Market adventure

Doing things with me gives so much joy to my son. It amazes me how much he feels so privileged every time I bring him with me to my errands. As a busy working mother, I have to think nonstop of creative ways to bond with him and this is one of them :) 

Dragon fascination

These drawings are four, five years ago. I have to spend time regularly in sorting out his papers. :)

"Dragons"

Dragons flying in the sky

Swooping down and soaring high

Mighty wings, so awe inspiring

Always moving, never tiring

Outlined against a yellow sun

Giant shadows, having fun

Rising, diving, again repeating

In a game of dragons, meeting

Jeweled bodies in the light

A golden wingspan, shining bright

Powerful tails in joy entwining

Playing, while the sun is shining

Oh, how wondrous is this sight

When great dragons show delight

�

-unbekannt-

happy place

 

You are a miracle living, touching, 

blessing me. 

You are a blessing shaping,

molding me. 

You are God's tender touch

on my weary soul, 

you are a promise, 

a reminder, 

that I am alive 

and this life is worth living. 

Because of you I live,

I laugh, 

I breathe, 

I cry in between...

Because of you I am grateful. 

Because of you I am happy. 

You are God's greatest miracle

in my life. 

You are my life.

Full of surprises

These photos were taken four years ago, when Gabriel was still in Kindergarten. I came home with this surprise ready on the table. I am the number one beneficiary of my son's creative talents! Feeling so blessed. Thank you Lord you called me to be a mother to this bundle of joy.

Gabriel invading my office

One of the things that bring so much delight to my son is every time I get the chance to bring him to my workplace.  As a working mom, it is important for me that my son knows and sees what I am doing at work, what's the reason why I have to leave him with his nanny the entire day. It makes him understand my sacrifices and makes him appreciate everything that he has as a result of my sacrifices. One of the good results I can see is that my son grows up with simple needs, not demanding at all, not in any way, not always thinking about what he wants to have or what he wants me to give him. In fact, it makes him want to take care of me, too even at a very early age. Like when I would come home grumpy or with some headache, he knows exactly why. So he lowers down his voice and brings me a glass of water while I lay on the sofa.

These photos below were taken five years ago, not in school yet but I am thrilled to see here he is writing already. I am pleased with myself for being able to be a hands-on mother even when I am at work. It's a lot of challenge especially when he was smaller but I can never call it a "difficulty". I grimace at parents saying how "difficult it is raising my children." Parenting is such a blessing, a 24/7 job that is never difficult. NOT AT ALL.

Tarak-Tarak (Toy Cars)

Last night Gabriel and I were chatting about my childhood and what kind of toys I loved to play with. He got so excited about toy cars made of tin cans, eye glasses made of coconut leaves, and pots and pans made of clay. He couldn't wait to experience my childhood and so we started it today. Huge thanks to his ever reliable nanny who helped start this toy car.

Happy Valentine's Day Son!

May you continue to grow into a loving person God wants you to be. I pray for true love to come to you someday, in God's perfect time. I pray that you will be prepared for your calling, for your mission in life, while grounded on the fact that it is love that will sustain you along the way. I love you my butitoy burachoy langgitingtoy...

It's scrapbooking this time!

I was making a Valentine's day surprise for him last night using the scrapbook materials which my sister gave me. He was trying to sneak, curious what I was up to. I kept shooing him away suggesting he should finish the adventure book he was reading. He tried, lying in bed while looking up from his book once in a while and asking over and over again what I was doing. He saw all my materials scattering ans started picking them and checking them one by one. Before I knew it, his little hands started to get busy...

What Gabriel wants to be

Every child is a million possibilities. When I came home last night, my son showed me this page in their school activity book. Here, the students are asked to describe in a drawing what they want to be when they grow up. Gabriel wrote his own explanation for his drawing below: "I want to be a great scientist. I want to build a laboratory and there I will be doing all my experiments and machines. I will never ever forget to build a library there." As a mother I can only gush looking at this and foreseeing the future when he will be reaching out for this dream and so many other dreams he is building every day. I pray God will keep him in his love and protection and bless his path as he grows to become "one of the great scientists" that he wants to be.

Dragons

Gabriel calls them Rock Dragon, Nature Dragon, Fire Dragon and Water Dragon. Indeed his drawings give me a look inside his world of fantasy, of make believes that are real, of dreams in his slumber and in the day when life is at its most exciting reality. 

At any social gathering, you know a Dragon has entered the room as the air starts to tingle with the energy they exude. Enthusiastic, and confident sometimes to the point of swaggering, Dragon people inspire confidence in others with their honesty and quick wit.

Natural "movers and shakers", Dragons can sometimes be overbearing to lesser mortals who do not share the their natural self-perception as absolute rulers of all they survey. However, their great popularity stems from a soft and sensitive heart, which the Dragon only reveals to trusted friends and loved ones who delight in their tender concern.

Not shy in the least about going after what they want, Dragons can be their own worst enemies. Aggressive to the point of tyrannical, they may sometimes be heard running off at the mouth without thinking.

However, after having made a foolhardy decision, Dragon people often recover quickly and continue to follow their hearts' desire with dauntless determination.

Gifted with innate courage, tenacity and intelligence, those born under this sign are most often a shining success at whatever field they choose.

(http://www.chiff.com/home_life/holiday/chinese-new-year-dragon.htm)

Emotional quotient: check.

I was preparing dinner while Gabriel was playing some games on the laptop. When it was time for him to eat, I took over the laptop and found this on the screen. It says there on the keywords that he searched for "8 year old games" so happy and proud of his sense of responsibility and emotional quotient. He learned to use the computer when he was just barely 3 years old and as each time I would explain to him the importance of choosing the sites that he visits. Parental guidance is still always, all the time, a must.

Little inventor in action

six years old in these photos

One by one, I am trying to dig up old photos of Gabriel’s moments, growing up as an artist. These photos were taken two years ago, taken on different occasions.