Life with Ozzy

ozzy: look mommy!
mommy:(seeing a mess of puzzle mats on the floor) Oh no! What did you do?
ozzy: nothing!


Ozzy, after an afternoon nap, looks at me with big eyes. "You're awake?"
Mommy, on her laptop says, "Yes, I'm awake."
Ozzy, points at himself and asks, "How about me?"
Mommy laughs. "Yes you're awake anak."


Ozzy: Mommy, I want to watch robots and dinosaurs.
So I put on Star Wars.
Ozzy: What are you doing mommy? What happened? Where's thomas?
Mommy: You can't have everybody in one show anak.


Ozzy, looking at a heap of leaves with smoke coming out (the neighbor's, not ours) shouts --- "Fire King! Fire King!"


Ozzy, while praying... "God bess piyow, god bess bed, god bess good job!..."


Ozzy, showing me a cut on his finger says, "mommy, i'm bwoken."

Lolo Nanding

It’s difficult to speak about my Lolo without my Lola, because, really, they were always partners in crime. =) The good kind of crime. They would gather all available grandchildren and bring them to places for new adventures (Baguio, Batangas, Tagaytay, Laguna, Antipolo). They were the original masterminds of a day my cousins and I would fondly call “Cousins Day”. So really, when I think about my Lolo Nanding (Fernando Cortez Montes who died April 10, 2012), he was always next to Lola Puring, loading grandchildren in a van for a summer adventure, sitting at a particular side of a big round table, or hearing mass at Miraculous Medal.  Even when we came to visit Lola Puring while Lolo is in the hospital, Ozzy pointed at Lolo’s side of the bed and asked, “Where’s the Lolo?”.

My Lolo, on my wedding day during the wedding cake cutting.
"Open your mouth big! It's the last time you'll open your mouth."

During my Ozzy's baby shower. Lolo was listening to Lola.

They were one of my first visitors when I gave birth. They came into my small hospital room in wheelchairs that was big enough just to fit both of them side by side with Tito Pierre Montes right behind. They were very excited to see Ozzy. Lolo told me, he wanted to see his first great grandchild. He saw two great grandchildren: Ian and Ozzy.

He left us with a strong sense of love for the family.  He was humorous, warm, and loving during difficult and not-so-difficult times. Always strong in prayer. Persistent. Faithful.

Thank you Lolo (and Lola) for being a great example of the mystery of God's love for us. Thank you for bringing us close to God.

School Uniforms Made Me Cry!

I was just so excited to send him to school. I wasn’t prepared though, to see my little boy ACTUALLY ready for school. These pictures brought me to tears.

Too soon…

My Mountain is Moving!

When we started addressing Ozzy’s hyperactivity and speech delay, I felt as though I was pushing a mountain. And because it was so involving  emotionally to help your own son, it really felt at times like I was pulling the hem of Jesus’ tunic begging (I discovered that that’s what parents do all the time).

His first Pre-school ID picture. I did it myself. As I was posting this, my son goes "Ozzy in a  wed (red) shirt".

April was a month of change. A miracle happened. My boy started talking in sentences. And in weeks his progress improved in leaps. I am so amazed and so proud that the little light bulb clicked. Ozzy at 3years and 4 months: Talking. I am thankful for my miracle and God’s great love for all of us.

Two weeks down!

These two weeks were hectic and crazy. It’s the pre-school application, therapy assessment appointments (for speech—yehey!), academic week, and school production week all within the two weeks. If anyone asks me what my name was I probably won’t even remember with everything else that had to be done.

At the end of it, as expected of production week, I had my usual respiratory track infection. As expected like ice cream then tonsillitis. But I was doing what I did best. And although I felt like my lungs were closing in on me yesterday, with the nebulizer, I could still recall the greatness of the people (students and teachers) who worked with me during these two weeks and worried if any one of them were feeling the same way – hopefully not. It was truly a great honor working with them around. It was the best work we've done so far. The students have really come a long way!

One of the greatest insights I think (or hope) I brought to my class this school year was my realization of the will of God. To invest my time and energy finding out what I’m good at. In doing so, I seek the will of God for me. When I find it, I realize my design and the wonderful role I play in His kingdom. How can I stop painting? 

How can I not make my life so complicated and stick to just one thing? How can I not be a good parent and loving wife?  That’s what I’m designed to do. I am one of the few who could still afford to do everything I loved doing as kid. I am lucky.

Ozzy got into a pre school already... and without the need of a shadow teacher! Ordinary days are up ahead and I truly look forward to them. To look back smiling makes it all worth while. All for Jesus!

One week down. One week to go!

God gave me a gift today, because my day had started with so much dread.

My son and I woke in time for me to get ready for work. He cries and insists that he was still sleepy and that we should both go back to sleep. I persuaded him enough to be able to carry him out of the room, set up his living room mattress and have him lie down for the whole duration I was getting ready for work. He was still really “sweepy”.

Fear once again came over me when I realized the neighbor’s dogs, two big Dobermans were once again set freely on the street terrorizing whatever bird or chicken or cat that dared to get out of anyone’s gates. It meant I would have to wake people up. Ozzy and I are the earliest risers, by obligation, and (for Ozzy) by choice.  I sneaked out of the gate with great speed and agility that rendered me unnoticed.  Earlier, I was thinking that I should get bitten so that I can sue the neighbors who are so irresponsible with their dogs.

And to stay true to the mood of the morning, I was physically tired to face the work ahead. Mentally, I grumbled about people who are no good at work, never waiting in line for anything, unproductive, and people who claim they were waiting the whole day without informing anyone that they were---I mean, waiting for someone has to make sense to the one waiting too, right?  I grumbled all the way to school. By the time I got to school, I was exhausted mentally.

Then work, work, work, just getting things done.

By lunch time, I just sat down for some peace. And there it was, like a gift from God. Two messages on my phone. My son’s therapy center sent me a message. Finally, there is a slot for speech therapy. We were number 24 when I called last December. My friend had asked me about it this morning and I had to inform her there wasn’t a slot yet.

The second one came from a friend. That she might be able to see me today.

It’s been so busy and it will continue to be for another week. I’m really looking forward to the week end in between. I didn’t even notice it was Friday today. When this is all over, I’ll give myself a treat.

School Applications

School applications are due. I'm pursuing an undeniable  leap of faith.

I hate filling up forms, so the first time I've had to fill one up for Ozzy felt more like an entrance test in itself.

"What are your child's strengths?" All I could think of at the time was he is KIND, SWEET, and AFFECTIONATE. All three were true. I really didn't know what else to write. Should I have written something extremely impressive?---Like leap from one building to another? Haha! Talk about a mom who didn't do her homework.

Anyway, I hope we get into a good school. And a school that we could actually afford. It's been tough trying to find our pace and place. I hope God has good plans --- doesn't have to be great, so long as it is the best plan for us.