From Dawn Till Dusk

I so love weekends. Not only that I have the option to wake up late in the morning, weekends are perhaps the best days in a week that working Moms like me always looks forward to, as these are the only days I got to spend quality time with my family, most especially with my son.

A great weekend for me doesn’t necessarily have to be that extravagant with us going to the Mall and splurging ourselves for gastronomic treats and shopping. What I feel that’s more important is that, even as we stay at home for a idle weekend, we are together as one family and making the most out of our precious time together bonding and tickling and laughing our hearts out.

While Jun was kinda busy with our new business over the last few weeks, he managed to make it up by spending an “exclusive” weekend with us. I’d say it’s “exclusive” because it’s only the three of us company as we’ve got no yaya and no househelp (whose both on day offs) on this particular weekend. I admit, having a yaya or househelp around is more convenient as I get an extra hand on looking after Nico whose so kulit and naughty. But I’d say I feel so much fulfilled doing all the mundane tasks of washing up Nico when he pooped, cutting his fingernails, and clearing waxes from his ears. I also love doing the “general cleaning” of Nico’s body through a bath that we share together to get libags thickening from his singit, kuyukot, armpits, and neck. You see, Nico’s libags worsens as he accumulates dirt and dusts when he insist helping his Dada clean the car and the entire garage during Saturdays.

Weekends too are extra special when it comes to filling up the hungry stomachs of my loved ones as I get to cook well enough, without a rush on precious time. It was not so much something festive like Caldereta, Kare Kare or Chicken Pastel, but the Adobong Sitaw and fried Tilapia that I prepared for our lunch last Saturday was a sure hit for my two boys. Added to these dishes, the boys savored ripe mangoes which are already in season for dessert and just as enough cold glass of water to finish off a heavenly lunch. As our stomachs our already filled, the three of us laid down for a long-afternoon nap, not in the four corners of our bedroom, but in a cozy sofa bed stretched in our family/ entertainment room. The sofa bed is just sized for about two persons, but the three of us didn’t bother at all to bundle and hugged together and fit into it. After some 10 to 15 minutes of amusing with Mr. Wowowee on TV (coz its Nico’s fave) we’re off to dreamland, at the midst of a sunny but windy lazy afternoon, nothing can be heard in our humble abode but contests of snores of three bums for the next 2 to 3 hours.From a deep nap, or better to call it a slumber, we prod ourselves to filing our stomachs again with an afternoon merienda. Most of the time, we phoned for deliveries of Pizza or burger or French fries but last Saturday, we spoiled ourselves with Halo-halo and pansit sotanghon in a nearby Kainan within the subdivision. Oh, what a great merienda treat it was that Nico and Dada even made hirit for a footlong to share.

On Sundays, we go to Church (at EDSA Shrine, most often) for our weekly Christian obligation. We aren’t a perfect family whose holy enough to make it up there, but we try our best to pray together and thank God for all the wonderful blessings as well as challenging trials that comes along our way. I am not even an official Catholic myself up to now (I was baptized in a Protestant Church by my own choice) nevertheless, Jun and I managed to compromise, knowing and believing it is that one Creator who binded us, will also continue to be the guiding path for Nico and his sister-to-be, if ever, to be upright and moral.

After going to Church, we ran for some grocery items just enough for the week ahead. A merienda or dinner followed then we’re home.

We conclude our “exclusive” weekend with a prayer before going to sleep, thanking the Lord for all the blessings and trials and asking Him once more for a handful of strength and guidance for the week ahead.

I foresee it will be years ahead pa before Nico and if ever, his future sister will definitely have their own sorts of space in spending their weekends, either with friends or classmates and that they’ll sooner leave just Jun and me sharing weekends. (I know the feeling because when I and my siblings were growing up and having a grand time with our very own set of friends and barkadas, Mom and Dad can’t persuade us to join weekends with them). But for now, while Nico and his sister-to-be are still dependent on us, Dada and I wishes to enjoy and treasure every moment being with our Little Angels on “exclusive” weekends.