Shoe-ssess

Let me preface this with .... I SHOULD HAVE DONE THIS SOONER!!!!

The Kinder Koala's Shoes culminating activity was held October last year. And it took me more than 4 months to blog about it. Sorry, Hadrien! You'll see .... I'll make it up to you.

The theme on shoes came after "sari-sari" store. In keeping with the theme, instead of footprints, the path leading to the Kinder Koala's room was peppered with cut outs of various kinds of shoes, hand painted by Hadrien and his classmates. This set the stage for a month-filled activities involving shoes. Even if Hadrien skipped school for about 2 weeks to attend Tita Bel's wedding in Dubrovnik, he was on shoe-theme mode making sure he took pictures of the shoes he saw:




These were nifty additions to the kinds of shoes he learned in school - sneakers, ballet shoes, slippers, boots, ice skates, etc. His new-found expertise on shoes also added a good 5-minute to our routine everyday as he showed off his knowledge on the parts of a shoe - outsole, insole, heel, vamp and accessories (e.g., glitter, buckles, velcro, straps, etc). Or when he insisted on wearing black leather shoes and white sport socks on days when he was already dressed in shorts. (At this point, I might suggest adding to the lesson which shoes go with which outfit... sneakers do not need shoe polish or that black polish should not be applied to brown shoes.... but I digress...) On some days, he went through our shoe drawers to to point out that shoes could be made out different materials - such as rubber, leather and fabric.

They were supposed to go on a field trip to Marikina to see how shoes are manufactured. But because of Ondoy which inundated Marikina and other parts of the Metro, they decided to collect shoes and other donations for people who make shoes. This was a great lesson in itself.

During the culminating activity, the Koalas recited "There Was An Old Woman Who Lived In a Shoe" and another poem which they composed. They also sang and danced to a couple of shoe songs. They held an exhibit where they showed off their shoe designs (both sketches and actual finished products) and allowed us to see and touch a sampling of shoes. We were allowed and encouraged to ask the kids questions. And they were mostly NOT shy to answer our questions. It was an activity filled morning - with the parents and yayas getting the chance to play shoe relay and nibble on shoe-shaped cookies.

I must mention that T. Jojie even came dressed with a pretty-shoe-printed blouse. Talagang sticking to the theme!

See Kwet

The boys like secrets (or as Hadrien says it - See Kwets). I'd see them huddling in a corner, whispering into each others ears and I'd smell trouble. For the most part, Baz is able to keep secrets. But it's not the same from Hadrien, who, once you give him a pleading look, easily gives in and spills the beans.

Last Monday, as the kids were preparing to say their evening prayers, Hadrien says he has a secret. It didn't take long for him to share that it was his favorite girl's birthday the following day.

H: Mommy, it's B's birthday tomorrow and she llllllllliiiiiikes strawberry cupcakes (with matching gigil face).

M: Do you have something to give her tomorrow?

H: No, but I have a plan. Tomorrow, early morning, yaya must go and buy a strawberry cupcake.

Yaya interjects and asks me if Hadrien told me his secret.

H: Mommy, my secret is that B is still my girlfriend. But don't tell D as D might tell B and B might tell T (who apparently is B's original or real girlfriend).

The "konsitedor" that we are - the next day, Raffy and I were on hand to buy B some strawberry shortcake and personally deliver it to H's classroom, with a home-made crown fashioned from orange cartolina (according to Hadrien's specs).

There's more - he wanted to make sure B knew exactly how he felt. He actually sang 4 songs for her, 3 of which were christmas songs :0



A couple of days later, as I brought Hadrien to his classroom, I spied T walking behind us. I asked Hadrien if I could tell T his secret. He froze and furiously shook his head. I guess when it counts, Hadrien can really keep a secret :)

Update: B's yaya told us B liked the Strawberry Shortcake from the little mokong. Wagi!

Wait A Minute Mr. Postman

Teacher Jojie sent me this hilarious video of the mokong during the class field trip to the post office. I just had to post immediately. Thanks, T. Jojie! Very much appreciated.



On the way home from the office, I was trying to get the kids to tell me what happened during the day.

M: Who went to Renaissance for swimming?

Baz raises his hand.

M: Who went to the post office?

Hadrien raises his hand.

M: Who sent Mommy a letter?

Hadrien raises his hand.

M: Aha! I know your secret!

Hadrien: But it's not a letter, it's a painting!

M: Aha!

Hadrien: But you don't know what it looks like! (with pride as if he won the argument)

Sweet Hadrien

The brothers are best of friends. They talk incessantly that we need to make sure that the lights are out in their bedroom by 8 pm, if we expect them to be asleep by 9. While we sometimes get impatient that it takes them so long to fall asleep, Raffy and I find it extremely amusing to hear them make up stories, finish each others' sentences and giggle at each others' quips.

They also look out for each other. Hadrien being the "maton" takes special care of his kuya when they're out in public. One time, a 3 year old playfully threw her shoes at Baz, and Hadrien didn't hesitate to retaliate (I won't say how as I don't want to incriminate my own son!).

The day after the fire in our building, the boys had to wear the same pair of pants since we didn't have spare clothes for our impromptu sleep-over in Alabang. Perhaps because Hadrien was wearing hand-me-downs which had been passed on to him only weeks before, Baz insisted on wearing the pair that Hadrien already had on. Hadrien was bothered that Baz was upset but naturally, wasn't prepared to give up his own pants for his kuya who had his own pair anyway. After 30 minutes or so, he checked up on his kuya saying "I love you, Kuya!" to which Baz responded: "Can I have your pants now?"

Two days ago, over lunch, there were just 4 tiny pieces of crispy fish which the boys love. Baz was busy with his Lego blocks and Hadrien scrambled to get what we thought was for him. But instead, he took 2 pieces and put them on Baz's plate before getting his own share!

The bond does not go unnoticed. Someone from Baz's school remarked at how the boys would be so pleased to see each other after school.

Hadrienisms Part 2

The boys have an accent. For Hadrien specially, it's because he can't, or refuses to, enunciate some letters preferring instead to emphasize the vowels in the syllables with consonants "r" and "l". His teachers told us once that Hadrien gets upset they can't decipher what he's trying to say. But instead of saying the word more slowly, he just repeats himself but with a louder voice, and a frustrated look to match.

Lately though, he's trying to figure out different ways to help us understand what he's saying.

H: Yaya, can I have kwa-kes? (crackers)

Yaya: What?! Cockroach?!@#$%

H: No, sky-fakes!

____________

H: Look at that tuck!

Mommy: What tuck?

Y: The big car behind us!

_____________

H: Is Venice on "Ot" (earth)

M: What's "ot"?

H: The pa-net (planet) , hee (here), where we ah!

Hadrien's 4th!

The Little Mokong turns four years old today! This year, Kuya Baz and Daddy are with him, but sadly Mommy is abroad (this time last year, Mommy and Kuya Baz had gone ahead to the States, and Daddy and Hadrien followed two weeks later).

So we started out the day with the usual greeting sign on the wall -



- and opening the birthday gifts.

Kuya Baz and Daddy went to get these gifts (Buzz Lightyear on a scooter, and Emperor Zurg, both chosen by Baz) in secret yesterday, separating from Hadrien, Gramma, Gramps and Yaya in Rockwell mall to go to the toy store. Earlier, when he had been asked what he wanted for his birthday, the Little Mokong had specified, "Something we don't have ... but it has to be for '4 and up.'"



Then a video call with Mommy, followed by a little jumping around.
















Instead of dinner this year, since it was a Saturday we went out to lunch at Milky Way.





Auntie Na-a made a gorgeous theme cake, with Baloo and Kaa from "The Jungle Book," as requested by Hadrien.





Hadrien blew out the "4" candle, but seems to have caught Kuya's bias against singing the Happy Birthday song, which we had to recite instead of sing.



With Ninang Genni:



Hadrien even brought Tito Jolly's birthday gift, a combination bag/pillow/blanket stuffed toy monkey that Hadrien dubbed "Matoy."



You're a Big Boy now, our Little Mokong! As Kuya Baz said, "time to be more independent!"

My Empathetic Hadrien

Sometime June of this year, I read "Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus" to Hadrien. In the story, the bus driver asks the audience to make sure the determined little pigeon doesn't drive the bus. I'd read each line to him and ask him if he would let the pigeon drive the bus. At first, Hadrien decidedly said "no"! Until the clever little pigeon promised to be his best friend or give him 5 bucks and complained that he never got to do anything. I guess the pigeon pushed the right buttons it didn't take long until Hadrien's lips quivered, his eyes swelled with tears and he asked me "But why mommy? Why can't he drive the bus?" Needless to say, by the end of the story, my sweet compassionate 3 year old cried and was inconsolable - even if by then, the crafty little pigeon had his eyes set on driving a truck!

As we read the book over and over and over in the days, weeks and months that followed, Hadrien memorized each page and could read the book by himself. But instead of saying "don't let the pigeon drive the bus", he'd say "yes, let the pigeon drive the bus!"

Last night, I read the sequel "Don't Let the Pigeon Stay Up Late!" to Baz and Hadrien. Anticipating that Hadrien would take the side of the pigeon, I solicited Baz's help. As expected, Hadrien quickly succumbed to the pigeon's attempts at conversation so that he could stay up late. Even as Baz warned Hadrien not to answer the pigeon's questions, there was no stopping Hadrien :)

______

Here's a picture of my little mokong. I was working on the computer yesterday when he came up to me excitedly - and .... lo and behold!!!!

Sunrise, Sunset

Looking at the kids' pictures over the years always makes me nostalgic. But there's something about barongs, weddings, and watching your kids walk down the aisle (even if they're only ring or coin or bible bearers) that just brings tears to my eyes.

This song now seems so real --

Is this the little girl I carried?
Is this the little boy at play?

I don't remember growing older
When did they?


When did she get to be a beauty?
When did he grow to be so tall?

Wasn't it yesterday
When they were small?





Sunrise, sunset
Sunrise, sunset
Swiftly flow the days
Seedlings turn overnight to sunflowers
Blossoming even as we gaze

Sunrise, sunset
Sunrise, sunset
Swiftly fly the years
One season following another
Laden with happiness and tears

What words of wisdom can I give them?
How can I help to ease their way?

What the ?!&%$#@

What makes them think they have the right to tell you how to wipe their asses? Ok, I guess it's because it's their butts in the first place :)

Several times now, Hadrien warns me not to smear his poop around his precious bottom. "This is how you should wipe me. Wait! I'll show you - don't wipe upwards, ok?" Not satisfied, he seriously tells me, "you know, the creatures in the Pasig River will die if you use too much toilet paper!"

From Auntie Genni, Hadrien is such a dear!

I was watching Buzz Lightyear of Star Command with Baz and Hadrien at their place. I wanted to nibble on something so I asked Baz what could I eat because I was hungry. I forgot what Baz said but little did I know, Hadrien was listening in on the conversation even as his eyes were directed at the TV. Hadrien got up without a word and went towards the kitchen. When he came back he told me that he already told his yaya to make merienda for me. Isn't that sweet? So, on his prompting, his Yaya Dora prepared thin pancakes with butter and powdered sugar for all of us.

Toddler or Teenager?

Hadrien has been testing us with his wit and persistence lately.

Tonight at the dining table, after scoring 2 x's, Daddy spanked the hand which hit Baz. He acted as if he wasn't bothered or hurt and after seeing that his Daddy was done, looked up and said, "he's bad no?" - referring not to his Daddy or to Baz, but to his hand!

Not a long time after, Daddy was sort of giving him a lecture -

Daddy: Hadrien, you obey.

Hadrien: (perhaps seeing that his Daddy was walking away, muttered under his breath) No, you obey!

Daddy: What did you say?

Hadrien: Nothing! (in that trademark sing-song tone)

It's so hard to stay mad at him though. He knows how to wiggle himself out of these situations by smiling or hugging or kissing or immediately apologizing.

Futbol Funatics

This is the football camp which the kids attended this July-August. And indeed, the kids turned out to be fanatics of football.

Some of you may remember Baz's try out session which we also posted about here. What we didn't get to write about is that he later refused to join the group for practically the whole course. After 6 or more sessions of him refusing to kick the ball, unless it was just towards us, and we hanging around the field getting him to participate in any way, we decided to leave it at that.

This July, we decided to bring Hadrien to football camp. He was a natural! He quickly joined the group and the warm up exercises. See how he handles the ball - and without any need for coaching!



















This is Hadrien exhausted and parched after his first day. Then here's Baz leading his brother into the field and a great candid shot of the 3 boys :)



Too bad that it was bright and sunny the following weekends. See, Hadrien, like me, hates the sun. So he only joined the class twice! That first time and then one other session which was held indoors. His complaint - "It's sunny, I need some shade." He promised to play on a cloudy day though :)

We had hoped that seeing Hadrien play would make Baz want to join in. But we didn't want to get our hopes up. We allowed him to linger but since we didn't formally enroll him, we told him that there wasn't enough balls. He asked us to let him join many times but we told him that he had his chance last year. Just to be clear, we did feel bad letting him down. But at that time, we thought that it was the right thing to do. He promised to kick this ball this time. IT WORKED!!!! The next session, he needed no prodding and joined in without any hesitation. He even bragged to yaya later that day - "You know, I talked in football. I didn't just nod, I talked!"

So, this is Baz's first real "go" at football. Me thinks he did a good job!

Baz's First Go at Futbol from malou.khan on Vimeo.

And he hasn't looked back since :)

Chick-Boy

Hadrien LIKES girls. Once, he asked his classmate Sophie to be his girlfriend right in front of her mother - then realizing what he had done, ran to hide behind me.

Now in his new school, he talks about the other girls in his class - Cathy, Paige and Carmen. Although he's consistently said that Joaquin is his bestfriend. He enjoys holding Carmen's hand when they sing "The More We Get Together". He even named a comb (of all things!) "Carmen" and pushed the comb around the house as if it were a car while saying that the comb was the "Carmen Comb Car--- but don't tell Carmen".... Don't ask me where he got the idea - but it sure is funny!



"Don't Tell Carmen" from malou.khan on Vimeo.