A trip to Batangas with Butch, Jean, Chloe and Chino! Miguel was afraid to ride at first, but quickly got jealous when he saw Chloe and Chino trot off. After his first ride, he was all smiles and asking for more! He rode on Dip Tank, a very friendly quarterhorse who got his name because he fell into a...dip tank!
Thanks to Butch and Jean for bringing us, and Chloe for inviting us!
The snake is an albino python, a pet of our host.
I don't remember when we started draping the pearls over the photos, but this year Gueli added the Christmas mice, and I must say that they're a nice touch!
I wish that the camera could capture what I see with my eye.
Mouse #1
Mice #2 and 3...
Numbers 4 and 5...
Six and seven.
Close-up of number 7.
Plus an angel.
See the graffiti that Lisa made of our group in Facebook! Such a sweet and talented friend! So lucky!
It sorta went like this:
Setting: Miguel's bedroom
Time: Night
Me: ...and thank you for Ninang, and Ninong, and Tita Essie...
Miguel: ...and Jyo...
Me: ...and Lola and Tito Alan and Tita Grace. And please bless Tito Mike.
(Slight pause)
Miguel: (Serious tone) Mommy. When you break up with someone, you have to stick to your decision.
Me: But I am sticking to my decision. (Looking at him) Are you afraid that I might get back together with Tito Mike?
Miguel: Uh-huh.
Me: No, I'm not.
Miguel: Then why are you praying for him? It's supposed to be for family.
Me: Well, we also pray for friends.
Miguel: How come?
Me: Well... (I have to think about this one) Tito Mike is going through a tough time because we broke up, so I'm praying for him too. But we'll be friends one day.
Miguel: Don't you mean boyfriend? (Teasingly, although I know this question is loaded)
Me: No, friend friend. Are you glad?
Miguel: Yes. Because I don't want you to have a boyfriend.
Me: Why?
Miguel: (Hugging me) Because he's going to take away your attention from me.
Me: (Thinking as I speak) Well it doesn't have to be that way. What if I find somebody that you like, and instead of taking my attention away from you, he's someone who gives you more attention?
Miguel: (Smiles and nods) Uh-huh. (Then turning serious) But mommy, there's a very small chance of that happening.
Me: (I almost chuckle) You know, you're right.
P.S. There was also a discussion about him having a girlfriend one day and going "smoochie-smoochie" with the woman he was going to marry, but I won't get into that now.
You just have to see this costume!
Since I needed more time to make his Deoxys (Pokemon) costume for the Sunday party, Miguel decided to make his own costume for Lola Perla's trick or treat party on Saturday. As he explained to ninang beforehand:
"I'm going to wear my magician costume, plus my Cable costume, plus my Superman costume. And then I'm going to hold my light saber."
Ninang: "Okay."
Miguel: "And then I'm gonna hold a sign that says Don't ask!"
It was a hit at the subdivision party! The emcee described it as "three years' worth of costumes" - so right he was - and kept on saying it was his favorite. Needless to say, Miguel won again for best costume!
The best part was, it was all his idea.
(Sung to the tune of "If you're happy and you know it.")
So this is about Miguel's latest thing.
Two Saturdays ago he started attending the SECOND Ateneo Saturday Chess Clinic. What happened to the first one, you may ask? Well, that was offered some time in the first quarter, but he was already had an activity during Saturday mornings. So when the second one was offered, he begged me to let him attend.
You've gotta hand it to the boy; he knows what he wants.
So for the past 2 Saturdays, we've been trooping to the Blue Eagle gym for chess lessons. To my surprise the place is filled with (by my estimate) fifteen young, noisy, active boys who are truly excited about chess. They relish the challenge of a game and have a lot of energy. I don't know what goes on inside that chess room during clinic hours, but I got to witness Miguel playing against a classmate after hours. With them, a game of chess is not at all quiet, but punctuated with a lot of animated conversation, side comments and antics.
I've discovered that there's a lot of etiquette involved in chess, and they will learn the rules eventually. But right now they're just having a lot of fun while learning.
I knew that he had an interest in chess, which is why I brought home a beautiful chess set from China last year (pictured above). But I never suspected that he would really take a shine to it. Well, at least for now he does. I daresay it satisfies his intellectual curiosity.
And heeeere it is! The famous light saber fight that we've dying to show you! GREEN: "Nuninuninuninu..."
Thanks to the following who made it possible:
Actors: Mommy & Miguel
Director: Ninang
Producers: Mommy & Miguel
Screenwriter: Miguel
Stunt Coordinator: Miguel
(Document reproduced above indicates the director's consent to waive all property rights in favor of the producers.)
Sit back, bring out the microwave popcorn, and enjoy the show, folks! :)
RED: "Cha!"
GREEN: "Waaah!" (Fighting sounds)
RED: "Hey look over there, a monkey!"
GREEN: "Huh? Where?"
(More fighting sounds)
RED WHISPERING: **Cut off my hand!** (RED attacks)
GREEN: "Aaaaaah!" (GREEN falls)
GREEN: "Ooooooh!" (DIES)
RED WHISPERS: **You're not yet dead!**
GREEN: (GAG! GAG!)
RED WHISPERS: **You're not yet dead! You're not yet dead! You're not yet...**
DIRECTOR: **Stab her!**
GREEN: "Yaaaaaaaaaah! I'm dead!"
(Phone rings, I answer.)
"Mommy, there's something in your room and I want you to post it on the internet." "Oh, you mean you left something in my room and you want me to take a picture of it?" "Uh-huh. And post it on the internet." "Is it an art attack?" "You'll see. Okay I love you, bye." Click.
(Go home, get the phone camera.) Click.
(Go to work, turn on the internet.) Click.
Miguel has a very good piano teacher. I say this because not only has he learned to play the piano, but he loves doing it as well. I can tell too that Teacher Ems's other students enjoy playing because they keep at it year after year. It's like a mini-reunion twice a year: the same students, the same parents. Everything the same except that the kids keep growing bigger and getting better.
Playing the piano has become our ritual just before going to bed every night. I know that he finds school very stressful, but in contrast he says that piano is "relaxing." Just so he can enjoy his practice sessions even more, I encourage him to play a piece twice: first the correct way, and second any way he wants. I feel that it's a way of releasing his creativity, of which he has a lot.
He has a very playful mind, so what he'd do is mix up passages from different pieces that have similar chords. The result is an an impromptu medley. Or sometimes he'll change the notes on the right hand while keeping the left hand chords. Or keep the notes while changing the speed. All these and other stuff as well.
Well last night he tried a new trick: crossing his hands to play left notes on right hand and right notes on left hand. That's when he asked me to take a video and post it on YouTube.
So now I'm a member of YouTube. Except that this video isn't about a cris-cross performance. This is Miguel playing "Ode to Joy" with his eyes closed, just to prove that he knows it so well. The show-off...
How could we possibly fill in their shoes? They were giants, morally and professionally. We're not worthy.
Miguel's first official pets. Fished them out of Uncle Benny's pond last Saturday, with Ate Chloe. Which also marked Miguel's first official fall into the pond. It just so happened that I was trying to take pictures of the cousins together when it happened, see....
These are red swordtails, and there were 4 of them in the beginning, 2 for Miguel and 2 for Chloe. I even instructed them to name their fishes. Chloe decided to call hers "Blue" and "Goldie;" taking his cue from her, Miguel decided to call his "Bluey" and "Gold." 
But on Saturday one must have jumped out and slid down into the nearby sink. And on Sunday, I found another one dead on the floor in spite of the glass cover that I placed on the fish bowl. (Cue in Chloe and Miguel arguing, "YOUR fish was the one that died!" "No, YOUR fish!")
Anyway, it all started with the acquisition of a fish tank (advance token of the Grade 1 field trip to Bio Research on January 26th), which led to the acquisition of the fish, which led to the acquisition of a bigger fishbowl, an air pump, plastic sea plants, and a canister of fish food.
Somewhere along the way Miguel changed the names from "Blue" and "Goldie" to "Psyduck" and "Psyduck." One day when he has a son, he even wants to call him "Psyduck."
He can call the fishes anything he wants, as long as he leaves my grandson out of it.
Well yesterday he arrived from the field trip with a gold fish. I suggest that we call him "Golduck."
