that there were no malls open.  metro manila was a ghost town every year during this time so what (the heck) were we thinking!  so we directed the cab to go to nearby qc memorial circle where the hubby and i knew there were nice restos at least.  

once there, most of the restos were CLOSED as well.  how lucky can our birthday girl get?!  i did not want to give up and not make her special day a fun day.  hubby argued we should just go to a nearby mcdonald's or jollibee where he was sure the kids would have fun.  but i was insistent that we go somewhere we don't usually go to.  alas, we found a bacolod chicken inasal packed with people right beside the max's resto which was also closed.

so we ordered.  and ended up not happy with the food either.  the hubby cooks way, way better than what was served us.

i was frustrated as hell. 

so we walked around under the trees while the kids tried to have fun.  we watched some parkour guys practicing until somebody directed us to the kid' play area.  that's when the  F - U - N started.

Julla's birthday on a HIGH

40

and so the week of my birthday has come and gone.  there were no  surprises, nothing spectacular or extra-ordinary happened.  it just went by like any ordinary week.  except that i got to take a leave from work for 3 straight days without the guilt-trip.  (yes, i do sometimes feel guilty when i'm absent from work.)  and life just moved on for everybody else without them noticing that, hey,  i'm now 40.  

i am thankful for all the greetings.  most especially, the time spent with my kids doing whatever we want, going wherever we want and sleeping as long as i want.  ahhh... the rewards of growing old.  the best things in life are free.

birthday boy

the little big man turned 9 years old last saturday.  

i can only look at him in awe as i watched him play milo little olympics yesterday.  he's grown so much is an understatement.  he's physically grown.  proven by the fact that whenever he sleeps beside me and he throws his legs and arms over me, i feel choked and helpless under his weight.  

his taekwondo skills have way improved and his level of maturity in the game has drastically upped over the last couple of weeks.  we saw how we beat his opponent in the first game through sudden death.  his shot was so clear and precise, no biased referee can discount it.  we saw how, in his second game, he fell two times and lost to that palarong pambansa champ and not shed a tear, his poker face undaunted, his will to win and pride in himself still in tact but maintaining humility in his stance.

emotionally, he still has a lot of growing to do.  as a kuya (older brother) to his sister, we still have a lot to work on.  we have a lot of time to do that.  bottomline, despite their frequent quarrels, at the end of the day, they still know they love each other more than anything.

in school, he's improved a lot too.  he's still talkative and all that, says what he wants and comments on everything.  but he's a fast learner and once challenged, always strives to better himself.

it's maybe been a year since he told me he wanted his own cellphone.  and eversince, the hubby and i always tell him that when he's responsible enough, by that we meant not losing his ballpens, his ID or getting dirt on his school uniform, that's the time when he gets that cellphone.  

well, within the few weeks before his 9th birthday, he still lost a pen or two but not as much as before. 

and that much coveted cellphone? 

the sweetest thing

 
i am the mother of the sweetest boy in the world.  somebody told me that a mother always has a favorite among her children, which i firmly disagree with in my case.  but if i compare my two children, my boy is the sweet and thoughtful type opposite my girl's tough and "mataray" personality.  which gives him some sort of edge in a way.

take this for instance.  on my birthday, i took a leave from work to relax and have a worry-free day.  we didn't do anything to celebrate as a family.  the kids went to school, i stayed at home, the hubby was here and there.  before going to sleep that night, the little big man asked me why i didn't have a cake.  i told him nobody gave me one which, by the look on his face, set him thinking.  then he went out and talked to his dad.  after a while, he was in the loo relieving himself then he called out to me.

di ka ba nalulungkot wala kang cake?

(which means he is still thinking about it)

ayus lang.  ganun naman talaga.  pag birthday nyo,  pinapasaya ko kayo. e pag birthday ko  alangan naman ako rin magpasaya sa sarili ko.

(i was unintentionally making him feel guilty.  so shoot me.)

mommy, sorry ha wala kang cake.

later, i found out from his dad that he asked him to buy a cake for me and that he was going to keep me busy so i won't notice his dad gone to buy that cake.  but his dad declined and said they'll buy tomorrow coz it's already late in the evening.

[the next day, my office mate gave me a surprise birthday cake after i told her about this little conversation and when i got home, i told the little big man that i got one already.  he had the biggest, sweetest smile on his face.]

the new year

i turned 39 years old two days ago.  so technically, MY new year just started.  i can't believe i've already lived this long and i actually, honestly feel still young....like 2o-something.  no kidding!  maybe it's because i've not really grown THAT old physically.  and largely coz of my height, many people still look at me like i'm a teenager. *grin*

so i'm starting my year right.  first off, i am trying to not dwell on the bad times and concentrate on a brighter future.  it's hard, considering what i've been through (which i really don't want to talk about in a public blog which, well, ironically, doesn't have a lot of readers).

starting fresh means:

1. our new (temporary) dwelling where we moved in 2 weeks ago

2. my new samsung galaxy tab (which made me so happy; call me materialistic but it's the best gift i got so far)

3. a renewed faith through feast valenzuela which we hope to go to at least every month, if not every week

4. being together with hubby in a renewed life too

of course, there's still my love for the kids and my parents and my brothers and their families -- that will never, ever fade.

 happy birthday to me.

my two birthday cakes:

from alfie, cherry cheesecake from banapple whose toppings fell to the sides

from nem, ube cake from red ribbon

oh and 2 dozen ube mamons

so it's my bday

will have a relaxed, worry-free day.

of arabesques and birthday cakes

 
little girl julla turned 4 last monday.

coincidentally, it was her first day in summer ballet class.  the family was in full force to support her -- the dad, the mom, the brother AND the cousin.  all five of us trooped to nty children's camp to root for our little ballerina.

flashback to several weeks ago.

mom i want a birthday cake shaped like a heart.  color pink.

mom and little girl in front of the computer watching videos from youtube of ballet dancers, recitals, etc.  mom i want to dance like that.  

little girl at her moving up ceremonies.  my name is jullana ysbel c. dela cruz.  someday i want to be a teacher and dancer.  i believe that if i do my best, God will do the rest.

fast forward to three days before monday.

3 tulog na lang, magb-birthday na ko. 4 years old na ko.

two days before monday.

2 tulog na lang, magb-birthday na ko. 4 years old na ko.

one day before.

1 tulog na lang, magb-birthday na ko. 4 years old na ko.

on her birthday, her dad was first to inform her that, yes, today is already your birthday.  he nudged her, her eyes slowly opened, brightened then she squealed in glee.  

she did not get the heart-shaped cake.  and we did not get to watch her in class because we were asked to wait for them outside.  she didn't have a big event party, just her cake, spaghetti, fried chicken and biko.  but watch her do the arabesque and basic steps of ballet and you'll know that even if there wasn't any major celebration, her birthday was especially memorable for her.

that's her in ballet class with teacher april

it's the time of the year

yes, it's my birthday month.  i'm turning 38 on monday.  whew!  so let me just post this short one, some points to ponder on as i turn a new leaf in this thing called life.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

George Carlin's Views on Ageing

Do you realise that the only time in our lives when we like to get old is when we're kids? If you're less than 10 years old, you're so excited about ageing that you think in fractions.

'How old are you?' 'I'm four and a half!' You're never thirty-six and a half. You're four and a half, going on five! That's the key

You get into your teens, now they can't hold you back. You jump to the next number, or even a few ahead.

'How old are you?' 'I'm gonna be 16!' You could be 13, but hey, you're gonna be 16! And then the greatest day of your life .... .. You become 21. Even the words sound like a ceremony. YOU BECOME 21. YESSSS!!!

But then you turn 30. Oooohh, what happened there? Makes you sound like bad milk! He TURNED; we had to throw him out. There's no fun now, you're Just a sour-dumpling. What's wrong? What's changed?

You BECOME 21, you TURN 30, then you're PUSHING 40. Whoa! Put on the brakes, it's all slipping away.. Before you know it, you REACH 50 and your dreams are gone.

But wait!!! You MAKE it to 60. You didn't think you would!

So you BECOME 21, TURN 30, PUSH 40, REACH 50 and MAKE it to 60.

You've built up so much speed that you HIT 70! After that it's a day-by-day thing; you HIT Wednesday!

You get into your 80's and every day is a complete cycle; you HIT lunch; you TURN 4:30 ; you REACH bedtime. And it doesn't end there Into the 90s, you start going backwards; 'I Was JUST 92.'

Then a strange thing happens. If you make it over 100, you become a little kid again. 'I'm 100 and a half!'
May you all make it to a healthy 100 and a half!!

HOW TO STAY YOUNG

1. Throw out nonessential numbers. This includes age, weight and height. Let the doctors worry about them. That is why you pay 'them'

2. Keep only cheerful friends. The grouches pull you down.

3. Keep learning. Learn more about the computer, crafts, gardening, whatever. Never let the brain idle. 'An idle mind is the devil's workshop.'
And the devil's name is Alzheimer's.

4. Enjoy the simple things.

5. Laugh often, long and loud. Laugh until you gasp for breath.

6. The tears happen. Endure, grieve, and move on. The only person, who is with us our entire life, is ourselves. Be ALIVE while you are alive.

7. Surround yourself with what you love , whether it's family, pets, keepsakes, music, plants, hobbies, whatever. Your home is your refuge.

8. Cherish your health: If it is good, preserve it. If it is unstable, improve it. If it is beyond what you can improve, get help.

9.. Don't take guilt trips. Take a trip to the mall, even to the next country; to a foreign country but NOT to where the guilt is.

10. Tell the people you love that you love them, at every opportunity.

AND ALWAYS REMEMBER :
Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but  by the moments that take our breath away.

the 35th

It's my hubby's birthday...he's 35. Well, we've come a long way. We've known each other for like 13-14 years. It's been a roller-coaster ride. We've certainly had our ups and downs and sometimes I must admit, I still wonder if I made the right decision to marry him. But usually, at the end of the day, I would always tell myself that I love him anyway and I would always want to take care of him.