guess who's cooking!

so i've been proud of the little achievements i've had about cooking for the family. 

but today, the little big man did it too. a couple of times, i've told him that it's about time he learns to cook simple meals, and rice. so last night, i taught him, with the lights out and we were about to go to sleep, how to cook instant noodles. i was specific about how to turn the stove on and off because i don't want him causing a fire or getting himself burned. i told him the danger of turning it on and not having any flame being that the gas is coming out in the air and he doesn't know it and once he clicks it again, it might burst into flames. yeah, quite morbid to imagine but it's better that he knows than to regret later.

this morning, he texted me and asked again the step by step procedure. i called him and again, told him how to fire up the stove, how many cups of water to put for 2 packs, when to put in the noodles, when to pour the seasoning, how to find out if it's cooked...i told him again to be extra careful with the stove and to make sure it's turned off after cooking.

in less than 30 minutes, he texted me: 

Mommy success! Ang sarap 15 May 2014  9:49am

i'm so proud of him. he's learning to be a more responsible young man everyday. he still has a lot to learn i know, but these baby steps are all he needs and he'll be on his way. makes me a bit dreadful that soon he won't need me anymore. just this morning, he was talking about going out and exploring the world on his bike. i told him he can only bike around the neighborhood but never outside the subdivision but i will never know for sure, right? the last month, he and his little sister have been on their own during mornings (being that it's summer break here) and although they still fight a lot, i know that soon, he will be able to take on, seriously, his role as big brother.

i only pray for him and the little girl that God guides them always and that i will be able to instill in them the right values and morals they need to become the best that they can be when they grow up.

It's easier to build strong children

than to repair broken men.

~Frederick Douglass

Weaning

My tweet of the day:

Kids' first day with the school bus service. Weaning them or weaning me, I don't know which.

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? 

four

i did mention that we've sort of officially adopted the teenage godson yeah?  when that boy was a baby, the hubby was still the boyfriend at the time, i took care of him and loved him like my own.  now that he's grown, still needing  parental love and care, we're still here for him because we've accepted the fact that he needs us.

and then there's the other godson.

i've been ranting, but not blogging, about how irresponsible parents he had and why the heck they're making others, hubby and i in particular, take responsibility over his needs.  just last week, i decided to shun him out because i felt abused by his parents, letting him stay at our house during the holy week break, and THEN making him come back the very next day after i returned him to their house and THEN telling my mom i am discriminating their son.

until a spark of enlightenment came over the hubby yesterday morning and told me, you know what, it's not that boy's fault.  he is already unlucky that his parents aren't taking care of him and can't give him their best time and effort.  and while our kids are enjoying our love and affection, why not let him share in that?  after all, God has been blessing us so much that maybe, He wants us to be a blessing to others as well.  and just like that, we decided to take him in and be pseudo parents to him as well. 

it's a liberating feeling to accept something that i've staved off for so long. 
so now here's our little, but growing, brood of 4....