Francisco Alberto S. Marana Baptism Invitation

originally posted on May 11, 2009

afternoons at the museum

I brought my eldest son Andres for his Junior Museum Guide Workshop that will run for two weeks at the UP Diliman yesterday. Excitedly, he got his workshop kit and waited impatiently for the activity to start. I was hesitant because he is the youngest at eight years old among the participants whose age ranges from 14-16 (the advertisement said that the workshop is for 10-14 years old that’s why we had to bring him before the start for an interview). We were however assured by the organizer that they will tackle and do presentations in a light way.

So i went out of the museum leaving him and enjoyed the long walk the UP campus offers to people who wants to, well, walk. Eating my late lunch at the UP Workers’ Cooperative Canteen, i cannot help but think if Andres might get hungry earlier than the pegged snacktime at 3:00 pm. The time frame (1:00-5:00 pm) of the workshop is a bit long for an incoming second grader who is used to a 3 to 4 hour schooling with playtimes inserted in between (i sit in a four hour class and i really get irritable sitting for that long a time).

After checking out some new book titles in a bookstore mall (i am a fledgling bookmonger), I rushed back to the museum and asked if i can observe Andres during the sessions. So I went down to the museum basement where they hold their discussion and sat at the far back end where Andres cannot see me. True enough, while I find the discussion conducted by a Ph.D lecturer very interesting, the form was very academic in the brink of becoming a scholarly discourse on what a museum is all about.

Then the lecturer asked,”what is an artifact?”, then i saw a small hand shot up the air and recited “it is historical.” It was Andres! And i cannot hide my pride seeing my son in the company of much older children (on the way home, he said that his co-participants all had “teen” attached to their ages except him) expressing himself confidently and articulating what is on his mind. He shared his knowledge and understanding connected with the topics being discussed and i can see the organizers looking at each other with amazement on their faces. I was proudly smiling inside my self.

I cannot wait for his next story on his afternoons at the museum.

May 6, 2009

mid summer vacation

And I thought summer vacation would give me more blogging time to share stories and practice my writing skills. More than a month had passed and with thousands of vignettes and situations with the boys, I have yet to blog anything because of constraints in relation to even checking the computer for the latest news. The whole day is occupied being with the boys in different situations.

This summer break, I would normally wake up around 6 a.m. to chat with Thelma and prepare breakfast while the boys are still asleep. Paco is normally awake already when Thelma leaves for school so I have to lull him back to sleep, then prepare Ponso’s milk bottle to extend his sleep time till around 9:00 a.m. Andres would wake around 8:30 a.m and take his breakfast after an hour of forcing him to eat. 10:30 a.m. is the time when all hell normally breaks loose. They are all awake and demanding different stuff that requires patience to address their needs. Fights between Andres and Ponso breaks up around 11:00 a.m due to TV programming issues while Paco takes his pre-lunch milk dosage.

By lunch time, Paco and one of the two boys would proceed to their grandparents’ house while I bring either Andres or Ponso to wherever I am scheduled to go in the afternoon.

Andres has yet to do any formal summer enrolled class but is enjoying his summer so far just bumming around while Ponso has his regular Gymboree classes. Paco enjoys his sleep and his milk. As I sit here typing, Ponso watches Animal Mechanicals and Paco just woke up so and I have to sign out again, for now.

April 22, 2009

Tricycle Dharmas

Excited with my new found zeal of actually trying to be a conscious and conscientious father to my three boys, I went to a Booksale outlet to check out back issues of parenting magazines advertised at P65.00 each. It was quite frustrating because after sorting over stacks of local FHMs and Maxim magazines (I was told the parenting magazine is mixed alongside this stuff), I did not find one. So I let go of the excitement and browsed through the imported magazines looking for my basic magazine staple of UTNE Reader, Mother Jones, High Times, The Progressive, and Heeb. I did not find any but I did stumble to an old favorite of mine, Tricycle. It is a Buddhist magazine with articles that apply Buddhist tenets and practices in daily life. I did not even scan the copy but just scooped it and ran towards the counter. I also got the book “Snowboarding to Nirvana” for a good karmic price of P35.00. The Dharma is at work, so I thought.

Then as I stared at Tricycle’s cover, it read, “Bringing Up Buddhists,” it was a parenting issue of sort for the Buddhist magazine. Stories on raising children the Buddhist way, teaching kids Buddhist values of compassion and loving kindness, and other concepts that I still do not understand in spite of the countless Buddhist and zen books I have accumulated since the mid 1990s.

Focusing on my in and out breath while Ponso intently watches Ernie and Bert close to the telly, I hope that the Dharma is still at work.

Buddha bless you.

March 21, 2009

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