Nanay was a rolling stone

I put my hands down to Thelma for being so level-headed castigating me for over the top reactions whenever Paco and Ponso would do their shit in the evening pogoing on the bed or just plain shouting their lungs out for being so happy at night when they are supposed to be putting themselves to sleep. I already asked for Ponso and Paco's understanding and forgiveness for my freak out reactions and I guess they accepted it wholeheartedly.

"There is a way of proceeding in keeping the bedroom calm," said Thelma in a half smile, sagely, mindful buddhist manner. "Make Paco comfortable by cleaning him up then give him his precious milk bottle, turn off the lights, and lie down beside him." And so it was that the Way seemed to be working for her. When Ponso ran inside the bathroom for his turn to clean-up and produce some racket splashing water all over and playing soap, she calmly called Ponso's attention to keep his noise down paying attention to her calm tone and demeanor in reminding him. Then Ponso ran outside and asked for his milk then ran inside then started jumping on the bed while Paco and Thelma were trying to reach sleepyland through her way of proceeding. Ponso and his "i-do-not-hear-anything-i just-want-to-do-my-thing-before-bedtime" shit went on with his show and got the semi-zombie Paco jump into action and started rolling in bed, shouting, and spraying his half-filled milkbottle.

No amount of Thelma's meditation and the way of calm can challenge the Pogo. She rolled out of the bed freaking out and searched her phone to call the Council for the Welfare of Children (CWC) and find out if there is an existing law against corporal punishment. I was watching TV with Andres and reminded her that there is no CWC 24 hr. Hotline and that she better try Bantay Bata 168 or 166 whatever for her inquiries. Her rolling reminded me of the groove roll of papa was a rolling stone.

Evening Mayhem

For the past two weeks, Ponso and Paco always get into my nerves every night for doing the Pogo on the bed. Paco normally would be in bed drinking milk by 8:00 pm then Ponso will run inside the room and will dare Paco to jump up and down the bed shouting gleefully like in a peyote induced state. They only stop when I bring Ponso out of the room and Paco recovers his calm and continues to lull himself to sleep. It is bedroom anarchy bordering on madness. They do not fucking listen. I beg, shout, then helplessly just watch the two of them bounce up and down. Its tiring all right that while I remind myself that they are only young once, I also think of the bed springs that get altered because of their pogo jumping, and the mayhem that transpire every evening. The evening scenes remind me of this Madness song Baggy Trousers.

Alternadad : Neal Pollack

I Never thought Neal Pollack writes shit about parenting after reading Never Mind the Pollacks. It was a hell of a read stumbling dazed across decades of rock and roll from Elvis to Joan Baez to Bob Dylan to Sex Pistols to Iggy Pop before he became Iggy Pop to Lou Reed before Velvet Underground to REM's Stipes to Kurt Cobain with Neal Pollack at the center of the rock and roll universe. And I was freaked thinking it was a real honest to goodness rock and roll book until realizing that I am taking the piss for actually believing everything as gospel truth, until learning that it is, actually, the gospel truth.

Neal Pollack's character was sincerely crazy and moribund that added more to the glitz and glam of being with the rock stars as a self professed rock critic. The book was fast and vicious without any soft spot for any change of heart shitiness and ended without any remorse for whatever happened or transpired in his life. It is rock and roll, it is.

I cannot wait to check out his book Alternadad and his take on parenting.

At Home

It is only now that I am able to face the computer again and recollect my thoughts after three days of hanging out with the boys as my father lingered in the hospital due to some sickness that somehow turned my ran over daily routine into a life learning experience.

Staying at Home

Two whole days being with Ponso and Paco (Andres is in school) changed my way of appreciating people who give their full time taking care of children. Ponso and Paco are hurricanes as they run around trying to pick on everything anytime anywhere inside the house, except when they were asleep. Paco would have his morning nap at around 10:00 a.m. and Ponso would play Plants vs Zombies from 10:30 to 12:00 nn.

Then we eat whatever is available in the house then watch cartoons on television. They take a warm bath at 2:00 pm then sleep until 5:00 pm. Then they do their staple wrecking ways as I just sit and wonder what is happening outside the world, then realizing and smiling that being with them is actually the world, nothing else, at that precise moment. Ponso was sick for the past four days and had to take antibiotics. There was a time he gave me a hard time that merited Paco to sneak inside the bathroom and stir the toilet bowl water with his left hand impishly smiling as I ran shouting invectives at the world while I grab him for a thorough hand scrubbing, then seeing Ponso barfing in the living room because of too much running in circles after drinking the medicine and milk. Shit. It’s a sid vicious cycle of cleaning, puking, swearing (by me), and actually, laughing at what’s going on, observing myself and the two boys as we go through a day in a life.

Swearing the swear word

Ponso does the pogo whenever he is on top of the bed and I was about to shout to prevent him from doing the pogo when I heard him saying some words repeatedly like a machine gun pop and it sounded so much like the fucking Filipino swear word. I have to stop swearing in front of the children. I have to control myself even if they are spilling shit all over the place, or when Paco is slowly sneaking on Ponso ready to strike with his heavy milk can or small matchbox cars, whatever is available, to cause pain and reaction from his older brother. Fuck it, I quit right this moment.

More than Empathy

Seeing Ponso in a weak moment and not in his usual composure melted my heart. I can safely say that most, if not all fathers and mothers in this world, would rather get sick and carry the burden rather than their sons or daughters. Ponso can sure always give me the piss with his shitty crazy ways but him seeing all weak and vulnerable due to some viral infection made me real sad and helpless even with those antibiotic dosages. Children do not deserve to get sick, they just have to get tired and sleep because of heavy playing, and not sleep due to sickness.

Hugs and Kisses

They may be small crazy boys but they really do need hugs and kisses. They love it. They might punch or kick out of a hug but it is just for show. It was fun telling Ponso to watch Paco as he dance to an MTV and correcting me that his baby brother was actually dodging, and not dancing. It’s a boxing move he learned from Wii while doing it as he punches in the air. That wit surely deserves a hug and a kiss.