Catching Up

DT (short for desktop- DT’s my new nickname for it) is back but still seriously lacking in chops. I’ve gone back to using DT and taking Lappy (nickname for my laptop) out for really short spins (usually late at night when Havoc- my arch-enemy nickname for Alphonse when he is on destroyer mode- is fast asleep). So far, so good. Some of the programs have yet to be re-installed (maybe over the weekend when I have a little more time) but since I can already surf the net, write my articles, and blog hop, then the wait won’t seem such a bad time, after all.

Alphonse (left) and Alex (right)- how time flies!

Tomorrow, Friday, June 4, 2010, is officially my son’s first day of his last year in high school. My, time really flies fast. It really just seems like yesterday he was getting ready for preschool and now here we are, just a year before college.   

With first day classes looming over us, we  are all winding down from this long, hot summer. It’ll be hard getting back into the rhythm of the schoolyear; summer had us spoiled with late movie nights and play-athons over the Wii or the PlayStation that getting to bed early promises to be a huge chore. Even Alphonse, with his strictly regimented bedtimes, did not prove immune to summer’s siren call. There were many times during these last few months that he kept us up till two or three in the mornings. And as fun as it was for all of us to stay up till the wee hours of the morning, our bodies did pay for those late nights, eventually.  Boo. Aging can be no fun.   

This week, too, I turned a year older. We hadn’t planned for anything big this year- no hotels, no out-of-town jaunts, no party- and we were happy just to stay at home and celebrate with the boys. Perhaps, my only disappointment to the day was that A could not be around to celebrate it with us- a first, really, in all the 24 birthdays I have spent with him. Too bad my birthday fell on a workday with loads of important things  that could not be postponed for another day. We did have dinner for two and a movie later that night. And yes, yes, yes, I love my presents! (Guess what?)

If there was a surprise to that day, however, it was that I was overwhelmed by the sheer volume of messages I received on my birthday, on facebook wall posts and private messages, on multiply private messages, and even through email. I hadn’t gone online till late that night and what I saw just about blew me away! Thank you to everyone who made me feel loved and important. What a great way to end a birthday!

I hope everyone has a great weekend, folks. Be safe and be blessed always!

Sylvanian Anniversary Surprises

This years marks the silver anniversary of Sylvanian Families ((シルバニアファミリー, Shirubania famirii) and it is expected that collectors all over all the world would soon be splurging on new anniversary releases by midyear, if not sooner. It was P-angel, one of my blog friends, who gave us the heads up on these collectors’ editions, found at angel smile’s eBay site (look for shop.ebay.com/angel_smile_818).

Britain and Brazil

SF Countries: Russia and China

SF Countries: US and Spain

 Apparently, and I am speaking as a newbie collector, these limited edition items are a repeat of a 2000 release of SF World Parade critters in various national costumes. You can see them in Beverly’s Sylvanian Village as she has one of the most comprehensive and most enviable collections of Sylvanian Families ever. China and Spain have already been done in the 200o release, albeit with different costumes. These come at a hefty price, around US$33.50 for each set, but I bet the price will go down once the items are released in larger quantities.

This anniversary year will not only be marked by special releases of figures but also of new houses, a new hotel, playsets, and even costumes. The rumor mill is also rife with stories of another Sylvanian Family Party in the country around midyear; I am hoping that Ban Kee gets into the anniversary spirit and plans for this push through. And while we’re asking, how about a local exhibit, much like those seen abroad? C’mon, Ban Kee, this would be fabulous for collectors and noncollectors alike.  Harbour City and Causeway Bay in Hong Kong hosted these exhibits from March 22 to April 11 of this year. If you want to see a glimpse of the Harbour City exhibit, visit this flickr account by satsumabug- she has really cute photos of the event.

With so many items to choose from this anniversary year, it’ll be hard to decide which are must-haves and which can wait. Of course, one’s purchasing power dictates one’s collection and SFs are generally expensive (though they are trying to remedy this by coming out with less expensive sets). However, if the Sylvanian Families’ 25 years in the fickle toy  business is a measure of its staying power, I am sure that cost aside, it will remain a sure hit for years to come.

A Smile & A Celebration

Thank you to all who sent in their well wishes to Alphonse, be it via text, email, facebook, or this blog. We really appreciate your kindness and concern. Alphonse is well again! And just to show you that my big boy is fully recovered, here is a picture of him smiling. Mind you, a smile is a rare commodity when he is sick so when he does flash us one, it means he’s back to his old self. 

Alphonse is gorgeous, if I may say so myself (that’s his mom talking).

Don't you just love his smile?

 

While he was sick however, he alternated between sullen sulking with soft sobs and horrible tantrums with bloodcurdling horror-movie screams. If you can imagine the scene where little Jack-Jack (of The Incredibles) finally reveals his superhero powers, well, you can imagine us in the role of the unfortunate Syndrome trying to hold a shapeshifting child (Jack-Jack transforms into fire, metal or imp on demand) on tantrum mode, with superhuman strength to match. This smile, caught on camera, is a welcome relief  to those Jack-Jack days.  

~0~

Sunday last week, two days after the onset of his illness, Alphonse still had a slight fever and was still vomiting. He could not take in much solid food and needed more sleep and rest. Our niece’s 15th birthday party was set for that night but Alphonse was still in no condition to leave the house. We had to “eat and run” and hope that Alphonse would not miss us too much in our absence.

Arielle, my niece,  is my brother John’s daughter. At 15, she has grown to be a young woman with both smarts and beauty. (She got her mother’s slim genes, thank God, and none of my family’s fatties. ) More than physical attributes, however, I am grateful that Arielle is as sweet today as she was as a young child. She is not a brat, and though spoiled with affection and material benefits as an only child inevitably is, she is kind and compassionate.

We all love Arielle. Alex treats her like a baby- carrying her around and hugging her all the time. She laughingly protests against this but lets him all the same. I can think of the many ways Arielle has brought happiness to our lives. But perhaps, I love her best when she shows kindness to Alphonse (even when her cousin terrorizes her at times).

I remember that when she and Alphonse were toddlers, she yielded all her toys to him, even when he didn’t ask. She shyly handed him her toys, a kindness Alphonse acknowledged with soft grunts of approval. One Christmas, she gave up a favorite doll because Alphonse would not let go of it. Alphonse loved the doll to death (minus a leg and  an arm and clumps of hair).

When he loped around like a young buck and bumped into her, she never said an unkind word. She never even cried. As early as three years of age, Arielle knew compassion and accepted Alphonse’s differences with love.

But yes, Arielle is a teenager with normal teenage desires and angst. I think she got some of my genes too as she and I share common passions for Hello Kitty, dolls, and yes, Facebook. (I am trying to influence her with Sylvanian Families but her dad won’t let me, heehee.) They say Facebook is a cultural phenomenon, a sign of these times, and nowhere is this phenomenon best seen  than in families that spend time in Facebook together- like Arielle’s family! She is so into it that her parents had this beautiful cake  made especially for her.

And what is a Facebook addict suppose to do, even on her birthday?  Why,  go online on Facebook, of course!

Cousins Alex and Arielle- online in the midst of party!

Happy birthday, sweet Arielle!

All I Wanted For Christmas

When I was a little kid, I always got the least number of gifts. On Christmas morning, after all the gifts have been distributed, my siblings and I would retreat to our individual corners of the living room and open our gifts. Because I was always bigger for my age, except for my parents, no one ever gave me gifts of toys. Mostly, they were “useful” stuff like socks, underwear, or clothes. Sometimes, they’d be school things, like a book bag, or art sets, or stationery supplies (Sanrio naman). It didn’t help that I only had one baptismal godmother, and she lived abroad, too far to send any gifts then. While my siblings opened presents from their godparents, I had none of my own, and would wistfully compare my meager loot with theirs.

There wasn’t room for envy, though. After all the rituals of gift-opening, my siblings and I would hunker down and play. My younger brother Jeffy, with his eighties’ robots, would ally himself with troops of my older brother’s GI Joes. My sisters’ Barbie dolls would set up house, only to be demolished by an invading robot-Joe army. We all had a rousing time. Moreover, they all shared their presents of toys with me, and sometimes, would even be naïve enough to swap them for some candy canes (I got Voltes V’s arm for this), or staple wires (I think I got a doll for this), heehee.

I thought about all these when two large boxes arrived for me  on the second week of December. They came much too early in the month for the actual celebration, but each time I opened a box, it was like Christmas morning. And this year, unlike all the previous years of my childhood, I got all the toys. :-)

Now, here’s where the fun begins- Guess what I got for Christmas!

(Warning: this post is picture-heavy.)

“Just when I thought I was out… they pull me back in.”

Michael Corleone’s famous line from Godfather III haunted me this weekend while A and I made our way to the cash register with a 35^th Anniversary Hello Kitty nohohon in hand. I have not made any significant Hello Kitty purchases in the past three months, save for some miniatures from Re-Ment and Sanrio which were meant for my Sylvanian Families dollhouses. At each time I was tempted to buy anything — be it a Hello Kitty bag (my personal weakness) or holiday decorations (like the fabulous red and white HK Christmas tree skirt) — I was weighed down by having to choose between Hello Kitty and Sylvanian Families. I ended up favoring the latter most of the time, thus, leading me to believe that I was finally over my Kittymania and that I have become a sober,  recovering HK addict.

That is, until the presents started pouring in. First, there was the pink HK umbrella and small plush from my sister-in-law. (Sorry, I forgot to take a picture of them.) Then came a queen-sized ultra-soft pink fleece blanket from my sister Joee.

My loving husband surprised me with a very pretty Hello Kitty charm bracelet (with extra charms) purchased in Hong Kong by a friend 

and topped it off with New Year’s Kitty fortune tree and a Minna No Tabo Lion Dance dragon doll.

And lastly, the gifts that finally pushed me off the wagon of restraint — a battery-operated HK toothbrush (surely this thing tests the limits of dental care cuteness),   

an elegant black HK plush from MAC with a MAC Couture lipglass,

and — holds breath —  a Hello Kitty Barbie doll. *screams in delight* 

 

Thank you, dearest Ondine and Jun, for the lovely gifts. I feel really spoiled.

It isn’t easy fighting off the demons of your addiction, not when the ones you love are your greatest enablers. And while this consuming passion for all things Hello Kitty is hard to shake off and really seems destined to be a lifelong pain in the pocket (to my husband), at least I have reached a point where choices are possible. I no longer feel the need to buy everything in sight just because a mouthless feline flashes her ribbon at me. And because I think before I buy, my purchases are truly more meaningful in my life.

Now, presents… Hmmm…those are another matter altogether, heehee.

P.S. Since we’re doing really well with pictures, here’s another one, the nohohon A got for me this weekend:

Christmas In The Family

A with nephew JR

Finally, with the holidays fast coming to an end, the presents have almost all been given away. Alphonse’s stealth missions (aka Operation “Open-and Destroy”) have been thwarted quite successfully, save for two separate occassions when he managed to unwrap, destroy, or eat the presents before we can get to him. Gifts we have not yet sent out are locked safely in the spare bedroom, all scheduled for this weekend’s delivery run.

The truth is, despite my complaints, I loved Christmas this year, as I do every year.  Alphonse, for all his unrelenting mischief with presents, actually did quite well this holiday season.  Even without a teacher (who went on leave for the holidays and left us without a substitute) and even with unexpected major blips in his schedule (family gatherings, reunions, and impromptu visits), Alphonse held himself together rather well. Of course, sometimes, one could hear Alphonse’s bloodcurdling screams echo in the house, and whenever he could find an audience, he would whine, whimper and protest in his crackling man-voice. Still, there was nothing more serious than horror-movie sound effects, and for that, we are extremely thankful. 

Joyce, Roel and JR

On the 19th, we shared an early Christmas dinner with A’s sister, Joyce, and her family. We don’t often see each other so this opportunity to come together was extra special for us. Joyce, Roel, and JR spend the yearly holidays with Roel’s family in the province so this would be our only celebration with A’s side of the family for the entire season.  JR kept us laughing throughout the night, as he regaled us with songs and stories. We sang karaoke with him, rapped and danced, and simply goofed around. It’s always nice to have a little one in the house (though he’d be the first to say that at seven going eight, he is not so little anymore).

The Christmas Spread

On the 24th, it was Christmas Eve with my parents and siblings at my parents’ home. We managed to complete the cast of five kids and their spouses and children (just four on our side, and three almost fully grown at ages 16, 15, and 14), as well as the special guests for the night, our cousins whom we haven’t seen in a while. Anj and Ernest brought their three little ones – Enzo, Pao, and Gab; Yna and Windell came with Naomi and Noah. Then there was my little nephew Sese, my sister’s son, who at age two, amazed us with a ballroom dance routine (you should see him tango!). These little kids made the difference in an otherwise adult celebration. It really isn’t Christmas without little kids in the house and watching them scamper and play, they brought so much joy to the celebration.

Here are some pictures from the celebration:

Yellow and black are the colors of our Christmas.

A and Kittymama, tired but happy

More yellow and black

Holiday cost-cutting: Christmas and campaign shirts in one

Daddy with the early attendees

  From left: Yna, Windell, Noah, Daddy, Ate E, Arielle, Naomi and Kuya J

My favorite photo of the season

It’ll be New Year soon, and on the start of the year, we pray for love to grow in our family. We pray for God’s grace for our parents  and continuous peace and love in the lives of our brothers and sisters. Some are not here, and some have made a choice to distance themselves from us, but wherever they may be at this moment, we think of all of them with fondness and with love.

Hope everyone had a great Christmas!  

Christmas Surprise

Seven days before Christmas and the presents are still not wrapped; they are hidden somewhere around the house, beneath duvets and coverlets, underneath beds and sofas, behind cabinets and drawers, stuffed in small nooks and crannies where they are least likely to be found. I am beleaguered with the constant thought of Alphonse finding them, for this year, he has decided to claim all wrapped presents as his. Oh, boy.

The tree is unfinished, too. The trimmings have been up for weeks now (one month to the day, to be exact), but for some reason, my husband, the designated lights man in this outfit, keeps postponing putting them up. Sure, some nights are simply impossible, as Alphonse and Alex, now both teenage boys, keep us in our toes with their antics. Alphonse is always a handful, and Alex, well, let’s just say, he can wear us out with his mile-a-minute “talkathon.” By the time they both say good night, we are tired as well, ready to fall asleep in our feet.

In an ordinary household of semi-grown adults, the house is set to go smoothly and like clockwork. The tree gets put up by a certain date, the trimmings and lights follow, the presents last, and they are all put away at a reasonable date in the future. Mine, however, does not appear to be an ordinary household. None of my plans have borne fruit yet. The list remains unchecked, and here I am, just days before Christmas, scrambling to make it work for this family again.

My sixteen-year-old keeps reminding me to stay cool and to take things in stride. Son, I’ve got news for you: I’ve never been one to “chill;” that simply is not in my genes. What I am is a control freak who needs everything done perfectly the way it should be. Between the added stress of the holidays and the “normal” daily workings of our real lives, I think I may be just a hair’s breadth away from a nervous breakdown. Some things I simply cannot control — like Alphonse’s newfound delight in unwrapping presents, especially those that are not his — but I’ve also realized that there are some that I can — like my husband’s aversion to Christmas lights. That should work with a little more gentle reminding (read: merciful nagging).

So here we all are, at the end of another year, looking the holidays straight in the eye. I should be used to this by now, having done this for this family for the last 18 years. Somehow, though, Christmas always catches me by surprise, even when I prepare months ahead for it. Then again, perhaps, that is part of the true spirit of Christmas — that it should continue to surprise us, long after we become jaded, disillusioned adults. That Christmas should continue to awaken us, to rouse us from the deep slumber of the year, that it be an reinvention of old and loved things, and in the process, gladden our weary hearts.

There are too many reasons these days to be downcast. Money, politics, relationships — everything that could possibly go wrong already has, it seems. But Christmas reminds us that hope is always just around the corner. That it comes toward the end of a long, dismal year assures us that however dark the tunnel may be, there will be always be light at the end.

(Published in HerWord.com)

Fifteen Candles

Happy 15th Birthday, Alphonse, child of our hearts.

You weren’t like other children
and God was well aware
You’d need a caring family
with love enough to share.

And so He sent you to us
and much to our surprise
you haven’t been a challenge
but a blessing in disguise.

Your winning smiles and laughter
the pleasures you impart
far outweigh your special needs
and melt the coldest heart.

We’re proud that we’ve been chosen
to help you learn and grow
the joy that you have brought us
is more than you can know.

A precious gift from Heaven
a treasure from above
a child who has taught us many things
but most of all – “Real Love”.

(author: Sharon Harris)

Autism And The Movies: We Made History

Originally published in Herword.com on October 1, 2009

We woke up unusually early that day, excited and buoyant. Even Alphonse, who wakes up late most days, didn’t complain when we woke him up. “It’s your day, anak,” I whispered gently to this sleeping baby, all five feet and four inches of him. He stirred a little, blinked a few times, then jumped immediately upright like a coiled spring. Hand in hand, Alphonse and I danced happily, albeit gingerly, while I sang “I’ve got a feeling that today’s gonna be a good  day…” (to the tune of Black Eyed Peas’ “I’ve Got A Feeling”).

It was. On a cloudy, overcast Friday, a day before Typhoon Ondoy ravaged the city and made history, we made a different kind of history.

They say all big trees come from little seeds and in this instance, it started with a mother’s wish. In April of this year, a mother wrote “Autism and The Movies” for Herword.com; she cross posted this piece in her blog. In it, she voiced her dream of being able to see a movie with her son with autism even just once. She vowed to write letters to Autism Society Philippines and to cinemas around the city, but even before the first letters came out of her pen, she received a hopeful email from ASP’s President, Ms. Dang Koe. Ms. Koe wrote, “As you can see, our ASaP (ASP’s newsletter) Chief  Tiff (Tiffany Tan) follows your blog…How can we work on this? I’m a movie lover too, and would love Gio to watch with us.”

I am that mother.

ASP Pres Dang Koe with the valiant men of SM's Committee for Disability Affairs

But where I was thinking of a smaller test audience, Ms. Koe and  her colleagues at the ASP were already looking at the bigger picture. Within days, they had started corresponding with SM’s AVP for Operations and Chair of SM’s Committee for Disability Affairs, Engr. Bien Mateo. In a matter of months, they had worked out a plan for the first ever sensory-friendly cinema screening in the Philippines (or in Asia for that matter) for children with autism and other disabilities.

Alphonse at the movies

Sensory-friendly screenings are designed to minimize averse sensory experiences and maximize enjoyment. Low lights are left on during the show,  sound volume is reduced, and film previews are left out. Children can move around and make noise, allowing them the freedom to enjoy the movies without social limitations to hamper their experience. Truly, the autism-friendly cinema or sensory-friendly movie is an innovative approach to autism and the movie experience, and yet, it has only been in existence for a very short time.

In 2007, Ms. Marianne Ross and her seven-year-old daughter with autism were asked to leave a movie theater when Meaghan started flapping her hands and jumping up and down. Ms. Ross turned this negative experience around by jumpstarting a program that aimed to provide a safe entertainment haven for children like her daughter. The first SF movie was a success in November of 2007 and, with support from Autism Society of America and AMC Entertainment, owner of AMC Cinemas chain, the program finally went national in April of this year.

Across the globe, the UK’s National Autistic Society and Picturehouse Cinemas partnered in January 2009 to start their own autism-friendly film screenings. At any one time in England, 16 movie theaters across the country host these screenings once a month. They have gotten so organized that they already have a dedicated page in the NAS website solely for screening schedules.      

When Cinema 3 of SM North EDSA’s The Block opened its doors to its patrons on Friday morning, the lines were long. Two hundred students from different schools and institutions (Bridges, ALRES, Cradles of Learners, Immaculate Concepcion SPED, New Hope, Wise Light, Stimulation and Therapeutic Activity Center), all accompanied by their teachers, parents, or caregivers filled the cinema lobby. Alphonse and I were also  invited. Our very first movie felt like a real date.

As expected, our children screamed and cried, and yet, they also laughed. Some walked around and roamed the aisles, yet many more stayed in their seats. Alphonse hooted many times, jumped up and down on his seat, stood up twice to walk around and use the restroom, and flapped his arms more times than Up’s colorful but flightless bird, Kevin. Still, he sat through almost the entire movie and behaved like a seasoned moviegoer, munching on a bucket of popcorn. He gave up only around 15 minutes before the end when the sound of barking dogs unnerved him. Not bad for his very first cinema experience.

Alphonse watching his very first movie, "Up"

I spent more time watching Alphonse than I did the movie, gazing at his face as it expressed emotions, watching his eyes light up in excitement. In truth, I had tears in my eyes the entire time. Holding my son’s hands in the semi-darkness of the movie theater, I felt my heart almost burst with happiness many times.

I think Alphonse and I are definitely luckier than Ms. Ross. I didn’t even have to wait for support from Autism Society Philippines and SM’s Commitee for Disability Affairs. They took it upon themselves to make this possible for my son and for many children like him who have not had the privilege of enjoying a simple movie even once. They made this dream come true, and in the process, made autism history come alive for us. It is this kind of commitment, compassion, and kinship that make their joint endeavors truly worth supporting.

Come and be a part of more history in the making with Autism Society Philippines’ 11^th National Conference on Autism on October 24-25, 2009 at the SMX Convention Center, SM Mall of Asia.

Birthday Bonanza

This

was supposed to be my birthday cake. All 12 by 8 inches of soft, moist butter cake topped with a 10-inch fondant and royal icing Hello Kitty Chinese Empress in red. This was a surprise birthday cake A had especially made for me.

 

 

And this

was all that was left of Hello Kitty, ten minutes after she arrived in the house.

Alphonse, in his excitement, thought she was a doll, and before anyone could stop him, grabbed the Kitty topper and hugged her tight.  I’m ashamed to admit it now, but at that moment when he lunged for the cake, I cried. I hadn’t even taken a picture of it yet, I hadn’t even blown out the birthday candles, and here it was, destroyed in seconds.

Alphonse smiled innocently at us, a little confused about my reaction, as tears fell down my face. He licked the sticky red icing off his hands, wiped the rest on his head, chewed on the fondant pieces that fell off,  and walked around waving a crushed Kitty which looked more like zombie kitty than anything else.

Yes, I cried, and A comforted me. I saw the sense in his calmness and reasoning much later, after I had spent all my tears. A reminded me that nothing bad had happened, that it was only cake, and that it would still taste delicious even after a little manhandling. We were all together, that was what mattered.  As usual, my A was right.

From that low point on the eve of my birthday, things got better and just took off. This is the first birthday celebration I have spent at home in the last couple of years. With rising concern about the A(H1N1) virus (we like to call it the ahini virus, heehee) and Alphonse just past a real dengue scare, we were loathe to leave the kids. We had planned a weekend with them at home, but with provisions for some alone time for the two of us. I prepped for my birthday lunch with the family the day before, cooking the spaghetti sauce ahead of time and marinading the chicken overnight in homemade barbecue sauce. The nannies helped out in the morning by grilling the chicken and cooking the pasta. It all worked out perfectly, tasted yummy too.

This is the second cake A gave me. Alphonse blew out the candles on this one and said “mama” at the end of the birthday song. I was able to record it on video and this is probably one of the best things that happened that day. It is simply amazing to hear him call my name! I get goosebumps each time he does it. Ah, I hope I never get used to it…

 As usual, A and the kids loaded me with gifts that amazed, astounded, and touched me no end. A got me a complete set of pink clubs and the pinkest golf bag in the whole world! I don’t mind at all that it’s not Hello Kitty, as long as it’s pink!

I also received new Mizuno ladies’ golf shoes and pink gloves. Later, A got me two new pairs of golf slacks and long-sleeved shirts (alas! they were not pink) which I forgot to photograph in the excitement of the day.

The kids gave me the HK bag (perfect for the rainy season because it is water repellant) and A just piled me with books of all sorts, more HK MAC merch, and a new HK lunchbox! Even Kitty got a birthday surprise when A gave her a new doll suitcase to hold her Build-A-Bear clothing.

It isn’t always easy to be grateful and thankful for everything in our lives. The cake episode reminded me that. But if there’s anything I learned with the passing of the years, it is that love eases all the difficulties in our lives. I am blessed that I have A to thank for that.