SHARING THE LOVE




"...would you mind me asking... are you guys currently living together?..."

"...gotta ask you this: cause I am curious, you and your hubby are away (overseas) from each other or you are just so sweet to each other. (giggle) sorry I don't want to intrude but I am tsismoso..."


These are just two of the questions I've received regarding SERENITY, the matrimonial blog I share with my husband, DON LORENZO DE MODESTO.

Just for the record, Lorenzo and I live together.

I guess I'm to blame for all this confusion, for failing to make a proper introduction of our joint venture.

"Serenity" is our matrimonial blog. The special space I share with my husband online. We launched it sometime in May as a joint project, aimed at "sharing the love" with the rest of the blogosphere while enhancing our relationship in the process.

We do this through a series of letters that we write to each other online. If you've ever been to "Serenity", you will notice that the entries are color-coded: pink for my posts and blue for Lorenzo's.

Right now, there are more pink than blue entries, but hopefully that will change as Lorenzo slowly sheds the shyness he feels when it comes to his writing.

Anyway, while I choose to express my love for him through online prose, Lorenzo has a decidedly more practical approach at showing his love, be it the perfectly halved and wedged grapefruit he brings up to me as I write my latest entries, or those cold, colorful pastel creations he surprises me with: shakes and smoothies made just the way I like them, with very little sugar.

And then there are those afternoons when he takes Lance and Troy to the park, just to get them out of my hair, or the mornings he lets me sleep in, which does wonders to my well-being.

We all have ways of showing our love to those whose lives we share.

And the more we express this love, the more love we get in return.


Happy Anniversary to a wonderful husband and partner. I love you SO MUCH.


(PLUGGING: Read all about the night we met in SLIDING DOORS, on "The Long Way Home" to 87 GENTLE STREET. Also COUNTDOWN TO CLASSES, the latest update in SERENITY.)

THE TOOTH OF THE MATTER




"Mom, the tooth fairy didn't come!"

My son woke up disappointed, still clutching his precious tooth, the one he finally managed to uproot yesterday. I took the picture above while it was still hanging, skewed, from his lower gum, before I finally gave him the go-ahead to yank it out of his mouth.

"Maybe the tooth fairy didn't find it," I said.

Lance refused to let go of that tooth after rinsing it. He carried it with him everywhere he went, nervously losing it three of four times before finding it again. By the time he fell asleep, he was holding it in a vise grip. The tooth fairy was afraid she'd wake him if she tried to pry it from his fingers, so she did the next best thing: nothing.

"What will the tooth fairy do with my tooth?"

"I don't know. Maybe she'll plant it so she can grow many more baby teeth like yours? Anyway, I'm sure the tooth fairy didn't find it because it wasn't under your pillow. Why don't you put it there now?"

"Even if I'm not sleeping?"

"Yes. Who knows? Maybe she's just a little late in her rounds..."


So Lance left the tooth under his pillow while we took Troy to his Preschool Orientation. Sure enough, when we came back, Lance rushed upstairs to his bedroom to find this under his pillow, waiting for him.




He was so excited with his new Red Ranger squirt gun, he played with it in the shower.

Good ol' tooth fairy...


And speaking of preschool, I guess my little boy, Troy, is also starting to get long in the tooth. It seems just like yesterday when we moved to Modesto, less than three months after he was born. And now he's getting ready for preschool!

We took him to his orientation today, which was like a shortened version of his daily class schedule, with parents around. He seemed to settle in quite well.

It warmed my heart to hear him say "See you on Monday", to his teacher, Mrs. Andrea. After all, Troy is no stranger to the place. He used to go there a lot when Lance was still in preschool, just over a year ago. And now it's Reanna's turn to play saling-pusa when I take her Kuya Troy to school.

Based on this beaming smile at the Lego station, I doubt she'll mind at all!




Oh, and getting back to the subject of teeth, do you see a difference between the picture above and this picture, taken just four days before it?

That's right. Reanna's lower teeth quietly made their appearance over the weekend.

Teeth, or the lack thereof, have always been the source of bittersweet inner conflict for mothers like me. For indeed, don't we wait with bated breath for the first tooth to cut through the gum, take millions of pictures of it, and then lament the fact that our babies will never look the same again?

I, for one, took countless toothless pictures of all of my kids, knowing these gummy smiles wouldn't last forever. I was lucky enough to shoot the picture on the left during Lance's kindergarten swimming PARTY. It is Reanna's last toothless photo on record. I took the picture on the right, with a very visible upper tooth, in KNIGHTS FERRY just nine days later.




My baby has graduated from gummy smiles to toothy grins.

There's no two ways about it. Like it or not, Reanna is definitely on her way.

And that's the hard tooth, err truth.




(UPDATE: "SLIDING DOORS", the story of how we first met with the mysterious question of altrernate endings thrown in on "The Long Way Home", just in time for our anniversary at 87 GENTLE STREET.)

THE RAG-TAG BUNCH




I've been tagged!

Thanks to NIKKI, who obviously doesn't think I'm too old for such things.

So, on to the questionnaire...


1. WHAT ARE THE THINGS YOU ENJOY DOING EVEN WHEN THERE'S NO ONE AROUND YOU?

(Actually, I don't think this question makes much sense, but it's a condensed and edited version of "WHAT ARE THE THINGS YOU ENJOY EVEN WHEN NO ONE AROUND YOU WANTS TO GO OUT AND PLAY?", which is quite unintelligible in a Japanese Slam Book sort of way.)

Okay, these are the things I enjoy doing, and I don't particularly care if there's anyone around me or not when I'm doing them. I can be radical that way.

1. Blogging.
2. Sleeping.
3. Singing.
4. Reading.

Not necessarily in that order.


2. WHAT LOWERS YOUR STRESS/ BLOOD PRESSURE/ ANXIETY LEVEL?
(Make a list, Post it in your journal.)

1. Blogging.
2. Sleeping.
3. Singing.
4. Reading.

5. Plucking unwanted body hairs.
(very therapeutic, highly recommended.)

6. Snuggling with any of my kids.
7. Looking at their baby pictures.
8. Exploring new places with my HUSBAND.
9. Petting Spot the Pit Bull.
10. Listening to the waterfall in my back yard.

But all these pale in comparison to the most effective technique to
"lower stress/ blood pressure/ anxiety level":

Praying.

Believe me, it works every time.


3. TAG 5 FRIENDS AND ASK THEM TO POST IT IN THEIRS.

I am sending this out to five of my mother/blogger friends, in the hopes of learning a thing or two from their own methods of coping.

1. BING
2. BAMBIT
3. JUSTICE
4. LINNOR
5. CHRISTINE

And just to stir things up a bit, I am adding one more name to my list:

6. MEEYAGIRL

Yes, I can be a rebel that way. And while I'm at it, why don't I kick it up a notch, by inviting anyone interested to share the secrets of their serenity with me.

Please post your answers in your blog and e-mail me so that I can read them. Of course, you may also choose to just post them here as a comment. Either one works for me.

I'm easy that way.


(PLUGGING: Come and meet MANG BEN on "The Long Way Home" to 87 GENTLE STREET.)

FUNTASTIC FOUR




Don't you think Troy looks fantastic at four?

His birthday party was nothing short of fantastic either.



Guests started arriving at 3:00 PM, eager to jump into the water, which wasn't surprising, considering my backyard thermometer registered 110 in the shade.



It was sweltering out there. I didn't envy the parents watching their kids outside. Good thing Lorenzo had outdoor duty covered. I chose to stay indoors myself, entertaining the other guests who wisely sought refuge in my air-conditioned family room. I use the word "wisely" here because they had easier access to the food and the karaoke Magic Mic as well.



Oh, ihe sparkling aquamarine water never looked so good, and the waterfall's trickle was a siren call that beckoned to me everytime I went outside, but as hostess of the event I had no choice but to leave the revelling and carousing to the younger set.



Good thing the punishing afternoon heat gave way to balmy breezes at twilight. The revelry continued under the light of the tiki torches, which Lorenzo put up, much to the fascination of the boys in the group.



Then it was time to bring out the THOMAS THE TANK ENGINE birthday cake, party hats, and loot bags, and sing "Happy Birthday" to Troy.



Daddy sliced the cake and I scooped the ice cream, and together we ran the assembly line quite smoothly, distributing dessert to all guests present. But all the kids seemed to be interested in were the party favors from their goody bags.



Troy graciously did the rounds, patiently mingling with the guests outside, eating cake and ice cream. But I knew his mind was elsewhere. Inside, to be exact, dwelling around the immediate vicinity of his presents. Sure enough, it wasn't long before he was drawn back to the family room, pouncing on the colorful pile as soon as I gave the go-ahead.



Then there was more swimming, singing and eating, and even a balloon animal demonstration from Lorenzo.




But Troy never got to see the balloon dinosaur he requested from his Daddy.

Exhausted from all the excitement, my little boy fell asleep on the couch, straddling the precious Thomas book he got for a present, dreaming of talking trains and swimming parties in a land where one stays four years old forever.



Sweet dreams, my son.

And Happy Birthday.


(UPDATES: Reanna's MAIDEN VOYAGE in SERENITY, a birthday orb in SIGHTINGS, and we meet "MANG BEN", on "The Long Way Home" to 87 GENTLE STREET.)

DEJA VIEW




Movie night.

It seems just like yesterday when I was writing about one of my favorite family TRADITIONS.

And yet it's been a year since we all watched "Harry Potter" IN CHARACTER in our darkened family room. I know because I bought the boys their Harry Potter loot bags while shopping for Spiderman party favors for Troy's third BIRTHDAY PARTY.

And now he's turning four.

So a few weeks ago, right on schedule, Mommy made her way back to Party City again to get her GEAR.

I love Party City, which isn't surprising since I've always been an unabashed child when it comes to PARTIES. There's just something about the festive, colorful party favors which brings out the nine-year-old in me.

Yes, I confess. When I'm in that place, I'm Veruca Salt and "I want it NOW!"


It didn't help that I brought Lance with me this time. Guess how long it took before HE was also hypnotized by all that tempting eye candy?

Big mistake. By the time we were at the character aisle, my five-year-old was completely under Party City's spell.

"Ooh, dinosaurs!"

Yes, Lance.

"Look Mom, a Spiderman pencil case, and it even has a sharpener..."

That's good, Lance.

"Mom, can I get it?"

You're almost out of school, Lance.

"But Mooooom, I REALLY need a sharpener..."


I bring out my cell phone and pretend to call Daddy in the parking lot, asking him in a LOUD voice to come pick up his son because he was bothering me.

This bought me about 90 seconds of silence, which I wisely used to load up my cart with all the Thomas the Tank Engine party material I could lay my hands on. Sure enough, after holding his peace for what must've seemed like eons to my little boy, I heard a hesitant voice beside me.

"Mom?"

Yes, Lance?

"Can I have a Power Rangers party for my next birthday?"

Never underestimate the resolve of a five-year-old. They are relentless.


But, I am not totally heartless.

Instead of getting him his Spiderman pencil case, which I knew would be emptied within an hour and totally forgotten the next day, I got a couple of pirate hooks from the pirate-themed party displays and a package of eye patches and clip-on earrings besides.

Drawing inspiration from our family's tradition, I asked Lance if he wanted to have a Peter Pan Movie Night instead, with "Peter Pan", "Hook" (which my kids call "Peter Pan 2"), and "Finding Neverland" (which we bought on sale but never really got around to watching).

A light sparkled in my son's eyes and a smile formed on his lips.

It was settled then. We had a date.

Movie Night tonight.


When we got home, Lance and Troy couldn't wait to put on their pirate gear.




They showed it off to their neighborhood playmates, even generously giving their friends, Miguel and Israel, their leftover eye patches and clip-on earrings. It was wonderful to see them playing in my neighbor's back yard, with their pirate's gear, Power Rangers guns and light sabers (never mind if they didn't match), fueled by imaginations still fertile in their tender age.

And when night came, they huddled in the family room couch after their bedtime baths, watching daring deeds of derring-do from the boy who never grew up.




Don't we ALL wish that was the case sometimes?


(PLUGGING: More on "MOVIE NIGHT" in SERENITY while we're off to see "THE LIZARD OF OZ" on "THE LONG WAY HOME". Also more MOVIE NIGHT pictures in my BRAG BOOK.)

OUTING THOMAS




The following e-mail was passed on to me by DINA, who, like me, is also the mother of an up-and-coming first-grader. I am passing it on to everyone else out there who appreciates intelligent programming, on TV and radio:


"A House panel has voted to eliminate all public funding for NPR and
PBS, starting with "Sesame Street", "Reading Rainbow," and other
commercial-free children's shows. If approved, this would be the most
severe cut in the history of public broadcasting, threatening to pull
the plug on Big Bird, Cookie Monster, and Oscar the Grouch.

The cuts would slash 25% of the federal funding this year ($100
million) and end funding altogether within two years. The loss could
kill beloved children's shows like "Clifford the Big Red Dog,"
"Arthur," and "Postcards from Buster." Rural stations and those serving low-income communities might not survive. Other stations would have to increase corporate sponsorships."


Read more about it in this ARTICLE...

...or sign the PETITION telling Congress to save NPR and PBS.


My kids LOVE their PBS shows. We are lucky to have two PBS stations here in Modesto, KQED, serving the San Francisco Bay Area and KVIE, serving Sacramento and its surrounding cities.

I grew up watching "Sesame Street". My children now watch it. Hopefully, my grandchildren will be watching it too.

But "Sesame Street" isn't the only show my kids love on PBS. Lance has graduated to "Reading Rainbow" and "Between the Lions" while Troy alternates between "Caillou", "Jay Jay the Jet Plane" and his current favorite, "Zaboomafoo", which he watches On Demand at PBS Sprout.


Of all the shows on the PBS lineup however, nothing has touched my sons' hearts as much as "Thomas the Tank Engine".

Lance and Troy didn't really know much about Thomas, until that fateful day we took my Mom, (who was visiting us from New York), to Sacramento for a little bit of sightseeing.

Lance was only three at the time, and Troy was just a month shy of his second birthday. Our first stop was the CALIFORNIA STATE RAILROAD MUSEUM, a must-see for people of all ages who love trains and railroading. And as luck would have it, the museum was paying host to DAY OUT WITH THOMAS that day.

Lance and Troy got to see Sir Topham Hatt and play with the animals in the petting zoo. But the best part of it all was riding Thomas himself, on a picturesque run along the Sacramento River. All of us even got a certificate after the train ride. And then Lorenzo and I took the kids to watch Thomas being turned before posing for this souvenir picture.



Lance and Troy were hooked on Thomas after that. They now have quite a collection of Thomas and Friends DVDs, books and toys. Troy even went trick-or-treating as Thomas the following Halloween.

With my kids' fascination with the "Really Useful Engine", I knew it was just a matter of time before one of them asked for a Thomas party for their birthday. And now it has happened. A few weeks ago, Troy and I marched into Raley's to pick out a birthday cake. Guess what figure he chose for his cake topper...

(I'll give you a hint:)




These days, Troy has taken to asking me "Mom, is it my birthday yet?" every few hours. He insists on helping me deliver his invitations. He even falls asleep beside his wooden train tracks, clutching his favorite bedtime storybook up close.

(Sigh.) My little boy is fast growing up. It seems just like yesterday when he used to tag along as I volunteered in Lance's Preschool. He used to take a different train toy along with him each day, whether it was Thomas, or James or Percy.

And now, he is poised to begin preschool himself, at the start of August.

But we have a little surprise to send them off to school with. On the last weekend of July, (which also happens to be the weekend of our fifth wedding anniversary), we will be heading for the hills surrounding the beachside enclave of Santa Cruz. Our destination? ROARING CAMP RAILROADS in nearby Fenton, for a return engagement with the cheeky blue engine.

Day Out With Thomas, here we go again!




(PLUGGING: We're off to see "THE LIZARD OF OZ" on "The Long Way Home" to 87 GENTLE STREET.)