Practically speaking

The fateful day has arrived. Juancho has started to read my blog (hi Juanchy!). Ulp.

I warned him that there are a LOT of stories about him and Martina in here. He said, yes, he saw. He said the one about the 'wist' was funny.

Martina overheard and asked, 'What's a wist?' Then, to my surprise, Juancho proceeded to paraphrase the entire blog entry, including all my extra comments, which just goes to show that he deserves an award for reading comprehension. Paging Xavier (the school, not the Professor)!

After that 'wist' retelling, Juancho told Martina, 'Do you know that as of today, we are 5 years apart? I'm 12 now and you're still 7. Five years!'*

Martina: Yeah, PRACTICALLY.

Me: Wow! Big word. Good job.

Martina: I actually don't know what it means.

[laughter from everyone, loudest laugh from me]

And then ...

Juancho: You have to blog this!!!

Ergo, this.

The pressure to make more blog entries begins. Ulp #2.


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*They are just 4 years apart, but Juancho's birthday comes earlier in the year. 'Did I really have to explain that?' I ask myself.

Things that make me smile (and overweight)

My 11-year-old nephew Juancho and 7-year-old niece Martina seem to be on some kind of dessert theme recently. Maybe my love of sugar is rubbing off on them. (I never claimed to be the best influence on anyone.)

We had a family thing on Sunday so I saw the kids that night. After Juanch greeted me and gave me a kiss, he said I smelled like cookies.

'Is that good or bad?' I asked precariously.

'It was a compliment.'

'Oh thanks,' I said. 'What kind of cookies?' (Tag: Important questions in life)

'The ones you make.'

Which I guess meant I smelled of stress and shortening.

AKA coping mechanism

Last night was Martina's turn to amuse me. To try and fall asleep, she was looking at a cupcake book on my bed while I was working outside.

After leafing through some pages, she excitedly ran out the room and asked, 'Did you watch the Vegas episode of Modern Family?!'

(She didn't really say it exactly that way because she calls the TV show 'Modern and Family'. Please don't ask me to explain. I have nothing.)

'No, why?'

'I found a Vegas cupcake!!!'

She then ran back inside to get the book and show me the page. After a few seconds, I heard her shouting again from the bedroom.

'Forget it. It's not Vegas. It's VEGAN.'

Hahahaha.

I love these kids. (Tag: Bias)

Neck and neck

Apparently – and I was not aware of this until recently – Mama and Dad are in a prize-less race to accumulate the most bloopers within my lifetime.

I used to think Mama would be the clear winner (because of stories like this and this), but Dad is one competitive alpha male. Ergo, at present, it's pretty much [insert blog entry title here] [#laziness].

Yesterday, as we were leaving the relatively new Robinsons Magnolia, Mama happily observed:

"Uy! Meron palang Cuma dito!"

Which was, naturally, this:

Dad, on the other hand, was admiring one of Mama's bags and started reminiscing about the time he bought it for her.

"Maganda 'tong bag na 'to. May nabili din akong shoes dun eh. Sa Calhoun."

Which was, obviously, this:

 

Wahahaha.

The race continues.

NOT a spoiler for Frozen

Dad finally got to watch Disney's Frozen over the weekend. Or so we thought. 

[While the LAST scene was unfolding...]

"Ah magkapatid ba sila?" 

(Translation: "They're sisters?")

Ka. Boom. 

The 30 little pigs

It's been so long since I needed to tell Juancho or Martina a bedtime story. I miss those times a lot. There are several old blog entries here about those stories, but the one about the Two Little Pigs is relevant today.

That's because I found an old audio file of Martina telling me another pig story from more than 2 years ago, when she was just 5 years old.

(Note: I had to convert the recording into a movie because Blogger won't let me upload an audio file. Kindly do not expect a dazzling montage. Except for the first one, these are pics from the year that the storytelling transpired. I'll edit this someday, maybe?)

If you don't have time to listen to it, here is a rough transcription. I'm the one interrupting her (in parentheses). I urge you to listen to it though – the text doesn't capture the cuteness enough. Hers not mine.

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(Can you start your story again?)

The story is about … the story today is … the 20 little … the 30 little pigs!

(That’s a lot.)

The 30 little pigs, their mommy said, build your own houses.

Then the first pig went to get some straw from the [???]. Can I have some straws please? He said OOOKAYYY!

Then the second pig he build a house with sticks. Can I have some sticks please? Oh SURE!

And after that the third pig, he build a roof, but it was made out of bricks.

And then there was a wolf!

(Wait I thought there were 30 pigs?)

Yeah.

Then the wolf blow the first … I mean and after that the fourth pig build it with soooome … spaghetti!

And after that … then the fifth pig, he already made a house out of some paper!

Then after that, the seventh little pig, he build it out of curtains!

And the eighth pig, he build it out of doors!

And after that, the ninth pig, he build it out of windows!

Then the tenth, build it out of bicycles!

Then the other pigs, the other pig, he made it out of [???]!

(What happened to the wolf?)

We’re going to continue that later.

And the other pig, he build it out of the fan!

The other pig, he made it out of aircon!

And then the next pig, he made it out of a bed!

(I think you have to end the story now. What’s the ending?)

And the wolf, he came and blowed all the [???].

Then the pigs went to the brick house then he couldn’t catch any of the pigs.

THE END!

(Great story!)