Saturday, November 30, 2002
talked with nona today. you call jessie's mom, mom and hugs her... excessively! even goes from one end of the room to give her a hug.

braving strong windes, played at the hill in the slide... then went to superstore with temmie for the first time. waited patiently while temmie buys chestnut.. .toys, chose digimon, a dark colored one... not happy with it when we were going home but didn't show temmie... dont wnt to play with it at home, but played with it with temmie when she was here tonight ...

Wednesday, November 27, 2002
enjoyed playing in the hill today... ang dulas! so you and your friends played on it like it's a slide.

as you are watching elmo today, his topic is "teeth". you looked at your teeth through the window glass and said "teeth!" then... "hey, teeth, gone!" pointing on your missing tooth. ngayon mo lang pala napansin na kulang ang ipin mo :) ...

Monday, November 25, 2002
You now know "money".... and now when you something you like you'd say "buy, buy... go home superstore... buy toys?" do you have money? "money, ok" and pretend to get some money and hand them over to me. ...
April 7, 2000

I don’t ever want to forget…

© How you will hold on my hand then lead me to what you want (example, to the brita if you want water, to the fridge if you want your juice in the afternoon or your milk at night, to the door if you want to go out, to the night stand if you want to have your diaper changed)
© How you will always do to me what your daddy does to you. He likes to blow bubbles on your tummy, or tickle you, or bite you… I get to be your target cause ako lang ang kaya mo!!!
© How you use your bum as your power. We will be on the floor and you will sit on us and position your diaper right on top of our face.
© How you gave me a pasa under my left eye. You woke up before I did and you were playing that you were feeding me your bottle. You dropped a 9 oz bottle filled with water right on my face! Ouch! That’s ok baby… people thought your Daddy hit me (just kidding)
© We were having a nap and you woke up before your Daddy and I did. I was sleeping on my right side and you were sitting at my back and your arm was over my shoulder and your cheek was next to mine when I woke up (April 5).
© How you will throw things at me when I am in the kitchen. We have a harang on the way going inside the kitchen so you can’t go in, you will throw your toys, food, or your bottle at me when you are getting bored.
© How we will sleep in the sofa, with you in my arms when you were still a baby.
© How you took my sandals and placed it inside the storage room where we keep all our shoes away from you April 6).
© How you will dance around and around, clapping your hands, touching the floor and going around and around like a top, nonstop till you get dizzy.
© How you will spend a lot of time infront of the mirror, looking at yourself trying on clothes or hats.
© How you love french fries. Specially NewYork Fries.
© How you love to watch Elmo’s World
© How you will kiss me on the lips, you will taste me with your tongue then bite me!
© How you will go out and you will always check to see if I am following.
© How the wind makes you so happy.
© How you brush my hair. Rubbing the brush with your block first then placing the brush on my hair. Then you will smell my hair and then put your face on my shoulder.
© How I will try to clean your teeth with a faceclothe. But you always bite me.
© How you love classical music.
© The way you laugh when we play bulaga (peek-a-boo), or just when you are so happy.
© How you will use anything to stand on just so you reach unreachable places.
© How you know how to lower your head when crawling under chairs, tables, or anything.
©
...
I found this letter in my files:

January 27, 2000 is the date on the file

Araw ng Linggo, tulad ng umaga na una kong magisnan ang iyong napakaamong mukha. Ilang araw na lamang at isang taon na buhat ng marinig ko ang una mong pagiyak.

Maaga akong nagising, at hindi ko mapigil ang aking sarili na pagmasdan kita habang ika’y natutulog. Ang bilis ng panahon. Buhat ng tumuntong ang bagong taon, ay nagumpisa ka ng lumakad. Magkahalong saya at lungkot ang nasa puso ko ngayon. Masaya dahil nakikita kitang tuwang-tuwa na nakakapaglakad ka na. Alam mo bang kapag ikaw ay natatapat sa salamin ay pinapanood mo ang iyong sariling maglakad, pagkatapos ay ngingiti ka at papalakpak pa. Nakakadama din ako ng lungkot dahil ang sanggol na aking isinilang ay hindi na isang sanggol.

Maliit ka pang sanggol ay masigasig ka na sa lahat ng gusto mong ma-accomplish. Namangha ako sa pagpupumilit mong makadapa noong tatlong buwan ka pa lamang. Apat na buwan ay ang tiyaga mo namang matutong gumapang. Ginulat mo na lang kami ng isang araw ay bigla ka na lang nakaupo. Pinaiyak mo naman sa tuwa (o sa takot) ang Nanay dahil tumayo ka sa playpen mo ng ikaw ay magpipitong buwang gulang pa lamang. Buhat noon ay nagumpisa ka ng mangabay at kung saan-saan ka na nakakarating. Kusa kang nagpumilit tumayo at humakbang ng walang hinahawakan. Kahit ilang beses kang mapaupo o madapa ay tumatayo ka lang ulit. Kahit nasasaktan ka kung minsan ay di mo ito iniinda, parang walang nangyari. Napakabilis ng pangyayari, isang araw ay nakakalad ka na lang bigla ng maraming mga hakbang. At bawa’t isang araw ay palayo ng palayo ang iyong nararating ng hindi bumabagsak.

Tunay na sa taong nagdaan ay nakita ko sa iyo ang tiyaga mong matuto. Kapag may gusto kang gawin ay di ka madaling panghinaan ng loob. Marunong kang gumawa ng paraan at minsan ay nagugulat na lang ako sa iyong mga techniques. Humihingi ka din naman ng tulong kapag may gusto kang gawin na alam mong hindi mo kaya magisa. Ngayon ay mahilig kang magtago ng mga maliliit mong laruan sa ilalim ng computer workstation natin. Ng unang beses na hindi mo na makuha ulit ang mga ito ay kinuha mo ang aking kamay. Inilapit sa ilalim ng workstation at pilit na ipinapasok sa loob. Hindi nga lang kita agad matulungan dahil kung ang maliit mong kamay at braso ay di maabot ang mga laruan, ako pa kaya na masmalaki sa iyo.

Isa kang Filipino-Canadian. Dahil dito ay mas marami kang pagsubok na haharapin kumpara sa ibang mga kabataan. Hindi mo maiiwasan na may ilang mga tao na hindi ka tatangapin agad-agad na kapantay nila. Sa iyong pagaaral, sa iyong pagtratrabaho, sana ay patuloy kang maging masigasig, matiyaga at resourceful sa lahat ng iyong mga tahakin. Bilang mga dayuhan sa lupaing ito, may pagkakataon na kailangan mong patunayan ang iyong kakayahan. Kung may manuya man sa iyo, ay harapin mo silang taas noo, at ipakita na ikaw ay hindi nila kayang apihin.

Sa pagbasa mo ng liham na ito ay labing-anim na taon gulang ka na. Sinadya kong isulat ito sa wikang Tagalog dahil nais kong matuto ka, hindi lamang umintindi, kundi pati magsalita, sumulat, at bumasa ng ating inang wika. Totoo na ikaw ay isinilang na sa bansang Canada, nguni’t ang dugo na dumadaloy sa iyo ay dugong Pilipino. Ipagmalaki mo ang iyong lahi, ang iyong kulay kayumangi. Kung hindi man ngayon, sa mga darating na taon, nais ko na ikaw ay makatira ng panandalian sa Pilipinas, ang bansang sinilangan ng iyong mga ninuno. Hindi lamang upang mamasyal, gusto kong maranasan mo ang pagiging Pilipino sa sarili nating bansa. Makita ang mga tanawin, ang kultura, ang musika, at higit sa lahat ay makilala at makapiling ang iyong mga pamilya na doon naninirahan. Mahalaga na malaman mo ang iyong heritage. Sa pamamagitan nito, mas mauunawaan mo ang iyong sarili; ang iyong pinanggalingan at ang iyong patutunguhan.

Ang sa iyo ay laging nagmamahal,

Mommy
...

Friday, November 22, 2002
lot of improvement in school. would only stand up to look closer, if asked to sit down,he sits. or by the end would stand by his space, not going to other places. ...

Tuesday, November 19, 2002
taking ownership
now when you want something for your own, you pretend to read the thing and say "ace escobido" ... clearly

went to speech test yesterday w/ bonnie

memory -audio
colors
placements - on, beside
duckies - really good visual memory

sched jan 15 and 22nd ...

Tuesday, November 12, 2002
Nov 11 woke up ... crying . no, no, no, no... no, no.... not sure what until he pointed out the window.. no snow!

mommy cooking squash, he heard me pounding on it to cut it, mommy, making pumpkin? with light???

...

Friday, November 08, 2002
playing hospital at school. wheelchair, walker, complete works ...

Wednesday, November 06, 2002
mom, parent helper... ace plays doctor with the others, no problems according to nona. last monday, he was a patient, so stiff, must be from experience.
playing in the hill with friends. going home, jordan got him and told him his mother wants to go home and escorted him up the hill to mommy.. so cute... looks like a younger person escorting a senior :) (si ace)
afternoon, went to dr. diamond's... very good. more mature. didn't struggle while being checked!
has a big singaw that got bigger... must be very very painful. ...