A time once travelled

The outfit
Not even a sick stomach could dampen the mood. Our little Santa was really game, right through the end of the celebration.
His Santa outfit came up on the last minute. I wanted to get him a costume, with tie and all, but we couldn’t find his size. On the 23^rd, I planned to run through the children’s store one more time to check, but Papa said he would prefer David wearing a Santa costume just like the one on his first Christmas. So I went to buy the necessary materials and sew it the night before the fête.

Spoilers
On Christmas Eve, just few minutes after he put on the costume, his intestines and their neighbouring organs made their lousy joke again. I saw it coming judging the look on his face. He ran to his room and before I could get in, he banged the door on me shouting “go away mama!” I could hear the noise behind his closed door. I went in and saw him kneeling down at the edge of his bed playing car. “Go away, go away!” he insisted profusely. I refused, told him I’m going to give his stomach a little massage and that it was ok. I could sense some leakage but didn’t say anything. I know he likes his privacy a lot when he does toilet. A little while longer, it was time to change diaper, and there it was, his Santa costume totally soiled!
So, well, there was nothing to say. A sick stomach is a sick stomach! I washed his Santa costume and blew-dry it, then ironed it over. It was spanking new again, but he didn’t want to wear it anymore. A lot of Santa stories, cooing and begging had to be endured to convince him. And he caught up with the festive mood eventually when he saw we were delighted with how he looked. And on the photo session. Lots of photos! And plenty of comical performance from out little one, so happy and excited!

Noche Buena
We took baby Jesus out of our little “belen“, to be put back when the clock supposedly strikes midnight. Lola prepared the “Noche Buena”, which has become our little family tradition since I arrived in France. And since we both love seafood, there was less cooking to do. David and papa were preoccupied checking out for Santa time to time. By 9 pm, we were already in the middle of our entrée. Yes, the timing of our noche Buena and the events afterwards revolved around David. Christmas should be celebrated around the time when the piglet is totally awake; otherwise it wouldn’t be as fun and joyful As it was, we ended up with just the entrée, and then went on straight to the dessert. There was no extra room in our stomach for the main dish.
Dessert. Of course, it has to be David’s favourite flavour. Strawberry. And even if it was Pasko, he still had the right to ask for candles, sing happy birthday (improvised with baby Jesus). For him, a party means, a Birthday Party. And what’s a party without cake and candle?
So off he blew, and blew and blew. With baby Jesus right in front of the cake.

Santa has come!
Then came the moment for the presents. The day before, Papa and I already agreed that he would take some presents outside, ring the bell and hide himself before we open the door. Inside, I would distract David, and as soon as we hear the doorbell, I would tell him it’s Santa Claus delivering the presents. We don’t have a chimney, Santa has no choice but ring the doorbell, the balcony is too way risky! The presents might end up on our neighbour’s, if it’s not Papa!
David was actually scared. I had to push him to open the door. I could feel he was excited for the presents but scared to see Santa. We both opened the door, and there they were, the presents! There was a questioning look on his face. He said (more like a question): “il est là Papa Noel! (He is here santa)” looking directly at the elevator. I told him Papa Noel just dropped by to bring the presents but he was such in a hurry to bring gifts to Roxane, Mathias, Raphael, etc… (his little friends). It actually worked. So off he went tearing off the wrappers.
At almost 11 pm, he put baby Jesus on our Belen. We told David, baby Jesus is born! By midnight, we were already snoring!!!!

25^th
We woke up with his garage already assembled. Then before lunch, Santa passed by again. Apparently he just dropped by from the Caribbean.

26^th
Home is a total mess! David’s room needed redesigning. So off the baby toys and came in the new ones. In the middle of the wreckage, you could still hear him singing “Papa Noel”. A French song about a child asking Santa Claus not to forget his Christmas stocking.

You? How was your Christmas?

-he carries his potty in the bedroom to poop alone
- he tells us to go away when he wants to relax on the sofa watching a film alone
- he sits down in the middle of children’s pool with the water reaching just below his chin, and telling me to go away. Gosh, I was scared, one slip and he drowns! I don’t trust those rubber floaters.
- he understands the mechanics of the waves, that when he throws a stick into the sea, it will come back to him. At first he tried chasing it until the water reached to his chest, he got really scared. After a while he was just standing at the shore motioning the stick to come “viens! viens!”
- he has big appetite!
- his temper is becoming more violent, especially when he is tired. So we learn not to push the limits. And we keep on telling ourselves: “time to work on the kid’s attitude” although we don’t know how.
- and he insists on his independence more and more. And well, I don’t have problems with that, just that he barely reaches my waistline and his feet are way half the size of mine!
- and he knows how to manipulate us:  like putting him to bed and he would tell me he wants to pee, I usually say, “just pee in your nappy, it’s ok” and he would insist on going to the potty. I tell him “ok go to dadou, tell him you want to pee”. He would excitedly get off the bed, and even close the door behind him, and the next thing I hear “no sleep papa, regarde avion!” to his dadou who is watching a movie.
- he is also a funny bloke. After getting wet playing in the sea, he would insist on taking off his swimming trunk because he wants to pee.
- and he tries to tumbledown someone else’s sandcastles.

I know this is kind of late to post for dadou’s father’s day. But Blogging Baby celebrates the whole month of June as Father’s Day. And on June 15, dadou got featured in the blog. Thank you Irene. I was honestly actually hoping that one of his photos will be chosen (amongst the many, many photos shared by others). That was one of the ways I wanted to show to dadou how great he is to David! Thank you for making it happened Irene.

To my brother bajolet whose role in life becomes that of a daddy and a mommy … “Happy Mother’s Day!”
and to all the mothers out there….. HAPPY MOTHER’S DAY!

Note: Sorry I have to remove the photo I attached here before, there’s a problem displaying it. But you can view it here.

If life exists after this.
I so want to spend it with you.
One more time.
All over again.

Happy Birthday my Dadou!

Dearest David,
It’s been wonderful seeing you tumbling, sliding, building snowman and giggling in the winter wonderland. The first time we came to the Vosges, you were only 10 months old, barely learning your first steps. You spent more time on the sledge being pushed and pulled and sitting in the backpack on dadou’s back. This time around it was so much fun. You practically manoeuvred us on what to do as soon as you got adjusted to the cold. Surely you were grumpy at the start, your gloves were too big for your little hands and you wanted to take them off as you preferred to touch the snow. But oh boy, “yayay, yayay” you said when the cold bit every little finger of yours.
You love to sledge. Dadou and I were oblivious to our own fatigue as we carried you to the top of the hill. Your laughter as you went down the slope was soathing. Contagious. Heart-warming. We couldn’t stop giggling.
Boy you’ve grown up. You got bored with the sledge after sometime and preferred to roll down on the slope with me or dadou. You adored climbing on the slope on your own and run down fast plunging yourself into the waiting arms of dadou. Your laughter echoed in the white forest. You liked building snowman too, at least dadou tried.
We went to the lake we’ve visited a year ago. It was frozen then but translucent, we could see the bottom below. I remember the surprised look on your face when you threw a stone onto the lake and the stone just slid far away. This time around, all we could see was a vast space of perfect whiteness. The lake is completely blanketed with snow. It was beautiful, wasn’t it? And you wanted to run on it. I wanted too, skating on a lake, well sort of. But it was only both our wish… only the fishes below could withstand the freezing temp.
David, we’ve got to thank dadou for bringing us there. Six hours drive is not really that amusing, especially when you could get grumpy time to time. Dadou was just as happy as we do. We can both see it in his face and the loving look in his eyes as he explored with you the fun things you can do in the white winter wonderland. Thank you very much dadou. We love you… mama

Yes. I. know. I said about having immunized against VD. But I would never refuse a date with this man,

(of course without the little cupid)

We dined at Justine’s. There was just plenty of choices on the buffet bar but seafood freak that I am, I devilishly indulge myself with the sea creatures. And had unforgivable bites on what’s on my date’s plate. Well, I admit, I was just curious how things tasted. No one gets fired by being a little over-indulgent on the plate. Ok I was a glutton, but that was just last night.  My date took a photo of me before the buffet harassments,

then we toasted to our love (e ano pa nga ba),

then half way to my glass, I started looking like this.

Ok I wasn’t sleepy, just itchingly waiting to eat…
After dining ( my little dress kept on shrinking), my date brought me here for a complete night-out valentine treat.

Thank you so much dadou, I had a wonderful time!

** and merci to lola for babysitting…

That’s the Chikka text I just received from my one and only sister. As in I’m soooo, soooo over the moon. I can’t wait to go home. Luckily, I’ll be there to witness the baby’s arrival. That is if they allow a nutty big sister to get inside the delivery room. Baka ako pang hihila ng bata sa over excitement. Whatever, I’m just so happy for her and her family. I’m so happy for us! Congratulations sis and bro, I love you! Wait and see when I’ll get home, I’m going to pick your brains to know how to make a girl. Mwah!