Cost-Efficient Absence

I didn't go to work two days in a row.

Yesterday, it was my daughter's birthday and I had to absent myself or they wouldn't let me go off work on time for my daughter's birthday party which was at 4pm.  It was on a MONDAY.  My excuse for this unusual choice of date and time was because Via's class ends at 3:30pm and it would be convenient for her and her class to go straight to a nearby Shakey's restaurant to get some fun and afternoon snacks with their nannies or hands-on parents.  I didn't expect for them to go the extra mile to even change from their school uniforms.  I wanted it to be as spontaneous as a class party.  No gifts was even expected.  I wanted my daughter to be pleasantly surprised in her special day.

I woke up this morning intending to go to work today.

However, I had a migraine that wouldn't go away even after I finished my early cup of coffee.  I had to call (or text) in sick.  I am spending the early hours of the day attending to my studies.  I still have to remind myself that I'm still on training.  And it is actually more important to train academically than earn money (salary) during the training.  Money will come after.

Two days in a row.  That's how much they're going to miss me at work which they probably won't.  I love my work. Unfortunately, I love my daughter even more.  And there's a greater probability that I'd be able to do more "work" at home than when I'm actually present there.

In the meantime, I'm isolating myself from the world until 3pm today.  I'm locking myself in my bedroom door in my parents' house with coffee and garlic bread.

Dress Rehearsals and Pictorials

 

Two Saturdays ago, I sent my daughter to her ballet class.  I thought I wasn't going to miss much by not going along with her but it turned out that it wasn't a regular day for them.  I wasn't given any notice that there was some kind of preparation for their recital on December.  

She surprised me when she came back after more than an hour.  She was wearing not her uniform but a fancy tutu.  The help told me that she wasn't able to answer my calls because she was helping my daughter get dressed several times.  

I was wondering why she had to dress several times.  She told me that there was more than one costume that they had to wear.  She took out what was inside her bag and showed me several colorful costumes.

I was so excited that I didn't even think that what my daughter was wearing was still straight from somewhere and haven't had the chance to wash it yet.

I asked her to wear it a little longer so that I could take pictures of her myself.  Her yaya told me that I need not worry because she took pictures of my daughter in school too!    

 I have to thank yaya because she did a good job being there with my daughter when I couldn't.

I have to say she did a pretty good job taking these pictures.

I showed them to my parents to get them excited for the recital.  They paid for the ballet classes which I can hardly afford and so, they have the right to enjoy everything about it.

The yaya told me that while almost every kid in the class was crying because the costumes were all somewhat itchy, my daughter was smiling for the camera non-stop.

The ballet teacher reiterated that she was really good during the pictorial when I sent my daughter to ballet class the next session.

Looking at these pictures, I saw how it was not a mistake to ask my parents if they could sponsor Via Faith's ballet classes.  Swallowing my pride gives a lot of good.

Her papa can take care of her tennis lessons in the future for free but I really like her to continue ballet too.  Dreaming big for my kid here :)







Ballet Classes in Greenmeadows ave: 0917 885 2464
Tennis Classes (Meralco Compound Ortigas): 0922 874 2959

Birthdate at Pho Hoa

It was Papa's birthday.

And so, we spent sometime together while our daughter was in school (it was a Monday).  We're not so big on birthdays unless it was Via Faith's.  And so, we did a couple of errands while we were out of the house.

His birthday included paying our bills in Globe for our internet.  While I was in line, he was looking at the phones available for postpaid plans.  We walked out of the phone shop saying kidding him about the phones on display that we couldn't afford to add to our monthly bills.

We made his birthday our grocery day too.  It has always been his duty to choose what and how much meat and poultry products we need to buy.  It's my duty to buy the other unimportant junk that I usually eat at home and in the work place.  And so, it was kind of an errand day for him.

The only treat that we had was eating in our favourite noodle restaurant.  And we get our money's worth.  We ate there in silence for a moment savouring every sip of the hot noodle soup.

It was our kind of thing.  It's not everyday that we can afford eating out.  We had to spend it wisely.  For people like us, birthdays are never for splurging.

Travelling With My Best Friend

I don't think there was a time that I boarded the plane without my Via Faith ever since she existed.  Even when she was still in the womb, she was with me when I went away and back to Manila (and this happened twice).   Come to think of it, I even went diving with her one time while I was pregnant.

We are just so lucky that we are always together.  We have never been apart.  I don't think I'd ever want to be apart from my daughter even if I sometimes try to get away from her (for work reasons).

Sometime last month, both of us joined my sister and her family travelling to MY MOST FAVOURITE ASIAN COUNTRY (next to ours, of course).

We just have to ride on the Singapore Flyer again.  It was our second time to ride it except for my Via.  I was afraid that they'd get scared of of heights but I was wrong.  They were all calm and collected until I bought out the selfie stick.

Being together makes everything extra special even though it was actually tiresome for me to be alone taking care of my restless daughter.  Even when we were inside our hotel room, she is still a handful.  My sister got their own room.  I guess she didn't want to be bothered by the ruckus Via and her cousin Gabino would create.  Wise decision because only when she's asleep do I get my rest.  

She doesn't want me out of her sight during the trip.  I leave the bathroom door open so that I can hear her when I leave her inside the room.  However, she startles me when she comes over while I'm there doing my own business.

I am her best friend.  She says so herself.  And I am truly honoured to have this unexpected gift who likes me without any condition at all.   Someone who wants my full attention like it's the most important thing of all.  It is tiresome yes, but never a burden.

Trick or Treat 2014

This is such a late post.  It's like a Halloween special on Thanksgiving (well, almost).

My daughter was able to attend at least one Trick or Treat activity.  Thank goodness for their school who thinks of so many ways to distract them from the seriousness of getting good grades.  I couldn't find time to bring her to any other Trick or Treating activity in the metro.  I have been so busy that I couldn't even afford to attend to her during their school activity.

Thank goodness for yaya who knows how to take pictures with the smart phone we lent her.  A little photo tweaking was all that is needed.

 

Ballet Class

First Ballet Class

Via attended her first ballet class this morning.  I just called yesterday and her ballet teacher wanted her to attend her first class today because there was no reason to postpone it since the first month is being paid for in full.  

Of course, it was too short a notice but because I was excited for her, I let her attend today without wearing the prescribed uniform.  And so Via went there wearing her temporary tights and socks.  Every kid there were wearing pink tights, tutu and ballet shoes.  

She stood out and she felt it.  I could sense that she was not happy about being different.  She wasn’t crying because she’s scared to join.  She was crying because she didn’t belong there.  Not today.  

I am kind of worried on how she is reacting to this.  I’m making sure that Papa and I talk to her about this before this day ends.  

I want my kid to be happy even if she’s so different from the others.  Today has given me a foresight what could happen when she begins those middle school years when kids are being bullied just because they were different.  

I wouldn’t be able to stop other kids from bullying her.  However, she shouldn’t “bully” herself about being different.  She was really sad this morning.  I don’t want her to feel that way in the future.  I have to make her understand that each one of us are different in our own ways, may it be in big or small ways.  We are never created equal. Some will excel in one thing, and the others may excel in other things.