This meant I grew and knew communal living early on, in the sense of give-and-take. An irony with my son who is happier doing things just by himself or by one-way attention from a playmate. He'd rather play with adults though and tends to not care of other kids around.

I guess this is a big drawback of desert living. A playmate for our son is a costly decision which we had been denying him. Say, we cant afford living in upscale communities where playgrounds abound. Say, we cannot afford expensive play schools where we have more confidence of. Or say, we thought we cant withstand living for so long away from him and letting him stay back home in Baguio.

Gremlin: No, I will not fall down!
Us: Kalel, I get mad if you do that again.
Gremlin: No, you will not get mad... (saying it sweetly)
Gremlin: No, two chocolates... (again sweetly)

Unlike in the political scene though where word war brews, hearing him makes us smile, wondering what's in a three year old's mind causing that attitude. I just dont know if it's the same story when he gets older =)

I’ll be running catch-up posts on our Gremlin before he turns four years old soon. Speak about backlogs, I have three years of mommyhood stories. Even my Gremly Tweets did not show much update lately.

The li’l Gremlin is sure growing fast and I have this fear that he’ll not be as funny later as he is now.

Funny in terms of his innocent mischievousness that makes me shriek, then I mellow down realizing he is just a creature just past his toddler stage.

Funny -- that invokes my usual expression on him which he cant understand: “Nalalaing ka manen!” (Ilokano, sort of “You think you’re smarter again!”. He blabbers alot, one where his dad scolds me when I sweetly tell him: “Kalel can you please shut up for awhile?”

Then there’s this nostalgia every time I chance on his baby pictures. I miss the chubbiness, I miss the baby bossiness, I miss the sweetness (It’s always mama for him =) ). I miss the attention from strangers too (even taking photos and asking to carry him). And etc, etc…

I miss those baby giggles and smiles.

What's on your mind baby? @ five months

Father and son talk @ five months

And how he smiles @ six months

Each day of our li’l ones will be different tomorrow. We must not regret missing on giving the infinite love as our definition of fulfillment not just for us as parents but for our little ones as well.

My son just sang Happy Mother's Day to you to the tune of the Happy Birthday jingle. Then he said "You're the best mama in the whole wide world forever!" If his watching the tv taught him this, I can feel how he loves me to be true of what he said =)

Our Gremlin is always a wonder to us. It's like God's hands are on us. That, when he was a year old, I wrote this in my Friendster shoutout:

Being Kalel's mom is my greatest reward yet and to be among my parents' greatest reward is always a challenge.

I want to be the most loving mom to my son as a way to give back to my parents. Having my own child made me ponder on the my parents' sacrifices to us their seven children. Since it's Mother's Day today, I want to tell the whole world how God loves me through my self-less Mama. She's a big, stout Mama physically =) and that describes her love to us. I can never equal her sacrifices, but yes, I promise to strive to be among her and Papa's greatest rewards.

Happy mother's day Mama Cute, as my daily text to you is, I lab yu!

Mama Cute and my Gremlin spotting butterflies at Burnham Park Oh, Mama Cute is the shortest in height among us. When her white hairs dont show up and when she can reduce size, she can pass as our older sister. Naks!

Happy mother's day too to all wonderful moms out there =)

Next is my Gremlin's poop journal.

I guess it could be wrong teasing our toddlers that poop are bad for their smell. I think this caused the Gremlin to be so shy to let anybody see him poop.

At two years when he started not using his daytime nappies, it could be rather frustrating that soon as we put his night nappies he would poop.

At three years, he need to lock himself alone in the toilet before he let out.
During mall trips, soon as I take out his pants, I stay out the door until he calls me when he's done. It got some persuading for me to carry him (his back against my chest) in the mall toilet while he poop, and he would say "Mama close your eyes", and I would pretend.

Until now he still locks himself in the toilet and sometimes shout "Mama and papa do not see me" while inside.

Now, I guess his next milestone would be when he gets to clean his poop by himself =)

Trusting our Gremlin's ability to be COMPLETELY "weaned" off from diapers had been rather late for us.

At a little past two years old, he started to be without diapers during daytime at home. Outside the house, he had nappies for convenience sake.

Starting 32 months when he was back home (Baguio), his grannies completely weaned him off of daytime nappies. I can only remember being told of they had to buy him new pants at Tiongsan because he pooped there while they were shopping =) . And, a bit off but funny, his auntie tintin had photos of his poop at the terrace.

It was only at 3.5 years  old (January 2010), that accidentally we forgot to put his night nappies. From bed at dawn, he walked to the toilet by himself. It was at this time I started to compose a blog post saying our kids are capable of responsibilities we dont realise they are, and it's just a matter of showing them our trust and support that they can. That blog post however just remained a draft (bad me).

From that time, his Drypers nappies hadnt had a movement out the cabinet. It took some adjustments though until he almost completely not wet the bed at night. We give his milk an hour before bed time so as to minimise wet beds. Around Feb-10 and early Mar-10, we set our alarm to wake him for the toilet. Lately, we bring him to the toilet only when he moans. And that could be none to thrice a night =)