Another 48 hours

Weekends are precious. Two precious days with Heaven.

Ate Dada gets her time off. Tatay Nilo and Nanay Aires take turns and catch up.

Tatay Nilo gets to wake up at 5 am to have a very early breakfast with Heaven. Then off to Heaven's daily grind:

• "Sulat tayo." (Draw or doodle stuff on paper or blackboard.)


• "Basketball. Shoot!" or "Bowling. Strike!" or "Billiards. Tsuk!" (Play any ballgame he fancies.)


• "Tok. Tok. Drum." (Drop colored balls into colored holds of his colorful drum set.)


• "Ay hulog! Hulog!" (Build a tower out of blocks and watch it fall down.)


• "Elmo..." or "Coco the Cow." (Read any of his books.)


• "Nanay, dede!" (Of course, when it is time to be breastfed.)

Nanay Aires spirits off to bed for Heaven's morning nap. This is a struggle between Nanay and Heaven. It takes an hour before Heaven goes to lala-land, and only after -- "Nay, usap tayo." About his most recent escapade like ---

• "Wawa. Heaven. Sugat. Doctor." (His last vaccine shot.)


• "Wawa. Lola. Sugat. Doctor." (Seeing Lola after her dialysis treatment.)


• "Ate. Galit. Palo. Heaven. Ouch." (Some nasty girl who hit him with a ball at Gymboree.)


• "Monkey bar. Stretch. Weeee!" (How he conquered the dreaded monkey bar at Gymboree.)


• "Ara. Uwi. Iyak." (An older girl in the neighborhood admonished to go back home.)


• "Kuya. Galing. Dribble. Shoot." (An older boy in the neighborhood playing hoops at the barangay gymnasium.)


• "Ate. Galing. Ipis. Boo. Patay." (Ate Dada's triumph over a poor cockroach.)

Saturday afternoons are either playtime at Gymboree, chowtime at Momo's, partytime at Jollibee, or TV time with Ernie and Bert and Elmo and the Sesame Street gang. (Yes! We had permission from Heaven's pedia to introduce him to televised stories but still with parental guidance.)

It's not all rosy though. Tantrums happen here and there. And the "Is-this-my-son?" comes sputtering out. When he insists to go to the bedroom to wreak havoc. When mealtime is not yet his mealtime. When Nanay or Tatay hies off somewhere else and leaves him behind. When sleepyhead refuses to sleep.

Sunday, of course, is Alleluia time. You should hear Heaven's version of American Idol's favorite, Hallelujah. Listen to his whole repertoire:

• Row, row your boat....


• Twinkle, twinkle... diamond in the sky...


• Rain, rain go away, little Heaven wants to play...


• Bahay kubo, kahit munti...


• Sa Jollibee, bida ang saya....


• Baby-Baby-Baby-Ooooh!

Add to these his orchestra instruments: piano, xylophone, guitar, drum, tamborine...

Sunday is pretty much like Saturday. Throw in a dose of Q&A.

• What is your name? HEAVEN CZAR A. YACAT. (Stress on letter T.)


• How old are you? TWO. (Finally stopped saying 'One'.)


• What's your favorite color? BLUE. (And touches the color RED. No worries. He'll get that right soon.)


• What's the name of Tatay? NILO. (With a smile.)


• What's the name of Nanay? AIRES. (With a giggle.)


• Where will you go to school? ATENEO. (With conviction. Talk about toddler indoctrination.)

Weekends are indeed precious. And our Mondays are becoming difficult, really difficult.
"Sama. Heaven. Sama. Iwan. No way. Waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!!!!" Another 48 hours have gone by.