Talents Without Borders

In the course of writing for Autism Society Philippines, I do a lot of research on my own. On the occasions that I ask for information from ASP, they have always obliged generously. Writing about our performers for Autism Beyond Borders, the 11th National Conference on Autism, I was surprised to receive not just abstract [...]

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Balloon Love

This is the balloon Alex brought home for me a week ago. It’s a little deflated now and needs a little propping up to stand straight but I still like to look at it every day. Alex had gone to afternoon mass with the other boys of Dulaang Sibol at the Dela Strada Parish that Wednesday. On the way [...]

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Honesty Is The Best Policy

A few nights ago, before bed:
Mama: Alphonse, were you a good boy today?
Alphonse shakes his head “No,” then giggles loudly.
I had been gone almost the whole day that day. My errands took longer than expected and he was left home with his nanny. That evening, Nanny Lyn had told  me that Alphonse had grabbed her shirt a [...]

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Sunday…Father And Son

It’s a rare Sunday that we find time to be together these days. Household errands that we don’t have time to do on weekdays get squished in with weekend chores, making our already heavy weekend schedule even heavier. Between shopping for groceries, paying the bills, and ferrying a son to and from his activities (be it [...]

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Baby Blues

I was digging in my plate of tempura and maki when I felt little hands touching my back. I turned around very slowly. Behind me, a little girl, probably around two years of age, poked the hello kitty figures in my shirt, mumbling “one, choo, chee, one, choo, chee.” She counted as she touched them, [...]

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Pictures From A Summer Weekend

When Alex’s class decided to take a weekend trip to Tagaytay on the last day of classes, A and I decided to follow, with Alphonse in tow. That way, while Alex would be with his classmates, Alphonse can also enjoy a weekend out of town.
We knew we wouldn’t be doing much sightseeing since Alphonse hates [...]

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Anyone Can Dream

Overheard last week in our home:
Mama (noticing Alphonse watching American Idol on television): Hey, Alphonse, do you want to be an American Idol?
Alphonse nods “Yes”
Alex: But you can’t sing! 
(Big deal! Alphonse doesn’t talk either. )
Alphonse nods “Yes” again.
Alex: Do you want to sing?
Alphonse shakes his head. “No. No.”
Alex: But you still want to be an American Idol?
Alphonse: “Yes. Yes.”
Alex [...]

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Gut Reaction

This is a column posted for herword.com last January 27, 2009.
Alphonse, his nanny, my husband, and I were watching cable television early Saturday evening. “Kung Fu Hustle,” dubbed in Filipino, was on, and for lack of anything else interesting to watch in that time block, my channel-surfing fingers finally settled on that movie.
I love “Kung [...]

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Smile, Baby, Smile

Last week, I wrote about adolescent angst and how it’s making itself felt in my household of two teenagers (technically, both my boys are teenagers by chronological ages, but the young one is still a little child in many, many ways). Of late, it has been one issue after another: late bedtimes, chronic daytime sleepiness, inattention [...]

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Growing Pains

It must be the season for adolescent angst as I deal with two hormonal young men in my household. While Alphonse grapples with his feelings of jealousy and insecurity, Alex seems to find his way into mischief now more than ever. All weekend long, he and I were constantly bickering, and I suddenly missed the days when my son thought [...]

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