My family has been into the construction business ever since I can remember. My dad who is a civil engineer pioneered Mallari Construction way back in the 80′s and soon my mom joined him to manage the company when she resigned from her day job when I was 5. Since then, the construction business has been our bread and butter. My parents managed to give me and my siblings a very comfortable life all these years thanks to building houses, bridges, school buildings, covered courts, and repairing roads. Through time, they also managed to buy equipments of their own and even rents them out now which my dad said is a good money making business too.

Lately though, with the hard times we are facing each day, the economy going down, it has become more and more difficult to earn as much with every projects my parents get to close. It’s just not the same as before as they would put it. Construction material prices are sometimes way over board and sometimes, by a stroke of bad luck, they also get to deal with people who are dishonest and who doesn’t hold true to contracts signed. One time, my parents even resorted to sending stop notices as materials or equipments my parents supplied to the work of improvement has been furnished but not paid for.  I wonder why there are certain people who just don’t know how to do business at all.  But what can my parents do? Nothing, as they don’t know of any other business alternative because all these years, they have dedicated their time and effort to their one and only construction business which I doubt will last for another five years because of the terrible economy crisis we are experiencing now.

… yesterday, June 25.

It was the very first time I didn’t take Sophia to school. You see, since she started toddler classes at a play-based toddler school when she was almost 2 years old, I made it a point to take her to class. All other activities or classes too like The Little Gym and Gymboree, I was with her. Never missed a class. And so, yesterday was a first for me and I didn’t take it well.

I HAD SEPARATION ANXIETY.

I was literally holding my tears back while I was taking her inside the car with her yaya and the driver. She, on the other hand, didn’t have any hint of sadness at all which made me want to cry all the more. SUSME, ano ba ito? Could it be the pregnancy hormones or what?

When she shouted “Goodbye, Mommy!” with hands waving while the car was about to go, I couldn’t hold it any longer. I ran inside the house and wept. I called the husband and continued to cry over the phone. Crazy, isn’t it? OA, ano?

But things are better now. I have managed to accept the fact that I cannot be with her all the time and besides she needs to be on her own every once in a while.   It’s both for our own good.  After all, Ill be having another baby soon so we both need this so we can adjust.  I’ll still take her to school maybe twice or thrice a week though but everyday is not feasible anymore  because three hours in Starbucks every morning each day will do me no good.  Malls are still closed by the time she’s in school so I have nowhere to go.

Hay, another mommy moment for the books.

As I have written here, I have been sick these past few days. I also left the comfort of my home for my mom’s place here in Pampanga as for one, I wanted my OB cousin to attend to me personally the whole time I was really really sick. Taking instructions such as drinking high dosage antibiotics is easier when its coming from someone you personally know and who truly cares about you because she’s family. It somehow gives me more confidence. Secondly, we have some painting jobs being done right now at home and the clutter, dust and the smell of paint is simply not good so I am better off not there until everything is done which will take just a few more days anyway. I can’t wait to get back home and start fixing Sophia’s room. Not that I and my daughter are not enjoying our stay here though, not at all. In fact, my daughter is having a grand time. Who wouldn’t? Someone is spoiling her – rotten. Being here for five days now gives me more than enough reasons to believe that kids who live or grow up with their grandparents end up being spoiled brats in my humble opinion. LOL. My daughter would, definitely, and actually she is, right now. She gets what she wants, anytime, any place and in any way. Case in point, she saw a Mc Do commercial and said she wanted fries and toys (Happy Meal), in no time she was with the lola buying 3 Happy Meals. Last Saturday, they attended a birthday party of my cousin without me, just the yaya and my mom and the little princess came home with LOTS of prices and goodies to which I asked the yaya why and how it happened. She then told me Sophia joined every game and won each time too. Why you ask? The lola told daw the gracious host not to eliminate her apo, waaaah!!!!!! Baliw ang lola! Here are some more, one morning Sophia saw the lola dressed up as she was going to work, the little girl said she wanted to go, ayun, binitbit ang apo sa office. And just yesterday, they went to the grocery with the little girl, I was told the Sophia rode the carousel three times, twice in the Ferris Wheel, rented a car cart while roaming around, bought a whole box of donuts and a bag of Gummy Bears and even came home with a Cinderella doll from Toy Kingdom. So now, the little girl doesn’t want to leave the lola’s side, you know why.

Anyway, as of writing this, I suddenly remembered its my birthday tomorrow! No plans at all as I am not allowed to leave the house yet haha.

If there’s one person who is as excited as the dad with the coming of another baby to the family, it’ll be no other than my little girl who is now a big sister – Sophia. She has been wanting to have a baby brother or sister for the longest time now. Her prayers at night would always include of asking Papa Jesus to give her a baby brother or sister so she is not “alone anymore”. When I first heard her say it, all on her own, I had goosebumps really. I didn’t teach her nor told her to include it in her prayer but she did, all on her own. Here’s how she puts it “Papa Jesus, please give me a baby brother so I am not alone anymore”. That coming from a 3 year old, wouldn’t your heart just melt and would do anything to get yourself pregnant? LOL. Out of nowhere too, she would ask me if I’m pregnant already as she’ll say that she wants to have someone to play with and so she won’t be alone anymore. Is she really that bored with me and her yaya? I’m really wondering.

Now, she is ecstatic. She loves the idea of her mommy being pregnant and a baby is coming. She massages my tummy and would tell me of how she’ll play with her baby brother or sister when he or she comes out. O diba? Day 2 palang yan of my pregnancy. HAHA.