This Little Kid (not so anyway)

I miss this little kiddo here. The vibrant, talkative and cheery kid that I know. He's not living far from me but being a mother makes you realize that every moment with your child should be spent with joy to make a beautiful memory.

I was looking at old photographs of my children and it brought me down the memory lane once again. How time flies indeed, and I wondered if I missed something, some milestones of my children perhaps. I hope I didn't.

The reason why I looked at old photographs was I had the chance to be with my son today. Of course we see each other all the time but we weren't able to bond like we used to. So I brought him to school where I am working and let him play while I do my reports. He checks on me at the office from time to time telling me what he's "discovered" outside. And when it was time for lunch, we went to a cozy restaurant to indulge. Every single moment I had with my son today was a revelation anew to me. He is still cheery, vibrant and talkative but his stories now have more depth; probably because he has grown and has discovered a lot of things.

He reads everything he sees, from the establishment signage to the menu; and asks for a translation if he doesn't understand a word. I have always known him to be intelligent in his own ways. He does not possess the bookish type of intelligence; what he has is the street smart type - the type that will make him survive the spiteful and deceitful world we are living in. And I am okay with that.

And so before this post goes any farther, I realized that I need to spend more quality time with my kids and talk to them, like adults do, from time to time. Have serious talks and learn about their interests and insights about certain things and bond with them more. Anyway, let me share a part of our conversation this afternoon while eating lunch.

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Aloy: Ma saan tayo pagkatapos dito? (Mom, where are we going after this?)

Me: Balik sa school kasi may tatapusin pa ako. (We're going back to school because I have to finish some things)

Aloy: Pwede na ako mag uwi? (Can I go straight home instead?)

Me: Bakit, marunong ka umuwi mag isa? (Why? You already know how to go home by yourself?)

*thinks for a while*

Aloy: Ay huwag na lang, baka ano pa mangyari sa iyo sa school pag ikaw lang isa doon. (Never mind, there might be something bad that will happen to you if you'll be alone in school)

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