DAY 263: October 18th, 2010; MONDAY

COUNTDOWN:
4 Days to Strawberry Jam without "J"

Dear Jam,

This is that precious look of yours when you had your first taste of syllvanas for tonight's desert. You had quite an appetite tonight and I say this because it's weird how you ate a lot of rice with nothing more than ketchup on it! But that's okay. I'll fill you in with milk.

You know this Super Typhoon MEGI(International name) aka Juan (National name) is just wreaking havoc! I got a bit concerned when Daddy didn't call early in the morning like the first day he arrived there. His explanation later on, provided for the answers to my wondering and worried mind. He said he had just processed his Italian and Australian Visa. He says the rain isn't that bothersome unlike the first two days he's been there, except for the raging wind. BUT in Isabella (Tito Macky's hometown, God bless his family) and the Cagayan Valley has gone to RED ALERT status and that's scary enough to start with. What shook me even more was what I heard from the news; a child was electrocuted by a felled electric post. I can only imagine how the child had been submerged in the water and down come the post with its live wires. Good Lord! All we can do now is pray for them.

It's the first day of our new shift, I have taken the morning schedule because of you. Since it is the semestral break, we won't be open on the 2nd floor and Mamala or Papalo won't be around to watch over you. They would all be in Carmen where I need to take you everytime before shift, that's what we exactly did today.

ACCORDING TO MAMALA:
You have been feasting on the most unlikely of sweets in Daddy's list of No-nos and that is "a lot" of ice cream, candy and lollipops. Mamala said that you and Ate Ritchell went to a convenience store to buy ice cream whence upon reaching the counter, you grabbed a lollipop in your unrelenting grip. Ate Ritchell couldn't take it back.

It was this certain lollipop that you brought with you on your trip to the cafe at the end of the shift. And as Mamala and I were engrossed with talk about you, you managed to pry open the almost impossible-your-age-to-open lollipop wrapper! Oh my! Of course, you were unrelenting as usual so we couldn't convince you to let go of it since the sweetness has enticed your tongue even as Mamala, you and I wove our way in Agora market to see the opening of SM Save More Supermarket in Market City. Unfortunately, we didn't get inside because of the excited mob, lodged up the entrance and that they would only allow a number of people every hour. So we dismissed the thought altogether and went our own ways, Mamala back to the cafe and you and I enjoyed a little hike to our humble pad where Nahnang waited.

The three of us had wonderful discoveries with you, your progress, your words, your antics! We came home to meet a surprise and that was the local channels finally coming in thru our TV, thanks to Nahnang's little tinkering with the antenna. That's where you seemed to be glued with amazement as the commercials went past for another. You were especially happy about the Rejoice commercial where Kim Chu sings and flips her hair. You amused us when you wiggled your little butt and ran your hands up and then down your hair. You also saw Charice Pemengco perform again and as we would expect it, you stood up, arms flailing, you sang as if you were her!

Another add-ons to your vocabulary would be "sit" when you told Nahnang that you wanted to sit on her lap. You pointed her lap, said "sit" and then went ahead to sit without hearing her protest or agree. You also said "proov!" which we definitely understood to be "approve" because you held your thumb up when I had you taste test the sotanghon I cooked. I asked you if it was good and that's when you gave me the positive response. You were also clear enough about food and how much you wanted of it when with your dinner of ketchup-and-rice, you said "nuff". Now, that's should be "enough" to explain!

By the way, there is this mysterious scratch on your knee which I'm sure you didn't get when we were together. I have got to ask Mamala about that. Anyway, you're not making a fuss about it and it's not purulent or bleeding, I guess it's okay.

JAMantic of the Day:
You've understood that I've preferred to be called "Mommy" rather than "Mama". And you say it ever so sweetly. However as Nahnang and I discovered and quite agree altogether, using "Mommy" on her too, we reckoned you use it as your new way of saying "please" - but this time even more convincing with the wise use of the word "Mommy."

Your MAYmah,