David: Did you know that Kathleen got married to that guy from Savage Garden and left in 2006?
Me: She did? No wonder I saw a new girl, Sun, the other day. I didn't like her too much.
David: Oh, and apparently Tim got in a motorcycle accident
Me: Oh, what happened? Let me google it.
No, we weren't talking about cast members of our favorite soap (I think the last time David or I followed the soaps with any regularity was when John Stamos and Demi Moore were in General Hospital. Ok, that just gave away how old we are.).
We were talking about cast members of Charly's beloved show "Hi-5", the Australian children's pop group that had her singing and dancing even before she could walk.
As I googled what's happened with Charly's favorite Hi-5 members (hey, she even mentions Kathlene, Nathan, Kellie, Charli, and Tim in her evening prayer lineup!), I got another one of those OMG, I'm such a mommy moments.
I was googling celebrities.
While I admit to watching the occasional ET weekly and going through People magazine during mani-pedi sessions at Dashing Diva, the last time I actively sought out updates on celebrities was during my Tiger Beat years. Those were the days when Rob Lowe (before the sex scandal) and Andrew McCarthy updates were enough reason for me and my girlfriends to meet up. Common crushes were definitely reasons for girl bonding ( I actually hear that grown women these days still meet up to talk about their favorite Korean pop stars, what's up with that.) I just thought those years were gone.
However, now when we meet other parents who seem to know one Hi-Five video from another, it's like meeting someone who knows a common secret handshake. Almost like an I know you. And if they know the words to the songs in Hi-5 Hits, well then I REALLY want to bond with them and get the kids together for a playdate. Maybe even swap some CDs.
I'm learning that this parenthood thing is like a brotherhood (or sisterhood) in many, many ways.
Wednesday, July 30, 2008
Tuesday, July 29, 2008
It Wasn't Happening
David and I have always been Shyamalan fans, so when we got a copy of "The Happening", we eagerly prepped ourselves for a chilling good time. We even made sure Charly wasn't around to see anything visually gruesome.
Sadly, the only thing that was happening about the movie was its title (yeah, pun).
The message, though grounded on shaky premises, was interesting enough, but the acting was painful. I almost wanted Mark Wahlberg to die.
Maybe that's why John Leguizamo slashed his wrists in the first half of the movie because he saw how bad things were going and no longer wanted any part of it.
This is one script that should have been left alone.
Sadly, the only thing that was happening about the movie was its title (yeah, pun).
The message, though grounded on shaky premises, was interesting enough, but the acting was painful. I almost wanted Mark Wahlberg to die.
Maybe that's why John Leguizamo slashed his wrists in the first half of the movie because he saw how bad things were going and no longer wanted any part of it.
This is one script that should have been left alone.
Monday, July 28, 2008
I have this theory that the number of times a toddler says "NO" from 2-4 years of age will nowhere go near the amount of times she will utter that word for the remainder of her life.
Well, maybe if she lives to be 107 years old like my grandfather, but that's still debatable.
These days, Charly is asserting her independence so much that David and I have barely finished our questions and she's already shooting back a "NO".
On days when her sense of humor is up, she will even do a little dance, singing "No, no, no-no-no...." to the tune of Chaka Khan's "whoa, whoa, wo-wo-woah..." refrain from "I'm Every Woman" (yes, I plead guilty, I taught her that refrain while watching 'Bridget Jones' for the nth time).
We so want her to say "YES". Life would be so much easier. Maybe we would even get to places on time.
Ironically, I know the tables will be turned on us when she hits puberty. Then, David and I will be telling her it's alright to say "NO". No to drugs, no to alcohol, no to sex, no to playing hooky from classes...you get the picture.
Why can't kids just be cooperative and do what we want. OMG, I sound like my mother.
Excuse me while I check my head for graying hair.charl
Well, maybe if she lives to be 107 years old like my grandfather, but that's still debatable.
These days, Charly is asserting her independence so much that David and I have barely finished our questions and she's already shooting back a "NO".
On days when her sense of humor is up, she will even do a little dance, singing "No, no, no-no-no...." to the tune of Chaka Khan's "whoa, whoa, wo-wo-woah..." refrain from "I'm Every Woman" (yes, I plead guilty, I taught her that refrain while watching 'Bridget Jones' for the nth time).
We so want her to say "YES". Life would be so much easier. Maybe we would even get to places on time.
Ironically, I know the tables will be turned on us when she hits puberty. Then, David and I will be telling her it's alright to say "NO". No to drugs, no to alcohol, no to sex, no to playing hooky from classes...you get the picture.
Why can't kids just be cooperative and do what we want. OMG, I sound like my mother.
Excuse me while I check my head for graying hair.charl
Tuesday, July 22, 2008
Dark Knight
Ok, I have to put it out here that I loved, loved, loved The Dark Knight.
Thanks to our no-nanny state since late last year, David and I have managed not to step foot inside a movie theater for the first half of 2008. This is a feat considering that we used to watch practically every movie that came out in either Powerplant or Greenbelt 3.
Anyway.
When Dark Knight came out, we bundled Charly off and left her with my folks.
It was totally worth it. I have to say that this is the best Batman film ever. Only a genius like Chris Nolan (and an even better actor like Heath Ledger) could pull of turning Batman into practically a sidekick of the Joker. I've seriously never liked a villain so much. Incredible acting.
And the reviews were right. It was totally chilling how the Joker tells Batman, "we'll be doing this forever". How we wish.
Heath, wherever you are, fist to the heart, man. We loved you in this one. You sure went out in a fireball of glory.
Just one teeny complaint. Christian Bale fills Bruce Wayne's shoes perfectly. But why does the voice of Batman sound like a raspy, tech-ed up version of Clint Eastwood? And why does Gotham look more like downtown Chicago than Manhattan?
Nevertheless, it was still an amazing ride, thanks to the Joker.
I'm going out and getting myself a DVD copy (original!) for Charly to watch when she grows up.
Thanks to our no-nanny state since late last year, David and I have managed not to step foot inside a movie theater for the first half of 2008. This is a feat considering that we used to watch practically every movie that came out in either Powerplant or Greenbelt 3.
Anyway.
When Dark Knight came out, we bundled Charly off and left her with my folks.
It was totally worth it. I have to say that this is the best Batman film ever. Only a genius like Chris Nolan (and an even better actor like Heath Ledger) could pull of turning Batman into practically a sidekick of the Joker. I've seriously never liked a villain so much. Incredible acting.
And the reviews were right. It was totally chilling how the Joker tells Batman, "we'll be doing this forever". How we wish.
Heath, wherever you are, fist to the heart, man. We loved you in this one. You sure went out in a fireball of glory.
Just one teeny complaint. Christian Bale fills Bruce Wayne's shoes perfectly. But why does the voice of Batman sound like a raspy, tech-ed up version of Clint Eastwood? And why does Gotham look more like downtown Chicago than Manhattan?
Nevertheless, it was still an amazing ride, thanks to the Joker.
I'm going out and getting myself a DVD copy (original!) for Charly to watch when she grows up.
Monday, July 21, 2008
Head, shoulders, knees and toes...
After a child learns to identify their head, shoulders, knees, and toes...what next?
Well of course their curiosity progresses to other body parts.
Charly now knows that girls have vaginas and boys have penises. Yes, we refused to succumb to calling it pee-pee or wee-wee or some other name that may lead to confusion.
She now proudly tells my mom over the phone that Pepe and Riggs have penises. And, like most kids her age are wont to do, repeats it over and over just to make sure her listener got what she was saying the first time around.
Charly: Pepe has penis, penis, penis.
My mom: What?
Me: She's just saying her dog has a penis.
My mom: Why does she need to say that?
Me: I don't know. Why do kids say anything really? Maybe in case we didn't notice?
Is this listed as an official milestone in the baby books?
Well of course their curiosity progresses to other body parts.
Charly now knows that girls have vaginas and boys have penises. Yes, we refused to succumb to calling it pee-pee or wee-wee or some other name that may lead to confusion.
She now proudly tells my mom over the phone that Pepe and Riggs have penises. And, like most kids her age are wont to do, repeats it over and over just to make sure her listener got what she was saying the first time around.
Charly: Pepe has penis, penis, penis.
My mom: What?
Me: She's just saying her dog has a penis.
My mom: Why does she need to say that?
Me: I don't know. Why do kids say anything really? Maybe in case we didn't notice?
Is this listed as an official milestone in the baby books?
Tuesday, July 15, 2008
Mommy Migraine
"What's the best way to get rid of a mommy migraine?"
"Follow the instructions on a Tylenol bottle. Take two and keep away from children"
Funny, yet so true.
Show me a mom of a toddler who doesn't know what I mean, and I'll show you a mom who is so hands-off she likely doesn't know her own child.
Here's the thing about toddlerhood. There are so many adorable aspects about them. The way their little bodies are so warm and cuddly with feet that look like little porkchops. The way they throw themselves so completely into things. The way they tell you exactly what they're feeling, when they're feeling it - no holding back of emotions here ("i WUV you, mom!" yes sometimes even while you're holding their hands while sitting at the potty, waiting for the poo to come out. Theirs, not yours.). How they can pick out the most atrocious color combinations and manage to still make clothes look cute on them. How they actually stop crying and give you a huge smile when you plant a little kiss on their boo-boos. How, even if you're gone for just a few hours, they come running towards you and give you big hugs like they haven't seen you in ages. How they can look like the happiest little things on earth, just by you reading them a bedtime story.
The flipside? They run on their own schedule (the hairs on the back of my neck stand up just looking at the clock turn 1:00pm, Charly's nap time when she begins to morph into stressed-and-sleepy-toddler-who-doesn't-want-to-go-to-bed. I kid you not, there have been days when I have bundled her into the car and strapped her in the car seat to go for a ride, the surefire way to get her to sleep right away). They are like little neanderthals when it comes to feelings (yes, the same spontaneity which makes them throw chubby arms around you and say "i WUV you, mom" is the same spontaneity that makes them throw things on the floor when they get frustrated and can't explain what they want or as Mr. Rogers says "they don't know what to do with the 'mad' that they feel"). The upside is that they have the attention span of a flea (if they fixate on something, so long as mommy is creative enough to distract them, the tantrums can stop justlikethat) . The way they manage to come up with a toddler crisis just as you are running late and trying to get out that door (yes, it has driven me to tears of frustration that I have been late several times although I started getting ready three hours earlier because Charly has either decided she wants to go potty just as I head out the door, or she has rolled around with the dogs and managed to look all grubby and dirty or has decided she doesn't want to go and stays stubbornly glued to her books...the list of reasons are endless).
Mother Nature was wise to hand out our kids in little infant forms. If she'd plopped down toddlers on us, without giving us time to bond with them first, there probably wouldn't be so many takers.
I think I'll pop two more Tylenol. The little one just woke up.
"Follow the instructions on a Tylenol bottle. Take two and keep away from children"
Funny, yet so true.
Show me a mom of a toddler who doesn't know what I mean, and I'll show you a mom who is so hands-off she likely doesn't know her own child.
Here's the thing about toddlerhood. There are so many adorable aspects about them. The way their little bodies are so warm and cuddly with feet that look like little porkchops. The way they throw themselves so completely into things. The way they tell you exactly what they're feeling, when they're feeling it - no holding back of emotions here ("i WUV you, mom!" yes sometimes even while you're holding their hands while sitting at the potty, waiting for the poo to come out. Theirs, not yours.). How they can pick out the most atrocious color combinations and manage to still make clothes look cute on them. How they actually stop crying and give you a huge smile when you plant a little kiss on their boo-boos. How, even if you're gone for just a few hours, they come running towards you and give you big hugs like they haven't seen you in ages. How they can look like the happiest little things on earth, just by you reading them a bedtime story.
The flipside? They run on their own schedule (the hairs on the back of my neck stand up just looking at the clock turn 1:00pm, Charly's nap time when she begins to morph into stressed-and-sleepy-toddler-who-doesn't-want-to-go-to-bed. I kid you not, there have been days when I have bundled her into the car and strapped her in the car seat to go for a ride, the surefire way to get her to sleep right away). They are like little neanderthals when it comes to feelings (yes, the same spontaneity which makes them throw chubby arms around you and say "i WUV you, mom" is the same spontaneity that makes them throw things on the floor when they get frustrated and can't explain what they want or as Mr. Rogers says "they don't know what to do with the 'mad' that they feel"). The upside is that they have the attention span of a flea (if they fixate on something, so long as mommy is creative enough to distract them, the tantrums can stop justlikethat) . The way they manage to come up with a toddler crisis just as you are running late and trying to get out that door (yes, it has driven me to tears of frustration that I have been late several times although I started getting ready three hours earlier because Charly has either decided she wants to go potty just as I head out the door, or she has rolled around with the dogs and managed to look all grubby and dirty or has decided she doesn't want to go and stays stubbornly glued to her books...the list of reasons are endless).
Mother Nature was wise to hand out our kids in little infant forms. If she'd plopped down toddlers on us, without giving us time to bond with them first, there probably wouldn't be so many takers.
I think I'll pop two more Tylenol. The little one just woke up.
Saturday, July 12, 2008
I Miss You
It still amazes me how fast toddlers develop. Every day, you get something new out of the little dynamos.
Charly's latest thing, when she sees my mom and dad, is to run to them with open arms and say "I missed you, I missed you".
I was very glad to be around when she first said this phrase, but even more glad that she was not saying it to me.
Because now, I am around her most of the time. And the few times that she does say "I missed you" is only when I have been away a couple of hours to work on some projects. I know that she says it then only out of affection, more than actually missing me a great deal.
I look back and think about how I would have felt if I was still working long hours at the office only to come home to Charly saying "I missed you". It would have poked a hole right through my heart.
More and more, every day, I know I made the right decision in choosing family over career at this point in Charly's life.
Charly's latest thing, when she sees my mom and dad, is to run to them with open arms and say "I missed you, I missed you".
I was very glad to be around when she first said this phrase, but even more glad that she was not saying it to me.
Because now, I am around her most of the time. And the few times that she does say "I missed you" is only when I have been away a couple of hours to work on some projects. I know that she says it then only out of affection, more than actually missing me a great deal.
I look back and think about how I would have felt if I was still working long hours at the office only to come home to Charly saying "I missed you". It would have poked a hole right through my heart.
More and more, every day, I know I made the right decision in choosing family over career at this point in Charly's life.
Friday, July 11, 2008
Mamma Mia!
Funny how the same movie, seen at different stages in your life, can affect you in two completely different ways.
When I saw Mamma Mia! on stage in London in 2002, I remember dancing in the aisle to 'Dancing Queen'. Great fun! I remember thinking I must book that ticket to the Greek islands that I had always planned with my girl friends.
Last night, I saw Mamma Mia, the movie, I still had fun, Pierce Brosnan's terrible singing voice notwithstanding. But more than wanting to get up and dance to 'Dancing Queen', much to my chagrin, I got teary-eyed when Meryll Streep sang 'slipping through my fingers' as she prepared her daughter for her wedding.
Damnit. I hate being 'such a woman'. I thought those teary-eyed moments ended when the baby was born and the pregnancy hormones let up.
I was wrong, though. Those moments were just the beginning. As my little baby has moved into toddlerhood and now looks more like a little kid than the toddler she still is, I really realize that motherhood is a series of celebrations and goodbyes. Of holding on tight, and letting go.
When she was a little baby, I used to dream of the day she would hold her head up. All too soon, she did. Just as I was enjoying having a little doll of a baby just bouncing on my lap, she started crawling and wanting to be free. Although her lower lip still quivers at times when I say goodbye, there are also just as many moments when she tucks her wubbie and favorite little pink bag under her arms and confidently waves, "bye mom!" as she goes off with other relatives. She runs head on into pet shops now, not even looking back to see if I am following behind. Her love, which used to be focused solely on David and me, is now getting spread around. It's not that she loves us less, it's that she has more and more to give.
Everyday is full of new milestones, and of saying goodbye to the stages gone past. Stages that she will never be at again. A little reminder that I had better enjoy what I have right here, right now, rather than worry about the future, for this moment will never come back again.
I can only take a deep breath, pray, and enjoy the ride, keeping in mind that this parenthood thing is all about the journey, not the destination.
When I saw Mamma Mia! on stage in London in 2002, I remember dancing in the aisle to 'Dancing Queen'. Great fun! I remember thinking I must book that ticket to the Greek islands that I had always planned with my girl friends.
Last night, I saw Mamma Mia, the movie, I still had fun, Pierce Brosnan's terrible singing voice notwithstanding. But more than wanting to get up and dance to 'Dancing Queen', much to my chagrin, I got teary-eyed when Meryll Streep sang 'slipping through my fingers' as she prepared her daughter for her wedding.
Damnit. I hate being 'such a woman'. I thought those teary-eyed moments ended when the baby was born and the pregnancy hormones let up.
I was wrong, though. Those moments were just the beginning. As my little baby has moved into toddlerhood and now looks more like a little kid than the toddler she still is, I really realize that motherhood is a series of celebrations and goodbyes. Of holding on tight, and letting go.
When she was a little baby, I used to dream of the day she would hold her head up. All too soon, she did. Just as I was enjoying having a little doll of a baby just bouncing on my lap, she started crawling and wanting to be free. Although her lower lip still quivers at times when I say goodbye, there are also just as many moments when she tucks her wubbie and favorite little pink bag under her arms and confidently waves, "bye mom!" as she goes off with other relatives. She runs head on into pet shops now, not even looking back to see if I am following behind. Her love, which used to be focused solely on David and me, is now getting spread around. It's not that she loves us less, it's that she has more and more to give.
Everyday is full of new milestones, and of saying goodbye to the stages gone past. Stages that she will never be at again. A little reminder that I had better enjoy what I have right here, right now, rather than worry about the future, for this moment will never come back again.
I can only take a deep breath, pray, and enjoy the ride, keeping in mind that this parenthood thing is all about the journey, not the destination.
Sunday, July 6, 2008
An Unlisted Milestone
While running across the mall to meet my mom this afternoon, Charly stopped and pointed to an aqua blue t-shirt with KungFu Panda on it. She dragged me into the store, stopping only at the display rack.
"Mom, please pay. Please pay." This was said with big wide eyes, and the cutest smile.
"You want this?" I asked her.
"Please pay. Want to wear now" and she actually started taking off the t-shirt she was wearing.
Finding this very cute, the first time she has ever spotted an article of clothing and specifically asked me to buy it for her, I paid for the t-shirt and let her wear it.
A milestone, I thought to myself. Although not one officially listed in the baby books.
And then it hit me.
Just two years old, and she's already joined the ranks of female shoppers.
"Mom, please pay. Please pay." This was said with big wide eyes, and the cutest smile.
"You want this?" I asked her.
"Please pay. Want to wear now" and she actually started taking off the t-shirt she was wearing.
Finding this very cute, the first time she has ever spotted an article of clothing and specifically asked me to buy it for her, I paid for the t-shirt and let her wear it.
A milestone, I thought to myself. Although not one officially listed in the baby books.
And then it hit me.
Just two years old, and she's already joined the ranks of female shoppers.
Friday, July 4, 2008
Generation Gap
One of my godsons is at that age where they like to repeat the same thing over and over and over again.
After listening to him repeat something for what seemed like the 27th time, I sighed, "you sound like a broken record."
The little guy stopped mid-sentence, "Tita, what's a record?"
It hit me then that, having been born in a generation of CDs and DVDs, he had no idea what a record is.
"It's like a CD, honey. Only bigger."
To which he replied with all the authority of a 4 year old, "Why didn't you just say CD, then? My CDs keep repeating themselves once they get all scratched."
Why indeed.
Now even our favorite expressions need an upgrade. Someone get on that, please.
After listening to him repeat something for what seemed like the 27th time, I sighed, "you sound like a broken record."
The little guy stopped mid-sentence, "Tita, what's a record?"
It hit me then that, having been born in a generation of CDs and DVDs, he had no idea what a record is.
"It's like a CD, honey. Only bigger."
To which he replied with all the authority of a 4 year old, "Why didn't you just say CD, then? My CDs keep repeating themselves once they get all scratched."
Why indeed.
Now even our favorite expressions need an upgrade. Someone get on that, please.
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