Wednesday, March 7, 2007

REMEMBER WHEN? (My Spotty Mom Record - Part 2)

Caught daughters the other day and tried to extract true confessions and confirmations on the "spotty mom record."

Mom and daughters ended up reminiscing and playing a game: REMEMBER WHEN?

It went like:

REMEMBER WHEN daughter went home from school heartbroken? She failed to make it to the grade 1 relay team though she puffed and huffed her heart out during try-outs. Mom promptly wrote teacher a letter which began: "Dear Ms. Cruz, do you want to make a little girl happy?" The next day, daughter was called into the team! (Lesson: The pen is mightier than huff and puff.)

REMEMBER when daughter almost didnt have her grade 2 class picture taken because the sun perversely played hide-and-seek? The day began as a bright summer day. Just as the girls were practicing to smile for the camera, rains fell, gentle at first, then in torrents, forcing everyone to run back to the room. After waiting an hour, the sun showed itself again and the girls trooped out again, cheering as they took their places. As the photographer prepared to click -- uh oh -- the heavens poured again. This frustrating thing happened two more times. Exasperated, the teacher announced picture taking was cancelled for the day, even as she demanded from the class: "Sino ba ang may balat sa puwet?" (Who among you has a birthmark on the butt?)

One hand came up. Daughter's hand -- who else's?

Back home, daughter still puzzled over why classmates almost died laughing. "I just told the truth lang naman eh." (Lesson: Teach children to tell the truth, but not when it comes to balat and especially balat in the you-know-what.)

REMEMBER WHEN daughter came home in tears from teasing? Some classmates called her Babsie -- an allusion to Babalu (remember the Dolphy sidekick after Panchito died?) Mom looked and looked for prominence in daughter's chin with the precision that her less than 20-20 vision could ill afford her and said: "Ang ganda nga eh." When the namecalling and the tears persisted the next days, Mom knew extradordinary measures were called for. To begin with, she demanded an inventory of hooligan classmates' imperfections. Mom then scripted choice one-liners using bungi (broken-toothed), bobo (dull-witted), and maraming kuto (with louse-infested hair) which she asked daughter to memorize for the next time teasers teased again. Daughter delivered the lines perfectly and since then never came home in tears again. (Lesson: Teach children to show teeth, too, even when all they have are milk teeth.)

REMEMBER WHEN daughter was about to attend her first formal party? Mom accompanied daughter to SM to choose a gown. After daughter tried on maybe a thousand gowns, she was mercifully, finally down to two choices 10 minutes before store closing time. Daughter sweetly asked Mom which outfit she preferred. Flattered, Mom chose the dreamy pink number (with a cowl neck and clouds of lace ) over the straight, maroon ankle-long backless she thought was too matured for a teenager. Daughter skipped happily to the counter to check out the maroon outfit, blissfully unaware as a mommy jaw dropped to the floor. (Lesson: Moms can still be useful when shopping for clothes even though her taste is considered bulok as long as she's prepared not to be pikon).

REMEMBER summers when daughters would be talking till midnight, catching up on each other, giggling over some deep dark secrets? Mommy would be in the next bed, listening giddily not even daring to breathe. Then -- wrong timing naman -- Mommy felt she had to go to the bathroom. Not wanting to miss any juicy bit, she would request. "Pwede, pause muna kayo? Bathroom break muna ako." (Lesson: Daughters should come with PLAY and PAUSE buttons for maximum enjoyment of Moms.)

Those and other "remember whens" were supposed to conclude the mom in question was a weird one.

"Not cool mom?" the mom persisted hopefully.

"No, weird mom," they insisted.

The mom smiled. I am not sure why.

33 comments:

Anonymous said...

and mom and daughters lived happily ever after. how nice it is to reminisce the good ole days. and even if they call us "weird", it's ok, we love them to the bones, our children.

and yes, Anna, after that 13th blog blok--you are returning with a vengeance! you and pen (or shall i say keyboard) romance perfectly together!

Anonymous said...

...and I was also the bobo and the maraming kuto, he he.. those were the days, eh
And I totally agree with sexy mom :-) you're back with a vengeance!

vernaloo said...

ang galing mo talagang sumulat Anna :) idol! lolz

Anyway very sweet entry. I hope when I'll have daughters someday...ganyan din ang magiging closeness namin :)

houseband00 said...

...And the world smiled along with her. =)

Great post, Anna!

I'm beginning to appreciate the fact that parenting is neither a job nor a duty. It really is, underneath all the joy and frustration, a selfless privilege.

Forever59er said...

Sexy Mom!

I like to think 'weird mom' is just as nice as 'cool mom' -- if not better. Haha. Or is just the quirky me wanting to be 'different?' The same me who was happy to find out, when i took a 'how normal are you' test that I was far from normal? haha.

Hey. I love that phrase 'romancing with my pen.' Lyrical! Wish I could have thought of that myself. thank you, Dine.

Forever59er said...

Pining! Hindi kaya ikaw yung classmate nung daughter ko who called her "Babsie?" Did you go to St. Paul for high school? haha! Thanks for reading my spotty mom record. :)

Forever59er said...

Verns!

Read Dine and Rhoda and me and Pining and housebandoo -- para ka nang kumuha ng parenting seminar na paluksolukso. LOL But I dunno ... even without reading up, I got the feeling you'll make a great, weird, even crazy mom. the best there is.

Idol mo ko? awwww Hindi ko pa naman birthday ah. :)

Forever59er said...

Housebandoo!

Awwww. Thanks for smiling with weird mom.

Ang lalim naman ng post mo: "parenting is a selfless privilege." I will remember that .. that I am privileged. Ty

Anonymous said...

Ang galing mong magsulat...and that's the honest truth, Anna! :)

I wish I had the same kind of relationship with my Mom...nakakainggit naman (sniff). I was my Daddy's girl. My Mom tried hard, I'll give her credit for that...but...I don't know. Speechless ba, hehe.

Gina said...

I say: I bet you are one super C-O-O-L ! mom!
Magandang strategy 'yung tinuro mo sa daughter mo ha. Eye for an eye, or shall I say tooth for a tooth,hehehe.
Will look forward to more mommy stories. Who knows I might need some pointers some day.

Anonymous said...

Yes, sometimes its good to be reared in the context of "eye for an eye". That of course, I suppose, should come after utmost patience one have poured out. But no doubt, very nice post!

Forever59er said...

Kathy!

You know I am not really an expert on this. But I think (most of) our parents also tried their darndest. And hey, they musn't have done such a bad job -- see how you (and the rest of the KKK) turned out to be!

Ty, ty. Music to my ears!!

Forever59er said...

Gina!

Talaga, cool ba? Tinuruan ko yung anak kong manlait ng kapwa bata?

It was an extraordinary measure kasi sobrang bait nung anak kong yon. And I feel vindicated that until now she's still the kindest and gentlest in the family and yet marunong nang umalma when she reaches her limit. I call her my best product.

Yes, I have more mommy stories in my baul. Ty.

Forever59er said...

Dimaks!

Eye for an eye -- parang si Shylock ano? Ang sama. Pero, as I told Gina, it was an extraordinary measure. Kawawa kasi yung anak ko -- apiapihan nung araw. I thought she had to be taught how to show teeth para hindi api-apihin. Ngayon, she has grown into a peson na hindi nagpapa-api at lalong hindi nang-aapi. :)

soloops said...

Teaching our kids not to be pushovers is a must, weird mom or not.

When I learned from the nanny that Faith's playmate calls her "pango" (pug-nosed), I told my daughter, well, at least, anak hindi ka mukhang bisugo tulad niya.hahaha.

I learned this from my own Mama too.

I got a good laugh reading this, Ms Anna, ikaw ay bukod tangi.

Anonymous said...

anna - share tayo with "romancing", i like it, it's lyrical. pwede pa ngang romancing with the keyboard.

ang swerte nga ni verns, libre parenting seminar, di kaya sya na coconfuse sa pagiging weirdo natin?

mga 7 kong anak, ang babait din, kaya am ever thankful.

Forever59er said...

Faith!

Pushover -- that's the word I was looking for and couldn't get out of the tip of my tongue. (haha) TY.

Well, by teaching our children to fight when they are pushed over their limits, we also teach the other other children to be kinder.

Napakasarap ng sinabi mo, Faith's mom. Pwede ba kitang hug? haha

Forever59er said...

Sexy Mom!

Promise? I can borrow the phrase? Di mo ako charge ng royalty ha? (haha) TY!

Si Verns .. baka nga ma-confuse ano? But I have faith in her intuitive ability to sift in and sift out. Smart din yun eh ... pareho natin. (hehe)

Yes, been reading your site, Dine and I can gather from there how lovely your family is. Congrats.

Anonymous said...

Anna, for all these beautiful deeds, na-erase na ang spots sa record mo...
You are one great mom, really!

Forever59er said...

Rhodora!

Oh wow, talaga? Spotless na ba? (haha) Ay naku, I didn't mean to sound so great because -- far from it -- dami kong tres at singco sa mommy card ko. Di bale, next installment I will write about those failing marks. Kaya ko kaya?

(Hey gising ka pa pala ano? Am trying to work on my HS blogsite. Pinagpapawisan ako sa pag-upload ng photos.)

Anonymous said...

So with that result, I salute you and your daughter. She was able to show the world that she is not easy to bully with :)

Leah said...

I agree, another beautiful post Anna. To teach your kids to stand up and fight back is a good way to train them independence di ba?

Anonymous said...

Dimaks!

You know that kind of training (tooth for a tooth) could have boomeranged on me/her. Thank heavens, it worked and daughter became a more balanced person even as she retained her innate kindness.

I dunno what the parenting experts would say.

Anonymous said...

Leah!

I'd say it's part of their all-around 'liberal education' -- to cope with the bullies of the world.

Maybe there could have been a better way. I just didnt know it. (Haha). Ty, ty. Flattered, coming from YOU!

Abaniko said...

Hahahahaha. What funny, heartwarming reminiscences. Natawa ako doon sa gown ah. :D

Anonymous said...

Bee-yoo-ti-ful post Annamanila! And I'm sure your daughters would love it too. You're so cool... I love the way you defend your daughters against teachers, evil classmates, etc., and I love all the boo-boos all in the name of love for your kids. :)

Forever59er said...

Abaniko!

Sa dami naman, yung pang gown episode ang napili mo ha? (haha)

Di bale, tingnan ko how you would fare when you and your future son go shopping. Hope you have better luck. (hehe)

Seriously -- thank you for being interested in mommy stuff.

Forever59er said...

Toe!

I am afraid my blogs are making me sound better than what I really am. Hope I don't disappoint those who see me in four dimensions. four dimensions? ilan nga ba. LOL Not that there would be too many opportunies, hane?

Anonymous said...

Called 'weird mom' and she smiled! Really weird. :)

Congrats to you and all the weird moms of the world. May your tribe increase.

Forever59er said...

Jerry!

You really think so? That moms should be a little weird? Anyway, thank you. And thanks for visiting again.

Gypsy said...

HI Anna, great blogsite you have here! :) By the way, I think you ARE a cool mom--if your daughter dares to whisper her deep dark secrets to you, THAT makes you way cool! Cheers! Na-link na pala kita.:)

Forever59er said...

Ty, Gypsy. Hope my 'cool mom' rating stays after the spots in my mom record are shown. (Am writing it now -- ang hirap magpakatutuo .. haha)

Thanks! Gypsy has been in my wishlist for a while. Answered wish!

Anonymous said...

Weeee! My third comment. I maximize daw ba ang limited time offer.

REMEMBER the time when there were two newbie bloggers who got tagged for a meme by an "abusive" upperclassman, and that's how they became blog buddies? :D

Seriously Tita, this post made me think about what I'll write for Mother's Day. (I hope I'd have internet access by then). Gaaah, if only I can write about all the ideas swimming around in my head. If the previous post I commented on was your post on writer's block, I'm thinking about whether someone, somewhere posted about the opposite of writer's block if there was such a thing.

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