Munchkin Mommy

Not that I was ever really away!

My little girl’s back in school.  I thought we were going to have a tough morning, but no, I was up before 6am and the first grader was up by 6:30am.  How’s that for first day of school excitement?!

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So this morning, I was back doing one of the things I do best, if I may say so myself, “assembling” a decent lunch for Abby and throwing in a couple of healthy snacks in her lunch box.  But that’s an entry for another site. *wink*  Hee hee.  I told my daughter my lunch time appearances this school year will be limited.  In fact, I wasn’t really planning on going to school today for lunch, but the little boss requested that I come over. So I did.  How can I refuse?  I  guess she’s used to having her girl Friday around. Anyway, I saw it as an opportunity to start getting to know the 15 or so other kids in her class. ;)

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After slacking on exercise for two months, it was good to get back to running.  Well, my run might actually only be a jog to some, but hey…   It was a leisurely 2.5-mile run.  I wasn’t panting or gasping for air and I didn’t ever feel I was going to pass out…and that, I think, is a very good thing.  Hee hee. :)  After my run, I squeezed in some gym time.  And you know what I’m going to say next…it’s good to be back in the gym!  ;)

If by any chance you thought that I have all the time to do the things I do – make school lunches, volunteer in school, run and exercise (among other things) – because I’m a stay-at-home mom, I forgive you.  Hee hee. :P

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And here’s the buh-bye part…

In a couple of days, that is, as soon as I figure out how to do it, this space will cease to exist in the public eye.  After finally growing out of online naivety brought about by 5 years of blogging, it finally hit me, who cares what I think or say or do anyway?  Take the first part of this entry for instance?  Who cares if it’s the first day of school?  That I’m making school lunches again? That I’m running again?  Exactly.

This blog has suffered neglect for the longest time.  I guess Facebook is partly to blame.  I got lazy because I could easily update my status on FB, which brings me back to the question, who among my 355 “friends” on FB cares what I put on my wall?  What I cooked?  What I baked?  Where we went?  Exactly.

Having said that, I will steer myself away from FB and just channel the time I spend there on my blogs, albeit, privately (for this one)…for the people who really care…my mom? My husband?  Hee hee. :P

I love it here, always have, always will.  Plus, I love putting my thoughts down on paper, well, more like typing it and seeing it on screen, wrong grammar and misspellings notwithstanding.  And just the thought of the range of topics I can write about privately gets me all psyched up!  It’s going to be very liberating! I know it already! I am just about ready to burst in excitement!

I shall tell you when it happens…not that anybody cares.  Hee hee.

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Have a great week ahead and think happy thoughts, y’all!  It’s going to be a great one for us! *sighs contentedly*

Last week was a good week for me personally.  I had two breakthroughs and I couldn’t be happier.

First, I was able to take Abby to the community pool, just the two of us.  Why haven’t I been able to do that simple act of motherly love in the past 3 years?  Let’s just say I used to have issues…swimsuit issues.  *blush*  Taking Abby to the pool by myself meant having to don a swimsuit and get into the pool with her. So I make hubby take Abby to the pool.  I do join them sometimes, but I mostly just lay on a lounge chair with a book or a couple of magazines.  Swimsuits are less of an issue now, that’s not to say I look good in them. It just took me this long to realize and actually believe that NOBODY CARES!  Hee hee.  Thank you, America! ;)

Second, I was able to pick hubby up from the airport for the very first time. Hooray!  Hubby usually takes a cab to and from the airport.  He has tried asking me to take him to the airport or to pick him up so many times but, thankfully for me, his flights out of Austin are usually in the wee hours of the morning, which would mean having to wake up his precious daughter.  And his flights back are usually so late at night. :D   This time, I couldn’t find an excuse not to pick  him up because he was to arrive Austin at after 4pm on a Saturday and Abby is on summer break. *sigh*  Funny how such a simple thing as driving to the airport can be very empowering.  Hee hee.

In Dora the Explorer fashion I sing, “I did it! I did it!” :)

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I’ve been missing posting some of my interesting conversations with Abby.  Here’s one from last Friday just after we got home from the pool, getting ready for a nice warm shower.  We were still wearing our swimsuits, by the way.

Abby:  Mommy, will you pass on your swimsuit to me?

Me:  But it’s too big for you.

Abby:  No, when I’m bigger!

Me:  Ok, but when you’re bigger, it’s still not going to fit you.

Abby:  Why?

Me:  Because you’re too sexy and this swimsuit’s going to be too big for you.

Abby:  But you’re too sexy and your swimsuit fits!

I looooooove looooove my daughter!  She may have her moments, lots of them I might add, but she tells me the sweetest things! :)

Have a great week y’all!   Cheers!

Summer this year was just super duper, over-the-top GREAT…the greatest of all three Texas summers we’ve had thus far.  Sure, it can get so excruciatingly hot, specially in this part of the world.  Good thing I had more than 30 years of (mandatory?) practice, no thanks to sticky hot Pinas summers.  So yes, heat is the last thing I rant about.

In the last two months-and-a-half, we had so many wishes granted and prayers answered.  Once again, God proved that He does listen, He is good and that He does answer prayers…in His time.  All these wishes and prayers were lifted up in complete surrender a long time ago and all the time we were waiting, we believed in our hearts that they’ve already been granted.  Some will call it visualization.  Some will refer to it as positive thinking.  However you call it, it works.  Well, it worked for me…for us.

Now that summer is almost over, we are already setting our hearts on a super duper, over-the-top GREAT fall (the season, of course!) and winter.  Wishes and prayers once again lifted up in complete surrender.  It won’t be long before our hearts will once again be dancing with joy for the sweet surprises that await us.

Thank you, God!  And in the words of today’s generation, may I say that You Rock! :)

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Speaking of fall and winter…I’ve picked up a new hobby, loom knitting! :)  For my birthday, one of my girl friends gifted me with a set of long looms.  And last Friday, I knitted and completed my first scarf.  It’s for Abby.

Neat Knit #1: A scarf for Abby

On Saturday, I completed a belt from the yarn left over from Knit Neat #1.  I did most of it in the car.  I think it’s a belt.  But I’ll have to add an accent of sorts, maybe a flower or a huge button.

Neat Knit #2:  A belt…I think. :)

Yesterday, I completed yet another scarf for Abby. This time, in her colors of choice, pink and purple.

Neat Knit #3:  Another scarf for Abby

Funny how the gauge of the yarn makes a lot of difference.  All three projects were done in the same style yet the third one looks different from the first two.

These are just warm up projects.  I hope to do more in time for fall and winter. :)  First, I have to get myself a fresh supply of yarn. :)

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This morning, Abby wanted to wear her pink and purple scarf to school.  I told her it’s still too warm to wear a scarf.  This is how our conversation went:

Abby:  Can I wear my scarf to school, Mom?

Me:  No, it’s too warm.  You can wear it in the fall.

Abby:  But fall is “near to the corner”.

Me:  You mean, “around the corner”.

Abby:  Yes! That corner! (She said while pointing at the kitchen window.)

Abby is just plain…entertaining! :)

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Y’all have a great week now!  Cheers and blessings!! :)

“Happiness is…tying your shoes for the very first time.”

How old were you when you learned to tie your own shoelaces?  I can’t exactly recall how old I was but I’m pretty sure I was already more than 6 years old when I did.

That can’t be said about Abby.  One of the skills my little princess mastered before she bid pre-school goodbye was tying shoelaces.  There were several times when I picked her up from school and I’d catch her sitting on the floor helping a classmate lace his/her shoes.  Why not Abby’s own?  Because I always made sure she wore shoes that have velcro straps. :D  Here’s the thing.  All those times I’d see Abby tying a classmate’s shoelaces, I always thought they were merely attempts and that she only made knots out of the shoelaces.  Imagine hubby’s and my surprise when, last Thursday, Abby demonstrated to us with an old pair of shoes that she CAN tie shoelaces…

Clap, clap, clap, clap! :)  Proud mommy moment yet again! ;)

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Inquisitive Abby

Abby has been extra extra inquisitive these days.  Some questions leave me speechless.  Some questions leave US laughing…to Abby’s dismay and for which we had to profusely apologize. :(  Bad parents!  Never, never laugh at your children’s questions, however funny you think they may be.  We do encourage Abby to ask questions because that’s one of the best ways for her to learn. ;)  We just have occasional lapses.  Tsk.

One time while we were washing hands…

Abby:  Mommy, have you ever liked two boys at the same time?

Say what?  Now where the heck did that come from?  Next question! :P

One time during breakfast…

Abby:  Mommy, do they have bread in the Philippines?

This was the question that got us in trouble because we couldn’t help laughing.  We have to have a Pinas vacation soon so Abby doesn’t think that the Philippines is like, well, the boondocks! To make up for our mental lapse, we had to apologize over and over again.  And then,  Abby got a crash course on Philippine breads: pan de sal, kababayan, mamon, “tasty”/pan americano, etcetera, etcetera!

Just a few hours ago, it was my turn to be inquisitive.  We were talking about her classmates who have their grandmas pick them up from school.

Me:  Abby, your classmate Madelaine…is she Spanish?

Abby:  No.  She’s just regular.

I guess that makes us “special”. ;) It took a lot of willpower to keep from laughing after I heard Abby’s answer. Hee hee.

That’s all for now.  Have a great week ahead y’all!  Cheers!

It’s true, too, you know! :)  While I’m making and packing Abby’s lunch, hubby prepares Abby’s breakfast. :D

And here’s the Father’s Day card that Abby made for her dad.  I should have scanned it against a colored back ground though.  Sorry about that! :D

The card cover

The top half of the card when it is opened.

The bottom half of the card

Happy Father’s Day to my dearest Munchkin!  Abby and I love you very much!

And to all you awesome dads out there, Happy Father’s Day! :D