Staredown

We were sick this weekend. A persistent cough — one that wouldn’t leave for weeks — sent us to the pediatrician last Friday. She suspected and confirmed the culprit: allergies. Possibly due to molds that came with the floods, or with the weather. This time of the year is worst for those with allergies.

The remedy: nebulization round the clock for three days. It wasn’t the happiest of news as Matthew used to resist using one. The noise was a bit too much and the mist was confusing. What more now that we were advised to use a mask. Oh, the discomfort.

Ah, but what age can do to a child! The only problem this time around was that he wanted to keep on playing and had no time to stop for medicine.

So we got ready for a fight…

And we made sure we were on the same side…

 

 

Matthew’s monster staredown

Poor Godzilla, he had no chance against the robot child.

Monsters on exhibit

My little artist creates and  puts his monstrous masterpieces on display

(a.k.a.-what-to-do-while-dad-naps-to-surprise-him-when-he-wakes)

“The Batcave”

Sunday night, a friend hitched with us on the way home. Talk revolved around superheroes, as Matthew has recently discovered them and has showed a penchant for the theme songs. He’s gotten introduced to the classics: Spiderman, Batman, Iron Man, the Hulk.

On Katipunan, my friend Jae asked to be dropped off at the 7-11 where he had to purchase something. We start chuckling about the name of a new convenience store nearby, the Batcave. It was so oddly inappropriate and it didn’t even pay any homage to the superhero’s domain. Matthew, listening in, kept on asking to see it. It was out of the way so we told him we’d show him another time because we couldn’t go there that instant.

That was the point when he started taking the idea to his own new level. “Maybe the bats lost their home.”

When we did get home, Matthew started telling me the story of “The Batcave, by Matthew Quimpo”.  He had his concept and storyline down pat from start to finish.

 

We decided that it was time for him to write his first book — tomorrow after school.

And so we did. We picked up some paper and supplies before settling down by the dining table at home. While I assisted him with spelling for his cover, he narrated his story to me which I laid down page by page for him to illustrate. There was a little variation from his original idea, but I think it’s fairly loyal and consistent.

Here is “The Batcave”, a first novel.

“The bats live in the whole forest.”

“Bad bats came and got their caves. And the whole city began to close.”

“And it’s going to be nighttime later. It was going to be dark.”

“And the bad bats became nice bats. The bats find a new home.”

An ocean party

It was decided upon early on that the birthday celebration will be at school. It can be simple and have all the little people needed to make the party a happy one.

As simple as we wanted to keep things, it still had to be special. It took forever to decide what to do though. Eventually, the day before the sem break ended we decided on an ocean theme — primarily because the little boy wanted to “fish.”

Not wanting to disrupt the class and also trying to avoid limiting the part to a few minutes of snack time, I came up with a plan to integrate the party with the class structure. In about two hours, the children have (among others) a couple of structured activities, a story, rest time, and of course, eating time. I was going to make use of them all.

We decided to hold the party on the Monday after his birthday. Granted, I almost forgot to send out the invitations on time, the date gave me enough time to pick up last minute things and prepare the details over the weekend. And yes, there were a lot of details.

Fishy games and stories were lined up. Though we tried to avoid being fancy, we still wanted to be creative. Paper plates, art materials, and a paperclip were given to each child to assemble into a fish. Fishing rods were made out of cocktail stirrers, yarn, and magnets.

Story time with dad and a special film showing of the Okinawa Churaumi Aquarium, the second largest aquarium in the world).

(Watch the video here.)

And of course, some fun with food and the cake. On the menu: octopus hotdogs, pesto shell pasta, and “ocean juice” (apple juice with a drop of blue or green food color).

I confess to no real prowess in the kitchen, but shopping and improvising I’ve the skills for. I believe the kids agree — just see how they couldn’t wait to demolish the cake.

Four

And so on Saturday, we turned four years old. And after everything that has happened in recently, we weren’t going to let this pass quietly — no matter how much we wanted to keep things simple.

Happy birthday, sleepyhead

First off is something that acknowledges that Matthew is certainly growing up (no matter how reluctantly we admit to it).  We weren’t quite sure where to hide it or how to wrap it, but it sure didn’t matter. Straight from bed and off to the streets — just like the old days.

He biked for a long time under the hot, hot sun

After lunch and afternoon siesta, it was off to the toy store to buy what he’s been coveting for a long time: a PlayDoh kitchen. It’s the perfect thing for the artist/chef. But first, dinner with Lola and Tita Mia. Pizza and pasta, normally hearty fare, were practically ignored. Food? What’s that? It’s time to play!

Such a longing look in lola’s house. Couldn’t wait to try it all out.

At home… Finally!

Birthday’s not over yet, though. The party was in a couple of days…

Fishy, fishy

Last night (or more precisely, early this morning), I realized that I had totally neglected preparing invitations for Matthew’s little party on Monday. As reminders are given out on Fridays before the children are let out for the weekend, it would have really been best to include a party reminder in everyone’s envelope.

It would be  shame to do this wrong, as I’ve already prepared the details for everything else: the theme, the decor, the food, the games, the special surprise, the loot.

The invitations? Oh no!

Drawing would have been a bad idea. Designing on the computer felt wrong — everything for this party is to be handmade or low cost or recycled.

So I logged online and looked for inspiration, walked around, thought a bat, all in the effort of not ending up as the deadbeat mom who forgot to send out invitations to her kid’s own birthday party.

The theme is ocean creatures. I looked at cakes, nurseries, crafts projects. And it hit me… fish origami! Not that I knew anything about paper folding beyond a making paper boats. But that was what the internet was for.

Voila! I learned, I tore old magazines, and I made 12 little fishies.

I tucked a little note in the folds. And straightened out the tails as much as I could.

Not bad, if I say so myself.

We’re off to a good start. Monday, we see the rest of the details come together.

Countdown wishes

We’re counting down to the 7th.

He’s turning 4 on that day. We are turning 4 that day.

It’s exciting because before now, I doubt he’s had any real grasp on how personally special a birthday is.

1, 2, 3

Last weekend, at a look-see in the toy store, there was a commotion. A toy was spotted, coveted. It was a Play Doh kitchen. Perfect, really, considering his current obsession with clay and his ongoing love for play cooking.

But it was too soon, too early. “You can have it for your birthday,” we told him, trying to teach him a lesson in patience and restraint. The truth it, is is the parents who need to learn those lessons and to not be overwhelmed and heartbroken when the tears fall and the protests get louder.

Eventually, he let us lead him out. We had dinner. Then another urge to go back to the store.

But this time, he said, “We won’t buy it until November 7!”

That’s clear.

In the days that follow, we talked about birthday wishes as I try to pick his brain to discover other things that he likes (Santa’s going to need to have an idea soon too):

More trains (though I say he’s had enough)

Painting and art

Tools

Spiderman

Fishing pole

Instrument

Camera

Lego

Sandbox

Cooking stuff

I bet if he could read this, he’d even add more. But for now, we’ve two days to go and a couple of wishes to fulfill.

 

Who do you want to be?

When did we lose the audacity to be

an artist

a chef

a builder

a worker

an astronaut

a hero

a robot ?

My son declared to be all of that today. His sure declaration of his many possibilities is a sure questioning of our self-imposed boundaries.

This is the wisdom of a little child — so pure, so unchallenged, so open. Surely, it was ours too once? In all probability it’s still there somewhere, underneath the years and layers that come with “growing up”.

Time to start digging.