It is easy to say that our lives revolve around Miguel. Everything we do has him in careful consideration. Will Kuya be OK with the change? How will he react? How will he cope with the noise/travel/new home/new school/etc? These are the barrage of questions we always ask in every step we take.
Road trips relax(es) Migo the most. The car movement is consistent and mesmerising. There are no surprises and no crowds such as in airports or in cruise liners. The farthest we have driven straight was probably the Sydney to Brisbane route. That is about 10-12 hours drive.
Migo never ever dozes off in road trips. Gabo, on the other hand, is asleep within minutes of his back touching the leather seat. Gab is often in and out of slumber. Whereas Kuya is awake as a meerkat. Migo’s latest aliw {entertainment} is to read every single speed limit sign and all other roadside signs for that matter. So for 4 hours going to Barrington Tops, all I hear apart from the music CD is this… “Sixty kilometers, eighty kilometers, 100 kilometers….” Migo is reading “90km/hr”.
I don’t say anything. Ariel however will react from time to time. “That’s right Miguel!”
Last month {oh was it only last month? It feels like a million years ago!}, we came back from a Hunter Valley Getaway. Catch up on our adventures for Day 1, Day 2, and Day 3. Day 4 was chillaxing day.
I pick up my story soon after we arrive home on Day 5.
Let’s begin…
We arrive home around half past one in the afternoon today. Without fail, Migo wants to put away his things RIGHT AWAY. RIGHT NOW, Mama! When all we really want to do is NOT do anything.
Migo however does not stop. He recites through a list in his head. He goes through every single thing he owns. Since I packed for him, he doesn’t know where his things are. Even if he does know, he will still think aloud!
Where is my pillow?
Where is my DS?
Where is my iPad?
Where is my toothpaste?
Where are my thongs? (Tsinelas)
He follows me into the bedroom. He knows that he could get snapped at by Dad anytime as he is making too much noise with his drama-drama. I tell him to relax and wait. I want to change into house clothes, to be more comfortable, to be bra-less. His eyes follow me everywhere. I hide and change inside the walk-in robe.
I say to him “Miguel. We will unpack later, OK? First we need to eat lunch!”
Miguel continues to look at me with a distressed expression. This a matter of life and death for my baby! He follows me into the kitchen.
Where are the mails? (It’s his routine to open the mailbox. Grandma has obviously sorted the mail out earlier!)
Where is my pillow?
Oh oh. Patience is indeed a virtue!
Later that night, before I take a shower I make a mental note to unpack my backpack which I parked by my bed. When I come out of the bath, it’s gone! I check inside the walk-in robes, there it is and it’s empty. I yell for Kuya. He comes running. “Miguel, what did you do to Mama’s things?” He goes hehehe and points to my bedside table. Ayun nakatambak mga gamit ko, my books and brochures. I am sure other stuff ended up somewhere else too like my iPhone cables and camera cables which I don’t see anywhere. It must be in shelves/cupboards where he thinks they belong. Sigh. The hunt begins. Bukas, bukas na lang yan, Cha. (Leave it for tomorrow)
Migo even brought the suitcases up when it was meant to stay downstairs as it is full of soiled clothes.
I resist scolding Migo as much as I can. This is actually a struggle as I am not treating my two boys equally. Migo gets away with a lot of naughty things. Because indeed he can be naughty. Migo however does not know how to cry. He does not sob. His tears fall, and he squeezes his tears away. Usually his eyes turn really raw and red from all his wiping/scrubbing. I wish he knows how to sob, to release his hurt. Here’s a thought. It is better to sob when we cry, much more than simply tears flowing. Sobbing allows our emotions to boil over, to spill, to release, to cleanse. To let go. Lucky are those who can sob naturally….
The End.
Freida says
I admire you talaga, BFF! Patience is a virtue, indeed!