Last night I was just unusually happy when I went home that I (without second thoughts) took up Raine’s prodding to play ball. I already knew that he can play “throw and catch”, kick and shoot” but then my jaw dropped when I saw him dribbling the ball like a little pro. “Wow ang galing! Sino nagturo sayo nyan?! I couldn’t help asking, in which he quickly replied: “Yung bata…dun sa labas!”.

That’s when I realized that while I’ve been too engrossed being the disciplinarian (among other things); that I forgot to be just his playmate; that I’ve been too caught up with many things at once, I simply overlooked recognizing some of Raine’s recent achievements:

  • (I don’t know exactly when it started) Now partly toilet trained: only wears diaper at night, knows how to “take a leak” unattended. Though still terrified of sitting on the toilet (or potty), fortunately his poop time is either early in the morning (right after his morning feed) or just before bed time – times that he is usually wearing a diaper.
  • Has discovered that slippers (or his empty feeding bottle) are a pair of deadly weapons against crawling insects.
  • Knows the primary colors: red, blue, green and yellow; although uses them interchangeably 50% of the time.
  • Able to count from 1- 10 (both in English and Spanish) but not necessarily in ascending order.
  • Has (finally!!) discovered the pleasure of eating rice.
  • Uses the words please, thank you and I love you as appropriate.

    Example: Isa pa dede mommy…please?
    ‘Bili mo ako airplane mommy ha…thank you!
    I love you mommy. ‘ Di ka na galit?

  • Knows more animals than he has actually seen in the flesh (listed below as Raine calls them):
    ipis, langgam, spider, butiki, cat, dog, manok, pig, duck
    fish, turtle, shark, crocodile, daga, snake
    mammoth, dinosaur, elephant, giraffe, camel, carabao, cow, goat, sheep, horse, tiger, bear, monkey, kangaroo, zebra
  • An expert in recognizing different modes of transportation(again listed below as he calls each one): tricycle, bike, motorbike, jeep, car, truck, (hoot-hoot) train, bus, airplane
  • Can sing (and dance) …to any tune. (may uido sa music at di sintunado…I swear!)
  • Has recemtly adopted expressions like shocks, yucky and ngeh.

Etc…etc…etc. I just can’t help it: I’m one proud momma!!