Tooth Fairy

One day, I noticed that the lower teeth of my daughter, seems to have a slight gap. I shrugged my shoulders and thought to myself that it's okay because it's just her milk teeth. But a few days passed and the gap seems to be growing bigger and bigger. Until I finally saw what's causing the movement. Behind her pearly whites, a new tooth is emerging! This tooth seems to be pushing her milk teeth, making the gap bigger and bigger.

I was excited. For the first time, my daughter, only 5 years old is going to lose a tooth. It was nice seeing her very first permanent tooth emerging. Claire was also happy and excited as well. On her part, she wants to experience the magic of the Tooth Fairy. Then, her lower front tooth starts to wiggle. I told her that instead of waiting for her wiggly tooth to fall out on its own, we can do something to pull it out right away. I suggested to tie a string around the tooth, then tie the other end in a door knob. Then we can shut the door close. In that way, the string can pull her tooth out instantly. She looked horrified at first, but surprisingly, she agreed! By the way, that's an old school method of extracting a loose tooth when I was little. But in my daughter's case, of course I was just kidding! Don't try that at home.

One week passed and everyday, Claire kept on playing with her loose tooth. She absentmindedly pushes it with her tongue, with her finger and with her food. Until finally, it happened. She ran to me screaming, "Mommy, Mommy! I pulled out my tooth!" And there it is, holding it with her little fingers, her tiny milk tooth, with blood and all. Her T-shirt has smears of blood. I bet it also hurt a little. But she wasn't bothered by it at all! I wasn't bothered too. We were both so excited by what happened. I hugged her and congratulated her. I kissed her and said I was proud of her. She's such a big girl already. She said, "It's so tiny! We have to clean it and place it under my pillow so the tooth fairy can leave a coin for my coin collection." So I cleaned her tooth for her and kept it for safekeeping, promising to place it under her pillow as she sleeps that night.

My baby girl, is growing  up so fast. She's a big girl now, insisting not to call her baby anymore. She is kinda like the new tooth pushing away her baby self, here comes the new Claire, growing and learning and maturing as time passes by. And I am excited to see the new her, take care of the new her. As she grows, her needs also change. She becomes more strong and independent. I am excited and I am looking forward to the beautiful person she will eventually become.

She slept soundly that night. I did not bother placing her old tooth under the pillow. But I did remember placing a P5 coin under her pillow. Early in the morning, still half asleep. She placed her hands, under her pillow and felt something hard, round and cold. A coin! The Tooth Fairy left it for her! She was elated! Thank you Tooth Fairy, for making me and my daughter so happy.

My Baby Dolls

"Claire playing with her dolls"

Little girls absolutely love dolls. I often watch my daughter, Claire as she becomes lost in her own world playing with her dolls. She has conversations with them while pretending to have a tea party. She strokes her doll’s hair lovingly and changes her into cute little outfits. She takes good care of them- she feeds them and gives them a bath. She makes their bed and sings them a lullaby.

"Go to sleep dollies."

At such a young age, I marvel at how this 4 year old girl can be capable of giving so much TLC to her dolls and to her younger brother. She just adores and loves her little brother and treats him as well as she treats her dolls.

Taking care of my babies brings me back in time. I am transported to when I was a little girl playing lovingly with my own dolls. And then it dawned to me that maybe this was God’s way of preparing little girls for the greatest role they will ever take in as an adult- being a mother.

"My real-life dolls: Claire and Ivan"

Being a caring, loving and responsible individual is innate in all of us. It just takes a helpless but cute and adorable creature to bring out the best “mommy” in us.

On Becoming a Stay-At-Home Mom

Never have I thought that I would become a stay-at-home mom. In college, I dreamt of having a flourishing career. I see myself moving up the ranks and reaping the fruits of my labor. I graduated with a degree in Bachelor of Arts in Communication Arts then began my career in Advertising, which lasted for 3 years.

I had a chance to travel to the US together with my younger sister and my younger brother. My short stint in the US was a turning point in my life. Actually, all three of us were in a crossroad. We had a choice of either staying in America for good or coming home to the Philippines. My sister and I both applied for working visas, and it took months before the results were released. We were running out of time and we needed to fly back to Manila or else our US B1/B2 Visa will be cancelled. We both decided to pack our bags and fly home. But, as fate would have it, the results of our Working Visa Application came out on the day of our departure. She got approved. I got denied. She and my brother stayed in America. I went back home to the Philippines, alone, both happy and sad at the same time.

Home sweet home but I was in Limbo. I didn’t know what to do. I still had the dream of making it to the Corporate World. But I also want to come back to the US and find a decent job that pays well. In the end, with the support of my parents, I decided to go back to school and earn a degree in Bachelor of Science in Nursing. I was young, single and I had nothing to lose. So I threw caution to the wind and faced Nursing School head-on. It was also at that time when I got engaged.

It was in my 2^nd year of Nursing School, when I found out that I was pregnant. My fiance and I immediately decided to get married, much to the surprise of both of our parents, since I haven’t finished my Nursing Degree yet. When we told them I was pregnant, they understandingly and happily supported us all the way. We got married. I took a leave from school, to give birth, making me officially a Mommy. I went on to finish my Nursing Degree. I graduated and passed the board exam. I reviewed for the State of Minnesota Nursing Licensure Exam and I also passed. I am a Registered Nurse, both here in the Philippines and in the US. Everything was ready. I can now leave the country.

But can I just leave my family behind to pursue my dreams of working abroad and earn a living? It was a tough decision. In the end I decided to stay. My US Visa was about to expire at that time and I can’t risk being trapped in the US without my family. In the meantime, my husband and a partner has since started their own Construction Company and through prayers, they are doing quite well. I tried applying for nursing jobs here, but the only jobs available are for volunteer work- which enatils you to work without pay. It seems like it wasn’t worth it all. Besides, another baby came along and if I go to work no one will take care of him. My husband and I talked it over and we made a decision that I am to become a stay-at-home mom.

I had mixed emotions of being a stay-at-home. There were good days and there were bad. Sometimes I get really sad because I am not able to practice my profession and I don’t have a career. But what is the importance of a career? Ultimately, having a good career will benefit yourself, your kids and your family. Your career is for them. But sacrifices have to be made in terms of being a hands-on mother.

As a stay-at-home mom, I get to wear numerous hats.

I am a manager. I manage our household. I make sure that everything in the house is running smoothly, from cleaning, cooking to taking care of the kids.

I am a chef. I love to cook. I go to the market, I plan and prepare meals for my family. I make snacks for my children, at home and at school.

I am a teacher. I teach them the alphabet, numbers, shapes and colors. I teach them about God and how to pray. I teach them about life.

I am a nurse. I manage the health of my family. When they get sick I am with them round the clock, giving them medicines and lots of love.

I am a wife. I am a playmate. I am a dancer. I am a singer. I am a strory-teller. I am a stylist. I am a counselor. The list goes on.

Your priorities change when you become a mother. The day I decided to change careers, I was still single and I can leave the country to start a new life, anytime. But being a mom means thinking way beyond yourself.  You think about your children, your family and what is good for them.

I may not have a “career” and I may not have all the money in the world. But I am a mother. To the eyes of my children, I am someone important. I can still make a difference in this world by moulding the minds of my children to be good and responsible individuals, which in turn will make this crazy world of ours, a better place to live in.