Creeping Digicam Addiction

Everytime I go out with the boys to visit a place or run some errands, I always make it a point to bring the digital camera for that magical or photo worth moments waiting to be captured and documented for whatever purpose it may serve the boys. I have this urge of getting their best angles and cutest smiles to brag in the internet. I have plenty of pictures stored in the computer and in the CDs still to be reviewed or appreciated.
There was however one recent incident that makes me think of my creeping digital camera addiction and my felt insecurity when I do not have it with me.

Two weekends ago, I accidentally left the digicam at home and felt naked facing the activity filled day that I believed would spring in a couple of good photo opportunities for the boys especially with activities like bowling and wall climbing. Just the same, we continued the scheduled activity and it was the first time for some time that I did not feel burdened waiting for that split moment where I can capture that perfect shot. It was just me being with the boys and enjoying the present moment playing and playing. I can still remember how Andres would run towards and foul line and throw the six pound ball. I can still remember the feeling running after Ponso when he carried the ball by himself in his attempt to throw the ball.

The digicam for some time imprisoned me with its power to capture and preserve the moments. I was trapped with the thought of getting good pictures for posting in the internet and forgetting the actual enjoyment of the moment. There are times when I get angry because the boys do not pose well, or are not in the mood to smile. That really defeats the purpose of having a good time with them. Even Paco, the innocent looking 3 month old baby gets into my nerves when he continues to bubbly up his saliva while I intend to take some cute snapshots of him!

Yes, it’s about time to lay-off and relax with the digicam for a while. Time to regroup my sensibility and put into perspective my creeping digicam addiction.

March 17, 2009

Ska Kung Fu

March 11, 2009

milk balls and bottles

Its been a breeze so far for the past three days with the application of a new sleeping time guidelines imposed on Ponso to prevent him from barfing all over the bed before he completely falls off to sleep. The barfing act, while we deem uncontrollable on Ponso’s part because of his coughing brought about by different factors, affects our sleep routine, and our sanity, because it entails an overhaul of the bed spread, immediate laundry work to clean the mess, and plenty of movements that disturb our normal sleeping pattern.

The policy limits Ponso’s milk intake to one bottle while lulling him self to sleep to ensure space in his tummy to avoid vomiting when he coughs. His newly constructed sentence as an aftermath of the implementation of policy before sleeping is “One only, dede” (Dede refers to a milk bottle while ‘milk’ connotes milk drink in a
glass).

While Ponso tries his very best to limit his “dede” at night, he redirected his palate to a new passion that he aptly dubbed as “milk ball.” It is a delicacy discovered as we scoured the candy stalls of Galas Wet Market for the delicious pianono sweet bread. The “milk ball” is a dessert made of what else, but milk, shaped into a ball. He would raid the refrigerator in the guise of getting a Yakult drink but his eyes intently searching for that sweet milky ball hidden in the cold jungle storage.

March 10, 2009

Sport Weekend

It was an athletics packed Weekend chilling at the Mall of Asia as the boys played Tenpin bowling (yes, with the three-holed ball), then tried the climbing wall set-up for the bouldering competition. Andres can swing a six pound ball while I helped Ponso push the ball from the foul line. They had bumper bowling set-up for kids to make it easier for them to hit the pins by covering the gutters on both sides of the alley. They really had fun as my body ached running after Ponso and carrying Paco.

Sunday early evening was spent running across the UST football field in the guise of hearing Mass from the outside. The summer breeze made the early evening more cozier.

Next week, our football and baseball should be packed alongside the milk bottles.

March 10, 2009

The Jerks and the Boys

Last night, we went to My Brother’s Moustache to pick up my long overdue The Jerks Anniversary T-shirt from Chickoy. The boys were able to enjoy the Quezon City night scene as we worked the streets looking at the neon and LED lights flickering and lighting the night sky. I was so excited to play the two Lokal Brown CDs I got from Recto in the car stereo but was again overpowered by Andres’ neverending stories of his planned inventions in the future and how his class selects its leader (him being a group leader, he said). In detailed fashion, he described the step-by-step selection process and the job description of a leader. All that while I patiently waited to get my turn in the listening space and play ”Pay U” and discuss the relevance of the song in spite of its recording 15-16 years ago.

Ponso in the meantime would force himself out from the seat belt to act as an inspector as the gasoline boy fills up the gastank with 100 pesos worth of unleaded gasoline. Paco is in his slumber best wearing a new pajama as he cuddles up with his nanay in the back seat.

Only Ponso and me went down to meet up with Chickoy, and Ponso, ever observant, immediately pointed at the stage and the TV blaring and started shouting, “Music! Music!” It reminded me when we brought Andres to Mayrics one time and he went straight to the drumset and hit it with whatever stick looking gadget he found lying near the stage.

My Brother’s Moustache looked cozy enough to expose the boys to good folk and rock and roll music and its no smoking spot I think will make it bearable for the boys to enjoy the folksy ambiance and their french fries as I gargle my beer.

March 6, 2009

it's about time

Most of the time, I am at a lost on how to go about taking care of three little boys who have different worlds of their own. My wife often tells me of my unconscious detachment with the boys making their activities bug me from whatever I am doing when we are in the same time and place. The secret, she said, lies in actually BEING with them and making them the priority whenever I am with the boys. To play, laugh, tell and listen to their stories.

I normally have little problem with 7 year old Andres when he tells his stories, unless I am chatting with someone and Andres forgets the rule of manners (which he usually does because of his natural talkativeness and excitement) and gets into his act of butting in and telling his own stories and questions for the day that would waylay whatever topic I am discussing with someone. Andres is very inquisitive and people say that he thinks advance for his age. He gets interested with the high tech gadgetry and toys but it does not diminish his passion for history and the humanities, of stories about great civilization and the development of nations. He can gaze and look at the world atlas for hours and ask about countries and their peoples.

Ponso, the two year old monster, is a major struggle due to his age (I hope), so they say. The terrible two and, will it be a monstrous three? People get attracted to him for reason I cannot comprehend. They really thinks he is cute, especially when he starts off with his singing then it progresses to the more naughty tricks like throwing things, do whatever I think is dangerous, and shout his lungs out when in a happy mood. And he usually gets away with that just because he started out cute! He can sing the ABC over and over again but speaks cryptic most of the time.

Paco, at three months old, is a bundle of joy. He thinks his mother is a walking milk dispenser.

I hope to get the parenting groove real soon. After 9 years of marriage and three punk rock boys, it’s about time.

March 2, 2009

Welcome to Punk Rock Tatay

I am a father to three little boys. Andres is 7 years old and in grade school. He wants to become a Pope someday. Ponso is 2 years old and has no wants at the moment but just to live in the present wrecking anything that comes to his path. Paco is three months old and enjoys sleeping and drinking his milk.

I am a husband to a wife who normally gets crazy due to my slacker moments (she calls it straightforward laziness) creating a monstrous pile of everyday things in the corners of our home and my love for meditation which she attributes as lethargy bordering on a stroke case due to my strict meat diet backed by mind bicycling and running.

Welcome to the Pleasuredome.

February 27, 2009