Conversations with Baz and Hadrien (Part 3)

I dread the day when they boys would rather converse with their peers than with Raffy and me. At 2 and 4, the boys look to us to answer their questions, read them books (with matching sound effects), etc. The advantage of bringing the kids with us everyday is that we are able to talk with them on the ride to and from the house. Thus, most of the funny conversations happen in the car.

Hadrien: I have to pee!
Yaya Andora then patiently frees him from the carseat and helps him relieve himself in a bottle - Hadrien has taken to refusing the diaper :) After half a minute, nothing happens and Yaya proceeds to put him back.
Hadrien: I better pee, I better pee! The green bottle - I'm going to make apple jut (juice)!
This exchange continues for a good 3 minutes. I guess the anticipation of seeing apple juice got the better of him :) .... When indeed, he managed to pee -
Hadrien: Look kuya, look!!! It's apple juice o!

The Pasig River is one of the boys' favorite topics en route to Makati. When Baz was afraid of a particular toy, Raffy told him that he threw it in the Pasig River. After that, Baz seemed plagued with guilt as he constantly asked about the toy. Thankfully, he forgot about the toy. So, whenever we'd go over the river, Baz's questions would revolve around whether the river was clean or dirty. He also asks when he would be able to swim in it (ah... never?!) I guess all rivers are "Pasig River" to the boys as this clip will show you.



Untitled from malou.khan and Vimeo.

Two weeks ago, Raffy decided to bring the boys to Luneta. He pointed out the statue of Jose Rizal, explaining that he is our national hero and that he was killed by the Spaniards. Baz did not seem too interested in this bit of information preferring to run past the guards just as the 10-second changing of the guards show was proceeding. We then went to the wall where Rizal's Mi Ultimo Adios was etched -

Raffy: This is the last poem that Jose Rizal wrote.
Baz: Can you read it?
(Raffy reads a couple of lines.)

Baz: What happened after he wrote that poem?
Raffy: He died.
Baz: And then he became a statue?

"I'm sleeping!"

Bedtime for the boys is at 9pm on weekdays (10pm on weekends). With that bedtime, Hadrien wakes at around 7am, and Baz, an hour later. It doesn't mean they actually fall asleep at nine o'clock, though. If they can help it, they'll play or read or draw until fatigue, which if unregulated can extend to midnight. So it's lights out by bedtime, no arguments.

They'll usually spend a few more minutes talking - to me, their Mommy, Yaya Dora or to each other - and they'll come up with all sorts of excuses just to get up and walk about. Baz'll say that he wants to pee, which Hadrien will second, and since you can't second guess them on that, they both get to go to the toilet and stand there looking around but not actually peeing. Then Hadrien will ask for water, and attempt to walk out to the kitchen with you to get it.

So after about 10 to 15 minutes of this I'll say that I'm just going to step out for five minutes but when I come back I will tickle whoever isn't sleeping. Five minutes later they're both still awake, but at least, are pretending to sleep. I'll ask, "Who's not sleeping?" And usually Baz will giggle but keep his eyes shut, consistent with the fiction that he's asleep. Sometimes he'll make "tow...tow" sounds (think Darth Vader breathing through his mask, but less forbidding), which to him is like snoring.

Hadrien, meantime, can't help but open his eyes,and when he sees me looking at him, will immediately shut them (really tight) and say, "I'm sleeping." Then he'll open his eyes a few seconds later, and say, "I love you Daddy. Can I kiss woo goodnight?" Kiss. "Can I hug woo?" Hug.

They're really asleep another 15 minutes after that.

Conversations with Baz and Hadrien (Part 2)

As we approached Tektite Towers, around 6 pm, the only time when the fountain is most likely to be "on" -

Baz: Fountain is off.
Hadrien: On!!!
(back and forth.... turns out the fountain was on....)

Baz: You're right, Hadrien, the fountain is on.
Hadrien: You're wrong Kuya! You're not right.. The fountain is on!

On the way to school, the perennial debate is what type of music we should be listening to -

Hadrien: I want wock (rock), Mommy!
Baz: Wock is not good.
Hadrien: Rock is good.
Baz: Classical nawang (na lang)
Hadrien: Classical is not good.

Remembering a discussion during circle time in school...

Baz: The egg will hatch!
Mommy: Do birds lay eggs?
Baz: Yes!!!
Mommy: Do fish lay eggs?
Baz: Yes!!!
Mommy: Do people come from eggs? (While wondering how advanced their study of the reproductive system these days are... Baz, after all, is only 4 years old)
Baz: No, they are born alive!

While inaccurately recounting the prior exchange to Raffy -

Mommy: Do birds have eggs?
Baz: Yes!
Mommy: Do fish have eggs?
Baz: Yes!
Mommy: Do people have eggs?
Baz: Yes, in the ref!