DAY 224: November 26, 2010; FRIDAY

235 (and then some)
Days of "Strawberry Jam" without "J"


Dear Jam,

I feel the love that people have for you. With that being so, I feel loved and appreciated as well. It started when Ninang Jeng asked me if you liked ELMO. I was honest when I told her that you only were often roused to any COOKIE MONSTER stimuli, from all of the SESAME STREET characters. When she elaborated that she downloaded some videos of ELMO, I was ecstatic to tell her it didn't matter besides you're all grown up now and may just have more room to decode Elmo's high-pitched nasal voice. Haha! I had thought it was just that when suddenly she added that she saw something in the mall that easily reminded her of you. I think she is hoping to buy it the soonest her budget permits. She added that you've become Ninang-Jeng-spoiled. I disagreed and said that being your Mommy, I'm getting spoiled with all her attention as well. We had hoped to meet by Sunday but we had planned the day ahead so perhaps, another time. Well, it's been quite long since she saw you and for someone who dotes much on you, that's a long time.

I also heard from Ninang Charissa who just arrived in the city. It's going to be her birthday in a couple of days! Weeeh! I remember last year when we went to THAI ME UP to celebrate her birthday. You were so little then and barely a year old. But of course, you already showed a lot of potential way back. We have a lot of catching up to do, your Ninang and I - and you. In my excitement, I let the cat out of the bag, telling her about our gift! Dang! Hahah! Then here is Tita Vanessa, your eternal fan! She's been a fan ever since she and Nohnong started dating. It must be due to Nohnong's pure doting on you, affecting her. We were on the last hour of our shift when I saw that she had come online, liking at least every one of your picture on Facebook. I told her jokingly that I couldn't catch up with her clicking to thank her for every like. It was there that she confessed that she has been a fan of yours and by saying that, it makes her a fan of me. Hahah! Yes, she said that too and that's flattery at its best. It's really sweet to have everyone love you so much, it could only mean I have done right by you and conceiving you is perhaps the best blessing indeed. And the people who show their love for us are blessings all the same.
(This picture of you by the way was taken earlier today when you said "tiss" and had the lotion bottles "kiss" hihih!)

So, how was our day? You finally had a Kid's Punch Bubble Bath! Yeap! I just figured out a means to have you sit in one place while I bustled to do the chores quickly. It is timely how after the menial, I get to join you in the shower. Had the tub been bigger and the bathroom a bit bigger than the tub, I think I would have joined you. Oh! It was a joy to see you splish-splash-splosh in a tub filled with the fruity scents of oranges, kiwis, pineapple, grapes, lemons and "strawberries"!!! With that fruity bath, you decided to be fruit-colored as well and again demanded to match shoes with sunglasses when we left for work.

Quite surprisingly, you demanded for me to tie your hair up. This is you now, after Angel's tied up hair "encouraged" you to tie up as well. I wouldn't call it surprised exactly but it was something new to me, Mamala and Papalo when we reached the cafe with hair still intact and untouched. Well, pleasantly surprised then. We all agreed that you have decided to become a lady finally. You must have felt the breeze come to your face after months of being hidden in those bangs that when we headed out, you insisted to walk on your own without my assistance. You had fun, strutting your stuff. You ran amok, if that's right to say because you almost broke off to a run in the street, I had to keep a watchful eye for incoming vehicles. Oh God! I just dread having to let you off by yourself but there just need to be a day for it. The day will come and soon you will be crossing the street by yourself. Not too soon I hope. :/

Your Tita Jet finally read our review on the Nativity movie , which we recommended to her. She's excited to see it. I forgot to tell her that even before we watched the movie, I was thinking about her and that perhaps we could watch it with her. She is a lover of music and theater as well, so it was easy for her to spring into my mind when the DVD stall owner suggested it. She said she was reading "365 Days of Strawberry Jam" too and found it endearing to be mentioned. Well, recalling what I replied to her comment on Facebook, I said that I wanted to make sure that you, Jam, remembered the people who made "365 Days of Strawberry Jam" for the "Strawberry" wouldn't be a "Jam" if it there weren't other "ingredients".

Love. Love. Love. You are loved and remember that! For as your Mamala and Papalo aren't literature-ly expressive as I am to you, they express it in the means they easiest can. That is - buying you toys. More toys actually. When I went up the FoodHauz for the cafe closing, I found that you had a new toy bike. Add that to what you had from them last week, to the kitten, to the plastic chair and to everything else, you have more than any one child could ask for. Just look at the kids in the neighborhood. The reason why they hang out here and pester me in the cafe is because they neither have enough attention at home nor anymore decent toys nor playmates. *sigh*

We didn't have movie tonight. I decided that it was time we hit the books again. We went through the Treasury for Fairytales from Ninang Jeng and pointed out which words associated with which picture. You were good with the "bew" in Goldilocks, "tat" in Puss in Boots, and "ors" for the horses in Cinderella's horse-drawn carriage. I attempted to read you RUMPELSTILTSKIN but you demanded "nets" or next. Really, I wanted to review it for myself after seeing his annoying version in Shrek, Forever After. But no, you wanted to have something else to do with the books and that is to line them up side by side.

JAMantic of the Day:
We were in for a little fruity today really. We had a smorgasbord of fruits for dessert as well. I brought slices of peach, one ponkan "wange" and a slice of "simon" together to encourage different sensations on your taste bud. But you still knew which one was the "simon" and that you preferred it over the "peets" and "wange". You remembered the lesson for which you were spanked the other day. This time, you don't spit the food on the bed or floor anymore but into the bowl whence after you complained you only wanted "mole" or small. You also said "no mo" when there was no more milk. ;) Good Kitten!

Your Mommy,






This is a cute picture of you tonight when we got home and you demanded for "tookies". I gave you some crackers and here, you found you seated next to Crookshanks, whom you had seated properly yourself. I find this picture amusing to see how you could be so little and yet be so much like Daddy.