A Working Mom’s OctoberFest

Finally, I can blog about all the exciting things I have done this month of October. I have loads of photos but I still don’t know how to place them here. Please visit my other blog, Free Coupons.

It was an Octoberfest for me which started with being assigned to accompany a volunteer dash photographer from Hongkong dash London in the areas where my NGO implement our own brand of participatory development work. From the concrete and iron-railed Ninoy Aquino International airport to the far flung communities of Isabela Province and then back to the palay-filled roads of Nueva Ecija, Louise, I and several of the NGO staff visited and mingled with local residents while taking photos everywhere and anywhere, everyone and anyone.

Louise was here to basically merge her “development studies knowledge and her passion for photography”. She has just graduated from a university in London and plans to pursue a career in photojournalism. Meanwhile, me and my colleagues, dream of becoming world class photographers so when Louise wrote us to volunteer here to professionally take photos, we did not have second thoughts. In fact, we seized the opportunity to task her into giving us a free training on how to take very, very good photos. That’s the beauty and the skill of development workers, we do not let good opportunities pass by. In fact, we create good opportunities for ourselves.

The “hands-on photography” fieldwork cum training went on for two weeks but I took a break on the weekend in between to attend to my motherly tasks. I brought all of my kids to the pediatrician for their overdue vaccine and asthma-maintenance medication check-up. My youngest, Enzo was given measles vaccine shots while the girls we prescribed to continue sniffing seretide inhalers because it’s palay-drying season and all the roads around us are filled with them. Enzo’s next vaccine schedule is for chicken pox and would you believe, the shot now costs P2,000??!! I am thinking of just exposing him to the real thing just to get immunized. As my brother- in law- used to say, a bottle of Tempra drops, orange flavored only cost only around P200. When I had my first baby, it was only P1,000 then my second cost P1500. Good thing I already got myself ligated!

So after the official business came my personal October fest, Raia celebrated her 4th birthday and we had a simple party at her school. It was my first time to give a party in school (Trinity’s birthday is on April) and I was so invigorated by all the kids appreciating everything, from the Disney Princess Happy Birthday Banner to my (catered) imitation of Jollibee spaghetti and chickenjoy. I can’t forget how 13 children said “WOW!!!!” altogether, when they opened their packed snacks. They were so excited and happy.

Two days later, we were having the real Jollibee, it was Enzo’s first birthday. It was my second time to throw a bumblebee party and this time, I already know how to encourage the kids and their moms to participate. It was fun seeing my near-adolescent nieces who, three years ago, were falling in line to receive their toys but now, they run away from the service crew who wants them to join the games. Time does fly so fast. They’ll be debutantes in no time.

Finally, the United Nations’ Day Celebration in my kids’ school was held last Saturday, October 27. It was an 8-hour event that started with an early make-up session and ended with me pinning a Best in National Costume sash on my eldest daughter. Very tiring but very fun-filled. I reserved another blog for this, complete with my musings and what ifs…

It was ohh soo tiring, more psychologically than physically but at the end of it all, it did not seem to end. I still play it all back in my mind and catch myself smiling and enjoying being a working mom.