Express Childhood

Meet the three most important kids in my life -- my dear daughter Alyannah and her cousins (I taught her to call them that!) Gabbi Girl and Big Moe.

Aren't they adorable? These pictures were taken at Paradizoo.

With my cousin Chig and his wife Joanne.

Sadly for me, these little rascals are growing up too fast! Yesterday, my little girl told me that she wants to change her nickname to Aly; she doesn't want to be called Yan-yan anymore because she doesn't want to have the same name as the chocolate snack that she was eating...

Photo taken from Wikipedia.

...that statement caught Richard and me by surprise. She said that already when we were still in Manila but we never took it seriously. Then she mentioned it again. She's only five years old!! Ganun na ba mag-isip ang mga bata ngayon? The other day, I decided to buy her a couple of new clothes for summer school, and I was surprised at how much Yan - este, Aly has grown! Just a month ago, she was a size 6-8 and now she's a size 10! Before I know it, she will be borrowing shoes from me! Actually, I use that as a motivation so that she will eat more -- I promised her that when she's big enough, she can borrow mommy's shoes. She is slowly turning into a little person. She decides on what she will wear, she can accessorize, and when we're out shopping, she knows what to get for herself.

My inaanak, Gabbi Girl is slowly graduating from the kiddie crew. She doesn't hang out with the kiddies anymore. Instead, she hangs out with the "older kids" -- my cousin Erika and her friends. Gab, I think, is in fourth grade (she's top two in her class!), while Erika is an incoming highschool freshman. Last year during our wedding, we gave name stickers with their favorite cartoon characters to the members of kiddie entourage. When Gabbi received hers, she told me na sana daw I wrote "Gabs" instead of "Gabbi" because that's what her classmates call her daw. Am I missing something here? May pangalan ba na pambata lang at meron bang pang matanda?

As for Big Moe, he's well, becoming bigger too! He's starting to live up to his nickname, I guess. Just the other day, when I was chatting with my Tita Papot and cousin Kokoy, I asked them about the pasalubongs that I sent them. I gave Big Moe a Spiderman tshirt (his favorite! I've been giving him Spidey gifts for as long as I can remember), and guess what? Hindi kasya kay Moe yung shirt! To think I chose the biggest size and it wouldn't fit him! My tita said he grew taller na kasi.

I wish they won't grow up too soon so they can continue hugging and kissing me in public. What I love about my two pamangkins is they're super malambing. They always greet me with a hug whenever we see each other. They always make me feel that they're happy to see me. That's the reason why I'm soo crazy over them. I wonder if they will still do the same when they grow up? Will they still hug and kiss me kaya? When my brother Jof was still a little kid, I'd make this kissing sound with my lips and he would drop whatever he was doing and he will hug and kiss me. The hugs and kisses stopped coming as he got older. I remember one incident when he was still in gradeschool. I bought him a CD with his favorite songs thinking that he will be thrilled with my gift. I was wrong. When I gave the CD, I asked him to give me a hug and you know what he said? "Ate, madaming tao dito" (We were at the parking lot kasi waiting for Ange.) I will never forget that moment.

To my three little rascals Alyannah, Gabbi Girl and Big Moe: I know I can't stop time. Soon, you will stop hugging me in public too! But this I assure you -- even if you change your names in the future and no matter how tall you become, you will always be my Gabbi Girl, Big Moe and Yan-yan!

I miss you, Gab and Moe!