The Journey. It’s Mine. [My personal take on love, life, parenting and blogging.]

Four months of separation with Raine certainly felt like 4 years, I kid you not. This weekend however, we were both given the rare opportunity to spend a long weekend together. I got the Monday off from work (and half of Friday actually!) so Raine and I could have this much-deserved long weekend together.

Nothing fancy but I certainly cannot wait any longer for the looming holy week vacation to see him. This was the best time anyway, just before his summer class starts.

3 days and 3 nights is not that long I know, but we just have to make every second count.

My Dearest Raine,

This letter for your 8th birthday comes 2 days in advance. Simply because I won’t have time on the 29th and we aren’t really allowed to have cellphones in our work area at the plant.  I will still try to call you though, most probably at night after I get off from work — if you are still up by then! The only other time I’m free to call you on your birthday would be from 0530 to 0630H, but then for sure only Lola would be up and about to pick up the phone that early.

Raine, we have been through a lot in the last couple of years. The roughest times revolved mostly around me getting sick and getting in and out of the hospital. You witnessed that firsthand because you even had to stay at the hospital too and share the hospital bed with me just because nobody was left in our house to take care of you. With the loving help and support of our friends and family, we overcame that part with flying colors. It is mostly painful looking back but I see those times as blessings in disguise, in every way possible.  You’ll know what I really mean in a few years’ time.

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Since Raine goes to a Catholic school run by nuns, celebration of the upcoming holiday is more focused on the All Saints/Souls’ Day aspeact rather than on Halloween. Besides, the school doesn’t really hold some sort of All Saint’s Day program, they just send of students to observe it at home with their families.

Therefore Raine hasn’t really experienced anything about costumes and spooky gifts for Halloween, much less go trick-or-treating. Besides, we are residing in a provincial city and nobody does that here. In the barrio, it is a different kind of spooky filled with ghost stories intended to scare the kids.

Since November 1 falls on a Monday this year, for me it is just an ‘excuse’ of school kids and teachers alike to enjoy another long weekend. Oh, there’s two long weekends coming up as October 25 is slotted for the Barangay Elections. 

It’s Saturday already but I decided to stay put in the city for the weekend as Raine’s second periodical exam is happening towards the end of this coming school week.

Like any parent on such instances are doing, I need to review him ahead of time. Of course that’s not without struggle as he’d rather go on Disney vacations (given the chance!) than study. I just don’t know when Raine will put to heart the value of good study habits and that there are times (such as today) that you cannot play as much as you want to.

Hayyy.

Raine and I finally made it back home on Friday morning. Our supposedly 3 days in Los Baños turned out to be an 8-day stay. I went down with low electrolyte levels while Raine was bugged down with typhoid fever. We didn’t get to see and meet those we were supposed to see and meet, but ended up confined at St. Jude Family Hospital instead!

Though the past week has been rather ‘unpleasant’, it was an opportunity to bond with friends and family that took care of us. You know who you are and I thank you all from the bottom of my heart. My mother even had to go to LB as well to bring us home.

Tomorrow, Raine is going back to school. I’m still a little light-headed but Raine and I are taking it easy while getting back to our normal routine: school for Raine and work for me. I just hope the next time we try to visit LB, we won’t get sick anymore. Next time…

Raine and I are still in LB. We both got sick and were both confined in the hospital. We’re being discharged later today though. Thanks to everyone for all their love and support.

Raine’s last visit to his birthplace was in January 2008. At least I went there alone last year — a side trip to one of my job hunting prospects. Anyways…Raine is more excited than I am. He’s counting the days before we leave (3 tulog na lang!).

Of course I’m too excited as well. I already packed our bags! He he.

Well… our weekend is already fully booked. I just can’t wait to see dear friends again.

Fathers’ Day is special to me too. I’ve been a single parent and for years some friends of mine greet me on Fathers’ Day as well.

One advantage of being a single mom I guess, you get to be honored not just on Mothers’ Day but on Fathers’ Day too.I have a lot to say to Raine on this special day, but I’ll leave it for now and just include it in the LTR series one of these days.

Meanwhile.. I’ll just express some of my thoughts in a song.

Corny I know (Raine will probably say ewwwww! when he gets to read this!), but what the heck?! It’s my life… di ba?

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I’ve decided to add 2 new categories to this blog that hopefully will take this blog to a new direction.

1) Letters To Raine (LTR)

It won’t be long that Raine is going to discover and read this blog to the letter. While he is mainly in 99% of the archives, I want to write blog entries that speaks directly to him. After all, he was the main reason this blog was created in 2004.

Letters to Raine will range from the mundane of stuff to life lessons I wanna document for him. I guess it would be nice that aside from talking a lot all the time to Raine, I have something in black in white to show him.

2) Glo’s Life Goals (GLG)

For somebody who has not been into resolutions and checklists, I wan’t to create a list of sorts for myself. Something I can tick off as I accomplish them. There’s just too much thoughts going through my head enough to keep me awake at night that I want to write them all (if possible!)  before I forget about them in the mornings.

So there…I hope you’ll watch out for it.

Happy weekend everyone!

My money ran out so I am not yet done with Raine’s back-to-school shopping. I left out the big items such as trolley bag and a new rubber shoes. (Good thing that briefcases are not included in Raine’s shopping list!). Also.. small items like new white sandos and the likes.bMaybe in two week’s time (when the next pay arrives) I’ll be done with it all. I just needed to prioritize to stretch the budget.

On the other hand, we can wait 4 to 5 weeks more for my brother’s arrival. Raine was chatting with his Papa G yesterday and my brother promised to cover the items I haven’t bought (but Raine needs) when he comes home. Thank God for thoughtful brothers!

So Raine started a new school year today (like the rest of the Philippines). Thankfully without fuss and with an excited positive outlook. First days in school are truly special so I personally took him to school this morning and lingered awhile to chat with the other parents whom I haven’t seen in the last 3 months.

In typical Filipino fashion, I got various comments like tumaba, bagay sayo straight hair mo and blooming ka today. He he he. Outside the classroom door was the printed rooster of students in the said section. Many parents were delighted that the obnoxious kid in class was nowhere to be found on the list. (Raine are I were over the moon! Yes! It was more like malignant Mesothelioma that went into remission. In short, nabunutan talaga kami ng malaking tinik na mag-ina!).

Later on we found out that the said kid transfered to another school. The reason? Who cares! Ha ha ha.

Anyways…there was supposed to be an 8-hour brownout in the city today. For some miracle unknown to humans, the brownout didn’t happen. I particularly got up at 4 am so I can get online early in the day to take care of some stuff already before the said brownout happens. It’s past 2 pm and I’m still online. (Less than 2 hours na lang, 12 hours na akong online!)  ;)

Life is good!

Spent the day cleaning the house, fixing our ‘bed’, ironing Raine’s uniforms and shopping for grocery items (mostly Raine’s food!). Good thing there were no patio cushions to clean. That would have been a total waste of my time!

But I was able to insert some time for a much-needed pedicure (yey!) and published a few blog entries. I now have the evenings for blogging as well, as we are now housed in the city. Weekends only in the barrio for the next 10 months, until the school year wraps up.

So…here we go first day of school!